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Medically reviewed by: Debra Henline Sullivan, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, COI
Some people think that after being diagnosed with arthritis or fibromyalgia, they can say goodbye to a peaceful sleep.
Because chronic pain can mess with sleep quality really bad.
But the good news is, the right treatment and the right mattress can help alleviate musculoskeletal pain. So, if you suffer from this type of pain, check out this guide on how to choose the best mattress for arthritis and fibromyalgia and get ready to find a worthy option for yourself
A Quick Preview
 | Best Overall Winkbed | Check Current Price Read more about this mattress |
 | Second Best Choice Refresh Mattress by Natural Form | Check Current Price Read more about this mattress |
 | Third Best Choice Saatva | Check Current Price Read more about this mattress |
 | Best for Allergy-Prone Arthritis Patients AS3 by Amerisleep | Check Current Price Read more about this mattress |
 | Best for Cooler Sleep Dreamcloud | Check Current Price Read more about this mattress |
 | Best for Zoned Pressure Alleviation Zoma | Check Current Price Read more about this mattress |
 | Best for Cool Pressure Relief GhostBed | Check Current Price Read more about this mattress |
List of 7 Best Mattresses for Arthritis and Fibromyalgia Relief
Best Overall — Editor’s Choice - Winkbed
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Highlights
- Four firmness options for different body types and sleeping positions;
- zoned spinal support aids proper spinal alignment and helps reduce tension from the joints;
- reliable motion isolation, great for arthritis and fibromyalgia patients who struggle to find a comfortable position during the night and don’t want to disturb their partner.
One of the best mattresses for fibromyalgia and arthritis, the Winkbed offers both consistent support for the spine and gentle cradling for the joints, which is essential for people who often experience tension buildup in pressure points.
The combination - support and cradling, works wonders for people suffering with pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis because it can help relieve the pressure from aching joints.
Additionally, the Winked is rather responsive and doesn’t make sleepers feel stuck. This comes in handy if you tend to be restless during the night and need to switch positions often to find the least painful one. Such a mattress design makes shifting and moving in bed almost effortless.
What makes the Winkbed stand out from the crowd is its special zoned support system. Using two layers of coils, the bed adjusts to the applied pressure and supports different parts of the body with different levels of responsiveness. This contributes to healthy spinal alignment, muscle relaxation, and consequently, pain relief. And since fibromyalgia and arthritis patients often suffer from chronic pain, this can help them sleep more soundly.
Overall, the Winkbed is a worthy find. This mattress can work for arthritis and fibromyalgia patients that belong to different weight categories. It delivers consistent support for the spine without sacrificing pressure relief, which is essential for sensitive or sore joints in people with arthritis.
Second Best Choice — Refresh Mattress by Natural Form
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Highlights
- thermoregulating cover for increased comfort;
- conforming foam to achieve proper weight distribution and pressure alleviation;
- adjustable firmness to offer more comfort variations.
The second place among the best mattresses for arthritis and fibromyalgia goes to the Refresh by Natural Form. This model has plenty of tricks up its sleeve to win countless users over. The main one is the adjustable firmness, of course. Using a simple dial, sleepers can change the way the Refresh mattress feels on both sides. This can really come in handy when dealing with arthritis and fibromyalgia pain. You can adjust the firmness of your bed to find the set-up that grants pain alleviation. For instance, it took me only a few minutes to find the comfiest setting.
Next, you might also appreciate the smart construction of the Refresh mattress. It features a zoned pressure-relief system and uses conforming foam on top. This duo offers adaptive support for different parts of the sleeper’s body. As a result, the Refresh dissipates the tension effectively. Just to give you an example, my wife was complaining about lower back pain for weeks until we got to sleep on the Refresh mattress.
Third Best Choice — Saatva
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Highlights
- proprietary spinal technology to maintain a healthy, neutral alignment during sleep;
- plush pillow-top for extra cradling and pressure relief;
- three firmness options to accommodate more types of sleepers.
The second item on the list of the best mattresses for arthritis and fibromyalgia is the Saatva, and there are a few reasons for that. First of all, this mattress uses a special design to provide extra support for the spine and maintain it in neutral alignment during the night. As a result, you are going to experience less pressure accumulation, which can potentially help reduce the pain. Additionally, the Saatva has a plush pillow-top that would come in handy if you have tender joints. The pillow-top layer will gently hug them without adding any extra pressure, which might also alleviate the pain.
All things considered, the Saatva has a lot to boast of. This mattress combines sturdy support with gentle pressure relief, which creates optimal conditions to help you relax fully and reduce the pain levels.
Best for Allergy-Prone Arthritis Patients — AS3 by Amerisleep
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Highlights
- zoned HIVE transition layer for targeted pressure relief;
- plant-based foam for safer sleep;
- open-cell foam design to create a pleasantly cool sleeping environment.
The next mode I would like to add to our list of the best mattresses for arthritis and fibromyalgia is the AS3 by Amerisleep. As this is an all-foam model, the AS3 offers effective contouring and proper weight redistribution to prevent tension build-up and, consequently, alleviate the pain a little. Plus, there’s a zoned transition layer to aid proper support. It adjusts to different body parts and ensures your spine remains neutral. Again, this could help greatly with pressure and pain relief.
Now, another impressive feature of the AS3 is its proprietary Bio-Pur foam. It’s plant-based and low in VOCs. As a result, this foam is more resistant to such environmental allergens as mold, bacteria, and dust mites, which makes the Amerisleep AS3 a good pick for allergy-prone arthritis patients. After all, who wants to add cough and itchy eyes to the arthritis symptoms?
Best for Cooler Sleep - Dreamcloud
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Highlights
- gel memory foam comfort layer for improved pressure relief without sacrificing temperature neutrality;
- targeted innerspring support to maintain a healthy spine position during sleep;
- quilted foam + cashmere top for extra cushioning and increased comfort.
What makes the Dreamcloud a great mattress for arthritis and fibromyalgia is the cooling pressure relief it can provide for aching joints. As sleeping with pain caused by these conditions can be quite challenging, the Dreamcloud helps create a pleasantly cool (hence, more comfortable) sleeping environment.
Thanks to the sturdy coil core, the Dreamcloud provides strong, consistent support all across its surface (including the edges). The top memory foam layer is nicely balanced by the more responsive transition polyfoam. All of this makes the Dreamcloud easy to move around on and switch positions, even if you are in pain. If your mobility is a bit limited, strong edges can give you enough support to push with your hands, making getting out of bed much easier.
The bottom line? This mattress ticks all the boxes. It delivers the right amount of support and cradling, essential for arthritis and fibromyalgia sufferers. Additionally, it sleeps cool, which positively affects comfort levels.
Best for Zoned Pressure Alleviation — Zoma
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Highlights
- attractive price combined with quality construction, offers great value for money;
- zoned support to achieve unparalleled weight distribution and tension release;
- gel-infused foam for improved thermoregulation.
If you want a mattress that would perfectly adjust to each curve of your body and can guarantee high comfort levels, you may want to check out the Zoma. Being among the best mattresses for arthritis and fibromyalgia, this model acts differently under different body parts to ensure the optimal support for different sleeping styles. This is achieved thanks to the zoned comfort layer. It has sections meant to help properly cradle different sections of one’s body and thus, reduce tension.
You might also enjoy sleeping on the Zoma mattress if your arthritis or fibromyalgia pain is making it hard for you to move. Because this mattress has a resilient transition layer, it will not restrict movement. Therefore, switching positions (or getting out of bed) should require less effort than with traditional memory foam mattresses.
Best for Cool Pressure Relief — GhostBed
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Highlights
- top latex layer to guarantee close conforming without making sleepers feel stuck;
- high-density support foam for proper alignment during the night;
- gel-infused foam to ensure proper pressure relief without sacrificing cool sleep.
The next model among the best mattresses for fibromyalgia and arthritis is the GhostBed. Combining adaptive latex and foam, this mattress has a chance of alleviating pain by redistributing your weight evenly and minimizing pressure points. That being said, don’t expect the conforming GhostBed to make you sweat during the night. Its naturally cool latex and gel-infused foam would create a temperature-neutral environment. Therefore, while dealing with fibromyalgia or arthritis pain, you won’t have to worry about those annoying night sweats.
Overall, the GhostBed could be an optimal solution for someone who appreciates close conforming but doesn't want too much of a hug. Plus, this mattress would work for hot sleepers who want proper pressure relief.
Finding a Balance Between Hug and Responsiveness: Mattress Types Explained
Even though arthritis and fibromyalgia have a number of similar symptoms, they do have certain distinctive differences that may affect the choice of the mattress type.
According to a recent study, rheumatoid arthritis flares in joints may affect mobility. This may make it harder to move around the mattress and change positions.
Fibromyalgia sufferers, on the other hand, often feel the ache all over their body, and this pain can range from moderate tenderness, distress, and pain to a highly dysfunctional amount of pain and distress. Hence, they may need a mattress with a more pronounced hug to relieve pressure in their tender points.
So, let’s see which of the available bed types makes the most suitable mattress for joint pain:
- Innerspring. I’ll begin with the traditional options. Innerspring mattresses are famous for their bounce. They quickly respond to every movement, so you won’t have problems with getting in and out of bed. However, thin comfort layers above the coil block can make the mattress feel overly firm. This is why this type of bed is not recommended for arthritis and fibromyalgia patients. However, as coils can withstand larger weight, innerspring beds may offer a sufficient amount of contouring for heavier individuals, without causing misalignment.
- Memory foam. Memory foam is the queen of pressure relief and cradling. It conforms to your body curves and relaxes deep muscles in seconds, thus minimizing the time you’ll spend trying to get comfy. I definitely recommend memory foam beds to individuals with fibromyalgia, but those with arthritis may want to avoid slow-response memory foam and opt for polyfoam.
- Polyfoam. A cheaper alternative to traditional foam, polyfoam has a more spongy feel. This means it will help you move around the bed more easily and won’t aggravate your joint pain. However, people with fibromyalgia might find that polyfoam lacks hug and pressure relief, so they’ll struggle with getting comfy.
- Latex. Natural latex has smaller pores than foams and is denser. It doesn’t offer very close conforming, so it might fail to relax tender points in people with fibromyalgia. Yet, a latex mattress can make a good purchase for arthritis patients because it has a quick response and won’t make you feel trapped when you move around.
- Hybrid. A hybrid bed combines coils, foams, and other materials in different combinations, so you can expect a balanced feel from it. Typically, hybrids can suit both arthritis and fibromyalgia patients, but this varies from model to model, so it’s highly advised to test the mattress and make the most of your trial period.
Bottom line?
People with arthritis may benefit from a mattress with a floating feel, whereas fibromyalgia sufferers may get the desired relief on a more cradling bed. But of course, the final decision depends only on your preferences. You may also want to seek your doctor’s recommendations.
What Else You Should Know Before Making a Purchase?
Aside from deciding on the right mattress type, you have to consider other factors, to end up with a mattress that will make your sleep truly blissful. So, let’s see what makes a good mattress for joint pain and fibromyalgia.
The Right Firmness
The perception of firmness varies from person to person and can be affected by pain. However, there are general guidelines on how to pick up the right firmness level:
- Soft. Soft mattresses offer a deep hug, which is bad for those who weigh 250 pounds and more. Small and average-weight side sleepers, however, will feel great on a softer bed. But if you’re lightweight and sleep on your back or stomach, you should consider a medium-soft mattress.
- Medium. This is the most optimal level of firmness for almost everyone. According to a Sleep Science study in elders, a mattress with a medium-firm feel performs best at reducing musculoskeletal pain in elderly people. It can work for combo sleepers, as well as strict side and back sleepers of average weight. If you’re a heavy user and sleep on your side, though, you may want to try a medium-firm bed.
- Firm. Firm mattresses make you feel as if you’re floating on top of your bed. They don’t offer much give, which can be great for stomach sleepers. Besides, a firmer bed can support the large weight without sinking, so it can make a good pick for heavy individuals.
If you’re a large user or just feel like you need a really firm bed, you can check out my guide on extra firm mattresses and choose the model that appeals to you.
Thermoregulation
Hot sleeping can be really annoying and decrease your chances to recover during sleep. So, if you’re suffering from chronic pain, it’s advisable to look for a temperature neutral mattress, such as the one that uses latex, coils, or gel memory foam. However, in some cases, some heat retention can be beneficial. According to the Arthritis Foundation, heat can improve the production of synovial liquid and lubricate the joints, thereby improving mobility in arthritis patients. A mattress that retains a small amount of your body heat might work as a big warming pad and have more pleasant effects than direct heat application, so you won’t feel worse.
Material Quality
Those who suffer from pain are likely to use every minute to get some relief, so chances are that you’ll be lying on your mattress pretty often. That means it has to be durable. And here’s how to find a long-lasting one:
- Look for high-density foams. Good numbers start from 1.7 and 7 pounds per cubic foot (PCF) for polyfoam and memory foam, respectively. High-density latex is 5-5.5 PCF or higher.
- Choose quality covers. The cover is here not only for aesthetic purposes. It also allows the air to circulate through the mattress and protects the layers from dust and debris. Choose mattresses with natural or semi-synthetic covers, as they’re usually more durable.
- Check the brand’s reputation. User reviews or sleep expert opinions will help you figure out how the given mattress performs in real life and see through all the marketing tricks.
How Arthritic Pain and Fibromyalgia Affect Your Sleep
There is a strong connection between sleep quality and health issues. Understanding that connection can help us find suitable solutions and, consequently, sleep better. Now, there are different types of arthritis, with osteoarthritis being the most common form.
Source: http://www.apolloclinic.com/blog/types-of-arthritis/
Osteoarthritis causes the loss of cartilage and makes the bones rub together. This results in joint stiffness, swelling, and pain. The 2015 Arthritis Care & Research study suggests that 81% of osteoarthritis patients have difficulties maintaining night sleep, while 31% complain about significant sleep disturbances when trying to fall asleep.
Rheumatoid arthritis, another common condition, causes joint tenderness, stiffness, swelling, and pain. Naturally, these symptoms can interfere with a healthy sleep regime. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis report non-optimal sleep, especially with higher pain levels.
Psoriatic arthritis and gout are less common but can still result in poor sleep quality. These conditions often cause restless leg syndrome, which makes it hard to stay asleep all through the night and can also lead to insomnia.
As for fibromyalgia, this condition can also disrupt one’s sleep. Fibromyalgia symptoms include muscle and joint stiffness (especially in the morning), widespread pain, tingling of the extremities, restless leg syndrome, and so on. Increased pain in fibromyalgia patients is associated with reduced sleep duration and its overall quality. At the same time, research suggests that sleep problems can aggravate the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Naturally, when dealing with any of these conditions, your sleep should be a priority. And picking a proper mattress should be the first step to improve your sleep quality.
FAQ
What type of mattress is best for arthritis?
Hybrid or natural latex mattresses are the best picks for arthritis. They can properly cradle your body and relieve pressure points, but at the same time, they don’t interfere with your movements during the night.
Conclusion
As you can see, sleep and pain don’t do well together.
Arthritis and fibromyalgia patients often find it hard to maintain a healthy sleep regime. However, a good mattress can help.
Keep in mind that every sleeper requires the right bed firmness according to their weight. And let’s not forget about pressure relief, which is crucial when it comes to fibromyalgia and arthritis pain. Foam and latex mattresses tend to do the best job of reducing tension. As for hybrid beds, it is recommended to test them first as the feeling may vary from model to model.
Additional Resources
Our research
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Mattresses Considered
132
Hours of Research
3
Sleep Experts Consulted