Is it Better to Sleep on a Firm or Soft Mattress?

With mattresses so expensive, it makes sense to do lots of research to figure out what mattress you should be buying. Firmness is a crucial consideration because it determines how well a mattress supports how you sleep and your physiology.

Is it better to sleep on a firm or soft mattress? It depends on who you are, but there is a right or wrong answer when drilling into the numbers. This article will explore everything you need to know about choosing a mattress based on firmness.

Mattresses and body weight 

Mattresses and body weight are closely linked – heavy people need a firmer mattress because softer mattresses compress too much.

Generally, anyone under 130lbs should use a soft or medium-soft mattress, while anyone over 200lbs should use a firm mattress.

Here are a few basic guidelines:

  • Under 130lbs – soft
  • Under 160lbs – soft-medium or medium
  • Under 200 lbs – medium or medium-firm
  • Over 200lbs – firm

Being ‘firm’ does not make a mattress rock hard and uncomfortable. It simply means that the support layers of the mattress don’t compress easily. The top layer is still squishy and soft, giving your body something nice to compress into.

Pictured: Silentnight Studio was awarded. “Which? Best Buy” You can expect good support, whatever your body size or sleeping position. (Available from Bedstar The Online Bed Superstore)

Mattresses and sleeping positions 

Picture a bedsheet stretched on four posts. Now throw a large marble on it. The marble sinks into the sheet, bending the fabric around it. The same happens when you lay on your mattress – your body compresses into the surface.  

The extent to which your body compresses into the mattress depends on how firm it is; however, the way you sleep also has an impact.

For example, laying on your back, your body’s contact area is more significant than laying on your side, so you sink into the mattress less than on your side.

All of which is to say, we can determine the right mattress firmness for you by looking at how you sleep most of the time.

Choosing a mattress based on how you sleep 

The basic rule of thumb is a firm mattress is best for people who sleep on their back, while a softer mattress is best for side sleepers. In the middle, we have the medium mattress, which works for front sleepers and multi-positional sleepers.  

Here’s a quick rule of thumb guide:

  • Side sleeper – soft mattress
  • Front sleeper – medium to medium-firm
  • Back sleeper – firm mattress

So, to sum up, the question of whether a firm or soft mattress is better can be answered by how you sleep and your body weight.

Pictured: Sleepeezee Pocket Gel Poise 3200, Approved by the Good Housekeeping Institute in 2019. (Available from Bedstar The Online Bed Superstore)

Mattress technologies also play a role 

It also needs to be noted that different mattress technologies sleep differently, blurring the lines between firm, soft and medium feels.

For example, a firm pocket spring mattress feels firmer than memory foam mattresses because the top layer is designed to compress.

This is despite both technologies offering the same support.

Hybrid mattresses offer very different feels between manufacturers, depending on the number and types of layers used. Hybrids with more pocket springs feel firmer and bouncier, while hybrids with more foam feel softer. Most hybrids are medium, but in truth, they can feel firm or soft, depending on the brand.

What about an orthopaedic mattress?

Orthopaedic mattresses are firmer mattresses with soft toper layers, designed for people who sleep with pain. Anyone who sleeps with pain or suffers from a bad back or joints will benefit from an orthopaedic mattress.

If you sleep with pain or have a medical condition that makes bedtime uncomfortable, you can skip all other products and go straight for an orthopaedic mattress.

Overall

The key to choosing a mattress is starting with your body weight.

Over 200lbs? Firm. Under 200 lbs? Medium to medium-firm. Under 160lbs? Medium or medium-soft. Under 130lbs? Soft. These simple shopping rules will help you cut through the noise and start looking at products.

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