The Best Mattresses for Front Sleepers
Experts agree that laying on your front isn’t the best way to fall asleep, but many people still find it to be the most comfortable sleeping position. Not only can it cause back pain by flattening your spine's natural curve, it can also mean you'll wake up in the morning with neck strain. But, if it is the way you like to sleep, you'll want to make sure you choose the right mattress and pillow to help alleviate these problems.
In this guide, we're going to explain the things you need to consider when choosing the best front sleeper pillow and mattress. We’ll also share our top product picks, so you can feel supported night after night. This guide will cover:
This, however, is easier said than done, as there are a lot of things that you need to consider to get a fully supported night's sleep. Everyone is different, and your sleep position and body type will determine what front sleeper mattress is best for you. With hundreds of mattresses available to buy, it's easy to get confused. That's why we've done the hard work for you and broken down what you need to think about to help you make an informed decision.
What's the best mattress firmness for front sleepers?
Much like their back-sleeping counterparts, front sleepers tend to prefer firmer mattresses — around 6 (medium) or 7 (medium/firm) on the firmness scale. To get a fully supported and healthy sleep night after night, firmness is one of the most important considerations. The firmness is determined using a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest. Most mattresses you can buy tend to range from 3 (soft) to 8 (firm), and front sleepers generally like to be at the top of that range.
When it comes to spinal alignment, back and side sleepers have it easier, as these positions naturally help to support the spine. Front sleepers, on the other hand, place significantly more pressure on their spine, meaning they need more support to help avoid back pain and spinal problems. If a mattress is too soft, it will place extra pressure on the lower back as your hips will sink into the mattress, increasing the unnatural upward bend in your spine.
When looking for the best mattress for front sleepers, firmer is generally better. Your mid-section carries a significant amount of pressure throughout the day and, when you're sleeping on your stomach, that pressure can continue to build up overnight. Maintaining the natural alignment of your spine is key to finding the right balance between firmness and comfort, allowing your weight to be evenly distributed to reduce pressure.
What's the best mattress depth for front sleepers?
It's not just firmness that will determine your level of comfort and support: the depth of your mattress also plays an important role. This is a particularly important consideration for people that are on the heavier side as, the more weight that is on the mattress, the more it will be compressed. If you sink through the comfort layers of the mattress to the less comfortable foundation layers, you won't feel as supported.
Most of the comfort you feel comes from the top layer so, the more the mattress is compressed, the deeper it needs to be. If this layer is too thin, it won't give you the support you need or relieve the pressure around your core. The best mattress depth for you is determined by a combination of your size, sleeping style, and mattress type. Just think about it like this: if you need a lot of support, a thicker mattress will be better.
Front sleepers should look for a firmer mattress as this will help to maintain your natural alignment and prevent your body from sinking into the mattress. The downside of thicker mattresses is that they tend to trap more heat, but you can get around this with certain sleep technologies, such as Octasprings.
Aside from mattress firmness and depth, you also need to think about the materials that your mattress is made of. Two people who are the same weight and sleep in the same sleeping position might not like the same mattress, and this is down to the materials it's made of. The most popular materials are memory foam, pocket springs, Octasprings, and latex, and many of the best mattresses utilise a number of these technologies together in one. Each brings its own advantages, whether that is comfort, breathability, or support, and you can find out more about each sleep technology in our mattress buying guide.
You should also be careful when trying different mattresses for a few minutes in a store. Most will feel comfortable at first, but it can often take a few nights to really understand how the mattress will affect you. The aches and pains of misalignment won't be obvious until you've slept on a new mattress for multiple nights. This is why it's becoming increasingly popular to buy mattresses that come with a money back trial period. If you're interested, you can find out more about the 60-Night Comfort Guarantee offered by Dormeo.
After taking all of this into consideration, we've chosen our top five best Dormeo mattresses for front sleepers:
Best budget mattress for front sleepers – Octasmart Classic
Firmness: 6 (Medium)
Depth: 17cm
Available in: Single, Double, King, Super King
The Octasmart Classic mattress is a fantastic great value choice, especially if you're new to the comfortable world of memory foam. Ideal for front sleepers, the layer of memory foam will mould perfectly to your body, while the breathable Ecocell foam base helps to release the tension and stress from your muscles. This is a great way to combine comfort and support, offering a superb nights’ sleep for those on a smaller budget.
Memory foam is a brilliant pressure relieving material that cleverly moulds to your body's contours, but it can get hot, especially for front sleepers who tend to trap more heat when they sleep. The unique Ecocell foam works to mitigate this with a 3-dimensional cellular structure that provides efficient air circulation, while breathable airmesh sides help move humid air out. Particularly hot sleepers may prefer a mattress that is a little cooler.
Best luxury mattress for front sleepers – Octaspring 9500
Firmness: 6 (Medium)
Depth: 30cm
Available in: Single, Double, King, Super King
Indulge yourself with our best mattress for front sleepers and experience the benefits of the latest in sleep technology. The Octaspring 9500 brings everything our top of the line mattresses provide with an added layer of luxurious latex. Octasprings provide the ultimate ventilation, keeping you cool and fresh all night long with up to eight times more breathability than a traditional memory foam mattress.
With superb comfort and cradling that relieves pressure from your core, this mattress is a fantastic choice for front sleepers. A deep section of supportive latex makes up the top layer, with three extra-deep layers of Octasprings arranged into three body zones: softer memory foam for your head, shoulders and legs, and firmer springs for the hips and stomach — the ideal support for front sleepers. The bottom foundation layer of supportive springs helps to evenly distribute your body weight, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed.
Best mattress for couples with one front sleeper – Dormeo S Plus
Firmness: Customisable
Depth: 20cm
Available in: Single, Double, King, Super King
Everyone sleeps a little bit differently, and many couples tend to have diverging mattress preferences — especially if they sleep in different positions. To avoid disagreements and make sure everyone gets the sleep they deserve, we created the Dormeo S Plus. This fantastic mattress offers a totally customisable sleep experience with over 30 different comfort combinations. Inspired by the natural S-shape of the spine, the S Plus has been designed to provide perfectly contoured support and comfort.
The S Plus is a fantastic choice as it can be configured for every sleep position — ideal if only one of you is a front sleeper. The two connected cores mean that you can customise each half of the mattress and quickly change them when you need to. All of this makes the S Plus a risk-free choice for couples, especially if you can't agree on which mattress is right. If you buy today, you'll also get a free Octasense 2-in-1 memory foam pillow.
Is it bad to sleep on your stomach?
In short, yes. Sleeping on your stomach puts a lot of extra stress on your spine and neck, which is why most people choose to sleep either on their back or side. To get the best sleep possible, you want your spine to be properly aligned throughout the night, as this will decrease any excess pressure on your discs, nerves, and muscles. There are more downsides to front sleeping compared to other positions but, if this is the only way you can doze off, getting the right mattress and pillow is the best way to alleviate them.
- Strain on your spine: A good mattress and pillow is absolutely vital for stomach sleepers as many people tend to wake up with some kind of ache or pain, which negatively impacts their life. Sleeping on your stomach is bad for your back because it places extra, unnecessary pressure on your spine. This is because the core of your body is where most of the weight is centered, making it difficult to maintain a neutral position throughout the night. As the spine acts as a hub for the nerves in the rest of your body, this can lead to pain in other places too.
- Pain in your neck: Sleeping on your stomach is the only position that puts the neck and spine out of alignment, which can lead to neck problems. Because you have to turn your head to one side when you sleep on your front in order to breathe, your neck twists unnecessarily, putting it out of alignment with your spine. You may not notice this right away, but these problems will only become worse over time. In severe cases, this can lead to a herniated disk, which is when your spinal vertebrae shift and rupture. Finding the right pillow to mitigate these issues should be a top priority for all front sleepers.
- Bad for pregnant women: A woman in her third trimester is unlikely to want to sleep on her stomach. But, even in the early stages of pregnancy, this should be avoided. The extra pressure on the middle of the body leads to the problems mentioned above, and this only worsens for the baby. By sleeping on your back or side, your baby will have much more room to develop, allowing optimal blood flow and improving oxygen levels.
- It may decrease snoring: It's pretty clear that there are many downsides to sleeping on your stomach, especially if you don't have the correct mattress and pillow. That being said, if you suffer from snoring or sleep apnoea, sleeping on your front can reduce both. Not only that but sufferers of heartburn and indigestion can also benefit from stomach sleeping.
That's everything you need to know about sleeping on your front. Follow our advice and you'll be able to get the best mattress and pillow for front sleeping and finally get the rest you deserve. For more great information about mattresses and pillows, why not check out our Guides and Advice section or have a read of our Sleep Blog.