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How to Find the Best Mattress for Hip Pain with Expert Insight from The Sleep Doctor

November 22, 2021

Sleep plays a critical role in everything from brain function to overall physical health, which is why it’s important to ensure you’re getting quality rest each night. But if you’re struggling with chronic or frequent hip pain, it can be hard to fall asleep. Sleeping on a mattress that’s too soft or hard can trigger pressure points and lead to a sore hip. That’s why it’s crucial you rest on the best mattress for hip pain, so you can get the relief––and sleep––you need.

Michael Breus, Ph.D., board-certified sleep specialist also known as The Sleep Doctor has teamed up with the expert reviewers at Mattress Advisor to recommend the top mattresses for relieving hip pain. The team has tested and reviewed hundreds of bed-in-a-box mattresses at the Mattress Advisor lab in North Carolina to find the 8 best mattresses for hip pain. 

“When it’s just head and neck pain, I often think about recommending a new pillow, but when it’s hip pain, it’s likely time to get a new mattress!” says Dr. Breus.

Along with these options, The Sleep Doctor has outlined some guidelines that’ll help you choose the bed ideally-suited to your own comfort preferences and budget, so you can get pain relief and better sleep ASAP.

Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

Best Overall:

The 8 Best Mattresses for Hip Pain

1. The Sleep Doctor’s Pick: Nectar

The Nectar is one of the best mattresses for sleepers with hip pain because of its pressure-relieving foam layers that cradle your hips. Side sleepers especially need a softer surface since this position already places greater pressure on their hips. The Nectar boasts rock-solid pain relief with its 8.5 out 10 pressure relief score. Constructed from responsive memory foam, the Nectar offers a plush surface that’s perfect for sleepers to sink into and get the cushioning they need. Plus, the Nectar lands at a 6 out 10 on the firmness scale, which is the firmness sweet spot for back, side, and multipositional sleepers––the medium-firmness provides an even balance of comfortable support. With its generous full-year trial period and lifetime warranty, you can be confident that you won’t regret your Nectar purchase. 

  • Mattress Type: Gel Memory Foam
  • Customer Rating: 4.8/5
  • Firmness: Medium-Firm
  • Lifetime Warranty

Buy it, Nectar, $799 (Queen), nectarsleep.com

2. Best Luxury: DreamCloud Premier

With a nearly perfect score for pressure relief (it earned a 9/10!), the DreamCloud Premier is a top pick for relieving hip pain. But it’s luxurious design also skyrockets it to the top for best luxury mattress. It’s a 6-layer hybrid mattress made with three layers of memory foam, a bed of micro coils, and a euro top covered in a silky soft cashmere blend. The pillow top provides the sort of cushioning those with hip pain need for comfortable snoozing, and the medium-firm feel coupled with the coils offers lasting support. The DreamCloud Premier’s high-quality materials also make it extremely durable, ensuring the bed won’t buckle or sag under your weight which can exacerbate hip pain. 

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.6/5
  • Firmness: Medium-Firm
  • Lifetime Warranty 

Buy it, DreamCloud Premier, $1,599 (Queen), dreamcloudsleep.com

3. Best Value: WinkBed

Handmade mattresses that come with an extended trial period and lifetime warranty aren’t as hard to find as one might think. WinkBed mattresses are crafted in both Wisconsin and Florida and come in four firmness levels to choose from. However, for sleepers dealing with hip pain, the testing team agrees that the “softer” version is the best course of action to provide adequate pressure relief around the hips. The WinkBed’s dual-coil and gel foam design promote firm spine alignment (8.75 out of 10) with an additional lumbar support layer to keep it from sinking. Two layers of coils help this hybrid stay very responsive, which is helpful for multipositional sleepers and couples who move around frequently.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5
  • Firmness: Softer, Luxury-Firm, Firmer, Extra Firm
  • Lifetime Warranty

Buy it, WinkBed, $1,799 (Queen), winkbeds.com

4. Best Cooling: Helix Midnight

The Helix Midnight is a premium hybrid mattress that’s not only great at relieving hip pain––its cooling comfort works well for hot sleepers, too. A breathable mattress cover, porous foam, and innerspring coils allow heat to pass through with ease (8 out of 10). Memory foam helps to absolve your sides of any tension, backed by its impressive 8.5 out of 10 pressure relief testing score. A base of individually-wrapped coils helps evenly distribute weight so your pelvis and spine can stay in neutral alignment, helping the Helix earn a 8.75 out of 10 in spine alignment. And the Helix’s medium-firmness ensures those with hip pain get the support and comfort they need for a restorative night’s rest. The coils also help break up any heat retained by the foam layers, making the Helix Midnight a great cooling mattress for those with hip pain. 

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.5/5
  • Firmness: Medium
  • Warranty: 15-Year Limited Warranty

Buy it, Helix Midnight, $1,099 (Queen), helixsleep.com

5. Best for Couples: GhostBed Flex

Avoiding hip pain by way of a supportive mattress will help improve your sleep, but what about if you sleep with a partner? To make sure you both are steering clear of unnecessary aches and pains, check out the GhostBed Flex. This is a durable mattress for two, with three layers of pressure-relieving foam that sit atop a layer of responsive coils. Altogether, this hybrid responded well to testers moving between sleep positions (9 out of 10) as well as absorbing this feeling of movement as it was happening (9.75 out of 10).   

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.8/5
  • Firmness: Medium-Firm
  • Warranty: 25-year 

Buy it, GhostBed Flex, $2,205  (Queen), ghostbed.com

6. Best Hybrid: Brooklyn Signature

The Brooklyn Signature hybrid mattress uses a blend of foam and coils to provide expert pressure relief that’s ideal for relieving hip pain. With a near-perfect, 9.5 out 10 pressure relief score, the Brooklyn Signature’s dense layers of memory foam contour along your side, delivering much needed relief for sleepers with hip pain. It won’t put stress on your joints but, instead, cushions them so you’ll wake up feeling rested and rejuvenated all over. A quilted pillow top creates a cushy surface to sink into, and the 6 inch-layer of coils provides excellent pushback for spine alignment (it earned an 8.5 out 10 in spine alignment). Bonus: The Brooklyn Signature comes in three firmness levels, plush (4 out of 10 on the firmness scale), medium (6 out of 10), and firm (8 out of 10). Those with hip pain would enjoy either the plush or medium options, which provide a softer surface that cushions the hips more.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.7/5
  • Firmness: Plush; Medium; Firm
  • Warranty: 10-Year Limited

Buy it, Brooklyn Signature, $749.25 (Queen), brooklynbedding.com

7. Best for Pressure Relief: Saatva Classic

Sleepers with hip pain require extra pressure relief to keep the discomfort from worsening. The Saatva Classic’s soft Euro pillow top cushions around the hips and lower back to replicate a feeling of weightlessness, preventing pressure buildup (8.75 out of 10). Gel memory foam and two coil layers help the Saatva achieve a perfect spine alignment score (10 out of 10) and assist with the dispersal of body heat (9 out of 10). If you’re concerned about mattress setup taking a toll on your body, Saatva’s included white glove delivery will handle that for you.  

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 4.8/5
  • Firmness: Plush, Luxury-Firm, Firm
  • Warranty: 15-year limited 

Buy it, Saatva Classic, $1,595 (Queen), saatva.com

8. Best for Side Sleepers: Puffy Lux

The Puffy Lux is a smart choice for side sleepers dealing with hip pain. With a pressure-relieving foam and coil construction, every aspect of this mattress is designed to adjust to your body. Three gel memory foam layers stay cool (8.75 out of 10) and flush out body heat to keep it from pooling around you. Its inner layer of wrapped coils adjusts to different amounts of pressure, with firm support around the hips that carry most of your weight while side sleeping. Meanwhile, it maintains soft pushback around your head and neck. Altogether, this design helped the Lux attain a 9.5 out of 10 for pressure relief, plus a 9 out of 10 for spine alignment.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid
  • Customer Rating: 5/5
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Lifetime Warranty

Buy it, Puffy Lux, Price $1,799, puffy.com

How Does Hip Pain Affect Sleep?

Pain and sleep are strongly linked in a cycle that can hurt your sleep quality. Experiencing hip pain at night can interrupt your sleep by causing you to wake up writhing in pain, or it can make it annoyingly difficult to fall asleep at all. According to The Sleep Doctor, “back and hip pain and sleep loss often go hand in hand. Your back is tied to every part of your body so when you’re dealing with lingering pain or injury it tends to impact everything you do.” Hip pain is a common complaint that’s caused by many factors, so use this list below to help you determine what the root of your discomfort is.

Causes of Hip Pain: 

  • Sleeping on the wrong mattress: 

If you’re sleeping on an ill-fitting or old, sagging mattress that isn’t supporting your sleep position or providing proper pressure relief, you may experience hip or back pain. A mattress that doesn’t provide adequate support, or one that’s too firm, can exacerbate your pressure points along the hips and shoulders. If your mattress is sagging, it can knock your spine out of alignment and cause further back and hip pain, or if your bed is too hard, your pressure points may dig into the mattress. That’s why it’s key to ensure you’re sleeping on a supportive mattress that relieves pressure so you can wake up pain-free and well rested.

  • Arthritis

Arthritis is a leading cause of pain and disability worldwide, but it’s also a contributing factor to hip pain. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. Sleeping well serves as a guard against painful conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, which is yet another reason you should rethink your mattress if it’s contributing to ongoing pain.

  • Injuries

Injuries like bursitis, which is an inflammation of the joints, can also cause hip pain. These types of injuries may occur from failing to bend your knees when lifting a heavy object, which can put extra stress on the bursae in your hips. 

  • Inflamed Tendons

Another common cause of acute hip pain is inflamed tendons, or tendonitis, often due to too much exercise. Getting quality rest can actually counteract inflammation by helping to avoid the “pro-inflammatory activity that occurs in the presence of poor, deregulated sleep,” says Dr. Breus.

And, according to The Sleep Doctor, your mattress plays a bigger role in absolving–or worsening–hip pain than you’d think. 

“In addition to other factors, your bed also plays a critical role. Think of it like a house: you wouldn’t want to build on sand, obviously, and you don’t want to go to sleep on something that’s going to make your hip and back pain worse. The last thing you need is to be uncomfortable on your bed. For many people, their mattress is old or worn out,” says Dr. Breus.

What to Consider When Shopping for the Best Mattress for Hip Pain

Of course, buying a new mattress is not a one-size-fits-all proposition and there are a few crucial considerations that anyone who suffers from hip pain should look for when choosing a bed.

Pressure Relief 

When looking for the best mattress for hip pain, it’s important to choose one that will relieve your pain by conforming closely to your body. A mattress that contours along your sides hugs your hips and shoulders, lessening the amount of pressure placed on these areas and alleviating any tension. It’s important for those suffering from hip pain to rest on a mattress with a softer surface that cushions their hips, delivering enough pressure relief to rock you to sleep. Look for a mattress with at least an 8/10 pressure relief score to ensure you get the cushioning you need to relieve hip pain.

Support 

Taking support and durability into account are important steps to relieving hip pain. Generally, the more supportive a mattress is, the better it will hold up overtime. Support and durability are crucial for those who suffer from hip pain, as a sagging and unsupportive mattress can cause your hips to dig and sink into the bed, exacerbating pressure point pain. For heavyweight sleepers with hip pain especially, it’s even more important to sleep on a supportive mattress that bounces back against your weight, because plus-sized sleepers tend to sink deeper into the mattress. Any mattress with at least an 8/10 score in durability will be sufficient enough to stand the test of time and provide lasting support.

Spine Alignment

Support and spine alignment go hand in hand. A more supportive mattress (one that’s at least medium-firm) will provide enough pushback to keep your spine in proper alignment, which helps decrease the amount of pressure placed on your lower back. Lower back pain can easily worsen or initiate tension in the hips, so neutral spine alignment is key in ensuring relief from hip pain. As long as the mattress your eyeing scored at least an 8/10 in spine alignment, you can rest assured knowing you’re getting the support you need.

Mattress Firmness

The best mattress firmness for hip pain will depend on several factors like your bodyweight, sleep position, and the intensity of your pain. You’ll want to select a mattress that will conform to your body and relieve pressure point pain, but you’ll also want a supportive mattress that offers enough pushback to maintain spine alignment. 

Medium-firm mattresses tend to be the go-to for relieving hip and back pain. There is just enough cushion for sensitive joints, without compromising lumbar and full-body support. Heavyweight sleepers who sink into their mattress more may need a firmer mattress than the average sleeper, while lightweight sleepers who don’t sink as much may need a medium-soft mattress that provides additional cushioning for the hips and shoulders. 

Which Sleep Position Is Best for Reducing Hip Pain?

Whatever your sleep position, there is hope of reducing pain and getting better rest, but it’s also helpful to know how sleep position affects hip pain. The breakdown below shows how each position either helps or hurts hip pain, and the type of surface that’s best for relieving hip pain in each posture. 

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers who habitually sleep on one side on an ill-fitting mattress may experience muscle imbalance and pain. When you sleep on your side, most of your weight falls to your hips and shoulders, and if you’re not sleeping on a mattress that cushions these spots, you run the risk of placing too much pressure on your hips. This can cause hip pain, which is why it’s key for side sleepers to rest on a softer surface that alleviates pressure.

Make sure to also alternate between sides as to not aggravate sore hips, and sleep with a pillow between your knees to assist with keeping your spine from sinking out of alignment. 

Back Sleepers

Sleeping face-up is your best bet to avoiding hip pain. In this sleep position, your body weight is spread evenly across the mattress surface, thus keeping extra tension off of the lower back and hips. If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back, which ensures proper alignment and decreases the chances of pain spreading from your lower back to your hips.

Stomach Sleepers

Sleeping on your stomach can be hard on your back and also cause hip pain. Stomach sleepers need a mattress that keeps their hips propped up and their spine aligned, as this sleeping position runs the greatest risk of spine misalignment. This usually requires a mattress that’s on the medium-firm or firm end of the spectrum. 

Combination Sleepers

Multi-positional or combination sleepers change positions during the night, and those with hip pain need a mattress that can adapt and adjust accordingly so they can receive support and comfort in every position. A responsive mattress with good bounce can help combination sleepers with hip pain transition seamlessly, so they won’t worsen their hip pain trying to move from one position to the next.

Mattress Type 

Mattresses can be made of many different materials, but some are better for relieving hip pain than others.

Memory Foam

Memory foam mattresses are a good choice for hip pain sufferers because they’re made with pressure-relieving foam that absorbs your body weight and allows you to sink into the surface just enough for deeper contouring and compression. A memory foam bed that’s too plush though may cause your hips to sink too far into the mattress and knock your spine out of alignment, so it’s better to go for a medium-firm memory foam bed when it comes to relieving hip pain

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses offer the best of both worlds for those struggling with hip pain. Hybrid beds combine coils with foam, which works well at providing pressure relief and support. Those with hip pain would benefit from hybrid mattresses that incorporate multiple layers of thick memory foam above a bed of coils, which creates the perfect surface to sink into and cushion those joints.  

Innerspring

If you suffer from hip pain and have an affinity for innerspring mattresses–there’s some bad news. Innerspring mattresses are not a great choice when it comes to relieving hip pain. Innerspring beds typically only use a bed of coils with a thin foam layer on top. While the coils help those with hip pain maintain spine alignment, the lack of cushioning doesn’t provide sleepers with the pressure relief they need. The harder surface of an innerspring bed can cause your hips to dig into the mattress, increasing pressure and worsening your condition. If you like the support of innerspring coils but need extra cushioning to relieve hip pain, a hybrid mattress is your best bet. 

Latex

Latex mattresses are one of the most commonly recommended beds for hip pain because latex is a naturally pressure-relieving material. Latex hugs the body and cradles your hips and shoulders like memory foam, but it also has a springy feel akin to an innerspring bed. This inherent bounciness helps latex push back against your movements for neutral spine alignment, so those with hip pain can get the pressure relief and support they need for a comfy night’s rest. 

Final Thoughts on How to Choose the Right Mattress for You

Don’t toss and turn at night. These recommended mattresses will aid you in getting your best, most restful sleep so you can wake up refreshed and pain free. 

Sources for this Article:

Amin, Neel, M.D., “Causes of Hip Pain At Night”, https://ift.tt/30RRInl 

Cleveland Clinic, 2019, “Is Your Sleep Position Causing You Back Pain.” Health Essentials (blog), August 29, 2019, https://ift.tt/3FFmBtQ

Hungs, Marcel. 2010. University of California Center for Sleep Medicine. https://ift.tt/3FGyTCb

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 2017. “Effects of Mattress Material on Body Pressure Profiles. https://ift.tt/3kVGK7i

Mayo Clinic, 2020, “Slide Show: Sleeping Positions that Reduce Back Pain.” https://ift.tt/3nFJt6r

Mayo Clinic, 2019, “Hip Pain Causes.” April 10, 2019, https://ift.tt/3Fyl1da

The post How to Find the Best Mattress for Hip Pain with Expert Insight from The Sleep Doctor appeared first on The Sleep Doctor.



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