How to Choose the Best Mattress for Sciatica Pain Relief and TOP 6 picks

Can Your Mattress Cause Sciatica Pain?

Source: https://www.findatopdoc.com/Top-Videos-and-Slideshows/Sciatica

As you may already know, the sciatic nerve is a pretty big part of your body. It branches from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and continues down each leg (2). No wonder sciatica, which is the pain radiating through the sciatic nerve, can really mess up one’s life.

And since lower back pain is one of the main symptoms of sciatica (3), many sleepers start worrying that their mattress might be the cause of that.

Here’s the deal:

Sciatica can be caused by numerous (and far more serious) reasons (3), including herniated disc, spinal stenosis, neuromuscular disorders, degenerative disc diseases, and more. The risk factors also include diabetes, obesity (due to increased stress on the spine) (3), and even pregnancy.

Debra Sullivan, PhD recommends that if you are experiencing sciatica pain and have not already consulted your doctor we recommend asking a healthcare professional about potential causes.

So, how about your mattress?

While certain medical conditions can cause sciatica, a bad mattress can only worsen the symptoms. If your bed is old, lumpy, or simply can’t support your body properly, it can make you hurt even more. Why? Because sciatica pain can be triggered by improper spinal alignment, which is also crucial for comfortable sleep. So, a new, suitable mattress for sciatica pain is very likely to increase your general comfort levels during sleep and, consequently, reduce back pain and discomfort (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S15563707080012965).

What Type of Mattress Is Best for Sciatica?

Generally, latex and foam mattresses are thought to be the best types for those who suffer from sciatica pain. Some hybrids can work well too, while innerspring beds are rarely a good option.

These are just general guidelines. But the truth is, sleeping with sciatica can be quite challenging, and the most important thing is to invest in a mattress that will be suitable for you, personally.

So, let’s look at the most common mattress types on the market and how they could potentially work for sciatica pain. 

Foam

Typically, you will come across all-foam mattresses that use polyfoam as a support base and memory foam for comfort layers. Both materials are characterized by close conforming to the body (although polyfoam offers a bit faster response than memory foam). 

A foam bed can make a great mattress for sciatica thanks to its pressure-relieving properties. It has the ability to adjust to your body curves, meaning it will fill in the lumbar area and support your spine properly while relieving pressure in the lower back.

However, this material has its drawbacks too. Firstly, memory foam mattresses typically have weak edges, which can make it hard to get out of bed, especially if you need some extra support and tend to press your hands down against the bed to help yourself stand up.

Additionally, such mattresses tend to trap heat. And while this factor doesn’t really have a direct correlation with sciatica, it can make you feel uncomfortable during sleep, thus reducing its quality. If you are prone to sleeping hot, you may want to consider foam mattresses with gel-infused top layers or switch to more breathable latex foam.

Innerspring

Innerspring beds use coils as a support system and usually a thin layer of foam (both memory and polyfoam) on top. To tell the truth, this type of mattress cannot be called a perfect bed for sciatica due to its low pressure-relieving properties and firmness. Innerspring beds are quite bouncy and don’t allow much sinkage or contouring.

Keep in mind that spring mattresses don’t tend to sleep hot, have strong edges, and offer consistent support around the mattress surface.

Hybrid

Another popular choice among people suffering from sciatica, hybrid mattresses combine support with pressure relief thanks to their construction. These beds typically use pocketed coils for the base layer and foam or natural latex for the comfort layers.

What makes hybrid mattresses stand out among other types is the balanced feel they provide. While the coils offer bouncy support around the whole surface (including near the edges), the foam on top cradles and adjusts to your body curves, relaxing your muscles and providing good pressure relief.

The bounciness of coils makes shifting in bed easy, which is suitable for sciatica since this condition can make moving in bed quite difficult and may remind you of the discomfort people with restless leg syndrome have (5). Hybrids also don’t usually sleep hot while still allowing for a decent amount of sinkage.

It’s worth mentioning that these mattresses usually have a rather high profile. This may come in handy if you have mild mobility issues linked to your sciatica pain. Generally, people find it easier to get out of taller beds rather than low-profile ones.

However, keep in mind that this type falls into the pricier category. Moreover, hybrid beds are usually very heavy and hard to move, which may cause issues in the future.

Latex

Whether it’s natural or synthetic, latex is able to provide good contouring and support. It gently cradles the body, just like foam, but has a faster response and a bouncier feel.

Latex may be a good option for people with sciatica who often change positions during sleep. This material is also great for thermoregulation.

However, latex mattresses don’t always show good results when it comes to edge support, which means this type might not work for all sleepers dealing with sciatica pain.

Keep in mind that the more you weigh, the more you will sink into your mattress. Therefore, heavier users (above 230 pounds) are usually recommended to choose firmer, more supportive mattresses. Hybrid and latex beds tend to be among the most popular options in this case, as they are the least prone to sagging.

What Should Sciatica Sufferers Look For in a Mattress?

A good mattress can contribute greatly to your sleep quality by ensuring proper posture during sleep (6). 

But what makes a good mattress? Especially if sciatica pain isn’t letting you sleep normally?

While the definition of a perfect mattress may vary for each sleeper, there are some general factors that can play an important role:

• Quality materials. A low-quality bed is very likely to wear out more quickly. Such mattresses tend to sag faster and lose their supportive properties, which can worsen sciatica symptoms. 
• Pressure relief. Since sciatica is nerve pain, good pressure relief is important. When a mattress minimizes pressure points on your body, it can help decrease the pain levels and make it easier for you to relax. Pressure relief is especially important when sleeping on your side when the hips and the shoulders sink deeper into the mattress. 
• Contouring. Closely linked to pressure relief, contouring is another important factor that can help deal with sciatica pain. When the mattress effectively molds to your body and its shape, it contributes to proper spinal alignment and thus aids in pain relief (7). 
• Support and firmness. For proper spinal alignment, it’s important to pick a suitable firmness for your new bed. It has to be hard enough to support your body evenly and distribute the weight, thus keeping the spine in a neutral position. Research suggests that medium-firm mattresses can be effective when it comes to reducing lower-back pain (8), which is one of the common sciatica symptoms. 
• Temperature regulation. While this aspect won’t have a direct effect on your sciatica symptoms, it can greatly influence your overall comfort and sleep quality. If you tend to sleep hot during the night, it is advised to pick a mattress with good thermoregulating properties. Usually, hybrid, innerspring, and latex beds show the best results. However, if you don’t want to give up on memory foam, you can try models with cooling gel-infused top layers. 
• Response speed. If sciatica makes you a restless sleeper, you are likely to benefit from a more responsive mattress. If you change positions often during the night, you might need a bed that allows for ease of movement. In this case, you can consider bouncier mattresses like hybrids or latex ones.

How to Choose the Best Mattress for Sciatica Based on the Sleeping Style?

Sciatica pain relief goes hand in hand with proper alignment and pressure alleviation. But to achieve that, users would have different mattress requirements for each sleeping style.

Back sleepers

Considered the healthiest position, back sleeping requires sturdy support with minimal sinkage for the heavier body parts (such as hips and buttocks). Additional lumbar support is a huge plus for this sleeping style. 

In most cases, back sleepers feel the most comfortable using medium mattresses. The right balance between support and pressure redistribution can help sciatica pain sufferers maintain a healthy alignment throughout the night. Ideally, this could lead to reduced levels of pain.

Side sleepers

A good mattress for side sleepers with sciatica pain has to be extra-gentle on the pressure points. However, it should also have a reliable supportive core that would aid proper alignment during sleep. So, side sleepers usually prefer softer mattresses with high-density support layers (or independent coils).

A quick tip: placing a pillow between the knees can promote healthy back alignment in side sleepers. This little trick can also help reduce pressure from the hips by keeping them in alignment with the rest of the body.

Stomach sleepers

This sleeping style is not ideal when it comes to sciatica pain. In fact, stomach sleeping is not recommended even for healthy individuals. This position can put a strain on one’s back and neck, which often causes pain.

But for users who can’t teach themselves to sleep differently, it might be a good idea to invest in a firmer mattress. This way, a sturdier surface will prevent the sinkage of the hips and the belly, thus eliminating unhealthy back curvatures.

Combo sleepers

For combination sleepers dealing with sciatica pain, ease of movement is usually the number one priority. In this case, medium-firm mattresses often perform the best. They do not restrict movement and can work for multiple sleeping styles.

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