Sleep is a vital time for the body to recuperate at the end of a busy day. Unfortunately, back pain, whether lower or upper, can negatively affect your sleep quality. Sleeping on a mattress that does not provide adequate comfort and support can compound the problem and cause new aches and pains in the morning.

Our data has shown the best mattress for back pain supports the spine and promotes even alignment. This relieves back pain and helps provide more profound and therapeutic sleep.

For this guide, our data focused on customers who suffer from back pain and which of our mattresses provided pressure relief, comfort, support, and ease of movement. As a result, the mattresses on this page were considered by our customers the best mattresses for back pain.

How back pain affects sleep

Back pain is a widespread issue that impacts an estimated 80% of adults. It can make daily activities difficult, including working, walking, sitting, driving and lifting even light items. Unfortunately, we know that back pain also problematizes sleep, making it hard to find a comfortable position to fall asleep and sleep undisturbed through the night.

Research studies have discovered that over half of people with lower back pain report sleeping difficulties. These adverse sleep effects emerge in people with both sudden and acute back pain and those with long-term, chronic back pain.

People with back pain tend to have a fragmented sleep from waking up at night. In addition, getting back to sleep can be challenging because of persistent aches and pain. Back pain can also contribute to depression, stress and anxiety, affecting quality sleep.

Individuals with back pain can take several steps to feel and sleep better. In addition, getting medical assistance for severe back problems can help relieve pain. Treatments depend on the cause of your symptoms and can range from physical therapy, pain-relieving medications and surgery.

More minor changes can contribute to pain relief as well. For example, sitting with proper posture, taking care when lifting and avoiding unnatural movements can reduce the aggravation of back pain. In addition, based on our data, we’ve found that having a mattress that keeps the spine aligned can relieve stress on the spine and promote better sleep.

Mattresses such as the extra firm mattress help for back pain help you relax into your sleep position without worrying about being in pain. The support an extra firm mattress provides lets you have confidence in your spine alignments while you sleep. Unlike softer and plusher mattresses which might let you sink into them, an extra firm mattress provides a stable surface for all our customers.

Types of back pain

Back pain can show in many distinct ways and for various reasons. However, to help categorise back pain, it is usually defined as either acute or chronic.

Acute back pain comes on suddenly and is usually a sharp, extreme pain. In many cases, acute back pain is tied to a specific event, such as an awkward body twist, fall or lifting a heavy object. It is a pain generally from an injury to your muscles or ligaments.

Chronic back pain lasts for a few months or longer and continues despite your attempts to fix it. It can involve intense pain but may occur as dull soreness or stiffness. Occasionally it can be related to a prior injury but usually has no clear or direct cause. Another way you can differentiate between types of back pain is by concentrating on which part of the back is impacted.

Lower back pain

Lower back pain affects the lumbar region, including the spine’s lowest five vertebrae.
Lower back pain can be linked to basic muscle strain or more complex issues involving the organs, nerves and vertebrae. Examples of potential reasons include ruptured or herniated disks, compression fractures and narrowing of the spine, also known as spinal stenosis.
The lower back has more curvature and degree of motion than other regions, making it more susceptible to injury linked to posture and movement, including sleeping positions. The lower back may bend or twist unnaturally if a mattress offers inadequate support. For example, our data shows that if the mattress is too soft or is old and worn out, the hips may sink deeper and out of alignment with your lumbar area. A misaligned position maintained for an extended period during the night can contribute to back pain.

Mid back pain

Middle back pain is considerably less common than lower back pain. The middle back is above the lumbar spine but below the rib cage. The anatomy in this body area is designed to encourage stability over flexibility, lowering the tendency for movement-based injury compared to your lower back.
Even though mid-back pain is less common, it can still happen due to multiple conditions, such as damage to discs, nerve compression, muscle or ligament injury and fractures. Middle back pain can also be induced by severe underlying problems, like tumours or organ problems. It is essential to review it with a doctor, especially if it materialises alongside other unexplained symptoms.
Aching and stiffness in your mid-back can occur because of a lack of spinal support and poor posture. Due to the amount of time spent in the lying position during slumber, these alignment problems can usually be linked to a mattress that does not sufficiently support your body and cushion your pressure points.

Upper back pain

Upper back pain impacts the thoracic region, which ranges from the bottom of your rib cage to the lower neck and concerns the 12 vertebrae linking to the ribs. As with middle back pain, the diminished flexibility of your muscles and bones in this region makes movement-based tensions less common than in the lower back.
Upper back pain can happen for similar reasons as the mid-back, disc, nerve, ligament, muscle or vertebrae problems. However, there is a greater chance that this pain is related to a potentially serious health issue. Pain in the shoulders and upper back can also occur because of unsupportive body positioning. If a mattress doesn’t adequately support the shoulders or a pillow is not the right height, it may place excessive pressure on the anatomy of the thoracic region, heightening the chance of upper back pain.

Can sleeping position impact back pain?

Sleeping position may have a direct impact on back pain. This is because each sleeping position forms a unique set of pressure points that need cushioning. Our data shows that having the right mattress to conform to your sleeping position is essential in preventing and relieving back pain.

Back sleepers tend to have the most pressure points around the lumbar area. Our data has shown the weight of the stomach will cause this area to fall out of alignment with the back and hips if a mattress feel is too soft – that is why an extra firm mattress for back pain is best, depending on your position.

Conversely, if the mattress feel is too firm, it won’t adjust to the spine’s natural curvature in the lumbar area when sleeping on your back. For this reason, a medium-feel mattress usually works best for back sleepers.

Side sleepers have high-impact zones where the body is the widest, typically at the hips and shoulders. A mattress must be soft enough to cushion those pressure points but not too soft to let you sink too deeply and out of line with the rest of the body. Our data shows side sleepers with back pain get the best sleep quality and comfort from a medium soft feel mattress.

Stomach sleepers have pressure points in the lumbar area and near the neck. Therefore, if their pillow is too lofty, it may put an excess bend in the upper back and neck.

On the other hand, if the mattress feel is soft, the pelvic area can sink too far, positioning the body in a U shape that may apply stress to the spine and the ligaments muscles in the lower back. As a result, our data shows stomach sleepers have reduced back pain if they have a medium-feel mattress and use a thinner pillow.

Body weight is an essential factor to think about, along with the sleeping position. People with more body weight will sink further into a mattress, heightening the risks in all sleeping positions of the heavier body parts becoming misaligned. For example, sleepers over 16 stones generally need a firmer mattress than someone who weighs 10 stones and sleeps in the same position.

Can a mattress cause back pain?

A mattress can cause back pain because it is essential to how your body is positioned through the night. Unfortunately, people neglect the significance of having a mattress appropriate for them based on their body weight and sleeping position. If your extra firm mattress for back pain starts to sag and wear, it won’t be as effective. If your joints and spine aren’t cushioned and aligned during sleep, they won’t be capable of relaxing. So instead of recuperating, the body will be strained, aggravating back issues and planting the seeds for new ones.

The easiest way to know whether a mattress contributes to back pain is if the pain is most apparent when you wake up. If the pain is the worst in the morning and diminishes during the day, we advise looking at whether your mattress plays a part in your aches and pains.

Which type of mattress is best for back pain?

Pocket Spring

Our pocket spring mattresses are designed with a support core supplemented by an effective comfort system that includes layers of the finest natural fibres. As a result, they have the best of multiple bed types without suffering from their flaws. For example, our data shows our pocket spring mattresses offer significant contouring that aids in pressure point relief. At the same time, our luxury calico springs allow excellent support and ventilation, guaranteeing temperature regulation and support.

Pillow Top

Our deep contouring pillow top mattress offers the highest degree of hugging and cradling. This allows it to deliver balanced cushioning to the regions of the body that need it most. Our data shows side sleepers swear that our pillow top mattresses are beneficial for easing sharp impact points like shoulders and hips.

Mattress features to look for to relieve back pain

When shopping for a mattress to help ease back pain, some features are more significant than others. With so many products and a flock of marketing hype, it can be difficult to single out what matters. However, based on our extensive data collection, we feel that you’re most likely to get the most fulfilment out of your purchase by concentrating on specific considerations:

Mattress Type

The fibres and construction will play a massive role in the performance of a mattress. The bounce, contouring, mattress feel, temperature regulation, motion isolation and spring tension of a mattress will differ for each mattress type, so shoppers must think about their priorities and choose a mattress with features that will best meet their needs.

Pocket Spring Support

Weight from the body is not evenly distributed; certain areas require more cushioning. A pocket spring mattress considers that and offers individual support in those areas.

Quality Natural Fibres

We’ve found that a mattress made with excellent natural fibres is considerably more likely to provide the performance, support, comfort and durability that people with back pain need.

Spring Tension

Spring tension is a crucial driver of mattress support. The correct spring tension will play a large part in whether a mattress offers good support, which will depend significantly on your sleeping position and body weight.

Mattress Feel

The feel of the mattress is determined by what type of fibres are used and the total gsm. People with back pain want to avoid too soft or firm mattresses. Our data shows that mattresses with a medium soft or medium feel are the best for back pain. To make it easier for you to find what feel our mattresses have, we have listed them on each product page’s ‘how will it feel’ section.

What type is the best back pain mattress?

We consider that the best mattress for people with back pain is the one that is suited to their body weight and preferred sleeping position. Back pain-friendly mattresses are listed above, with most of our customers who suffer from back pain agreeing that they offer the best combination of support and pressure relief.

Pocket springs and memory foam allow for better spinal alignment as they provide the pressure relief and contouring needed to release tension and bypass pressure points.

Is a soft or firm mattress better for back pain?

Many individuals think that a firm mattress is the best for back pain, but our data shows that people with back pain should choose a mattress feel and spring tension that suits their body weight and sleeping position that is neither too soft nor too firm. For example, we found that people who weigh under 10 stones require soft-feel mattresses, while medium-firm feel mattresses typically alleviate back pain for those who weigh above 16 stones.

What sleeping position is best for lower back pain?

Individuals with lower back pain usually find the most relief and comfort when sleeping on their side with their knees somewhat bent. Positioning a pillow between your knees can also make the side position more comfortable if the pillow is the correct size to promote proper spinal and hip alignment. Stomach sleepers find relief and comfort by using a thin pillow for their head and a supportive pillow under their stomach and hips.

What sleeping position is best for upper back pain?

If you suffer from upper back pain, sleeping on your back or side is best since sleeping on your stomach induces significant shoulder and neck tension. Side sleepers may also experience shoulder and upper back pain if their mattress has inferior pressure relief properties. The position can cramp these zones and form tension and pressure points where your shoulder presses into the mattress.

Still not sure?

Our mattress experts have vast experience in everything to do with sleep products and mattresses. Send an email to [email protected] or call us at 01612509200 with your questions and we’ll assist you in finding what you’re looking for.

Best Mattresses for Back Pain

The Essentials Orthopaedic

The Winstons Pro

The Elite

The Alderley

The Pashmina

The Cotswolds Coir Mattress

The Rochester

The Ancoats

The Aura

How back pain affects sleep

Types of back pain

Can sleeping position impact back pain?

Can a mattress cause back pain?

Which type of mattress is best for back pain?

Mattress features to look for to relieve back pain

What type is the best back pain mattress?

Is a soft or firm mattress better for back pain?

What sleeping position is best for lower back pain?

What sleeping position is best for upper back pain?

Still not sure?

Member of the FHIO

Made By Approved NBF Member

British Heritage

Best Mattresses for Back Pain

By Size

Sleep Position

Best For

How back pain affects sleep

Types of back pain

Can sleeping position impact back pain?

Can a mattress cause back pain?

Which type of mattress is best for back pain?

Mattress features to look for to relieve back pain

What type is the best back pain mattress?

Is a soft or firm mattress better for back pain?

What sleeping position is best for lower back pain?

What sleeping position is best for upper back pain?

Still not sure?

Member of the FHIO

Made By Approved NBF Member

British Heritage