Would you believe that over 20 million people in the United States have a common enemy? Sleep apnea. Not only is it fairly common, but sleep apnea is the culprit for a lot of cases that go undiagnosed, because the majority of citizens don’t realize that they have it.
Symptoms of sleep apnea are waking up randomly in the middle of the night to take a deep breath, because you have gone up to 10 seconds without breathing. This can happen up to 25 or more times through-out the night without you even noticing it.
Best Mattress for Sleep Apnea Overall: Amerisleep AS3
The Amerisleep AS3 introduces the perfect mattress for sleeping on your side; providing comfort and support by using a combination memory foams to keep your airways open and prevent those frequent wake ups.
Features of the Amerisleep AS3
- Relieve pressure with foam made from Bio-Pur®
- Mattress life extended with Robust Bio-Pur®
- The mattress is separated in 5 zones for support using HIVE® technology with Affinity foam
The strength of The Amerisleep AS3 is medium, which is perfect for back and side sleepers The AS3 is a 12 inches with 3 layers, so if you’re a stomach sleeper, a firmer mattress will be more suitable for you.
The First Layer
The first layer is 3 inches of Bio-Pur® foam, perfect for relieving pressure. That’s because this layer of the AS3 learns your body and then adapts to it, which causes a great reduction in pressure. This layer is 3 inches thick to be able to provide enough cushioning for your shoulders, and for your hips. Which again, sleeping on your side is the best way to combat the symptoms of sleep apnea. But don’t worry, the mattress isn’t so deep that the mattress will swallow you whole! But it’s just right for what you need while having this condition.
The Middle Layer
Next, we have the HIVE® Technology infused with affinity foam. This layer is paired well with the first layer, the technology from HIVE® allows the affinity foam to add support to the BIO-PUR® foam that really helps with spine alignment. The combination helps strengthen your spine alignment while still giving the cushion needed to make laying on your side a not only comfortable, but healthy experience.
The Last Layer
This layer of the Amerisleep mattress is 7 inches thick. It’s made of Bio-Core® and acts as the foundation of the bed and stops your mattress from getting that occasional “droop” mattresses can be prone to getting, by creating a nice, solid support system for the AS3.
You can test the AS3 for 100 days, and it also includes a warranty that covers 20 years.
Best Memory Foam Mattress for Sleep Apnea: Zoma Mattress
This mattress is also a medium strength mattress. The Zoma mattress uses Triangulex™ technology to promote better sleep using memory foam.
Zoma Mattress Features
- Gel foam that’s cooling, which reduces heat and pressure build up.
- Reactiv™ foam, a texture similar to latex, allowing the mattress to adapt when needed.
- A robust layer infused with foam for stability
Great For…
- Back or side sleeper that has sleep apnea.
- Sleepers that are prone to overheating at night that also experience sleep apnea.
- Someone looking for something practical and affordable.
Another large bed in a box mattress that makes it easy to sleep on your side is the Zoma mattress. It is most comfortable for side and back sleepers, but not the best for tummy sleepers. The Zoma mattress is 11 inches tall and consists of three layers: 2 inches of gel-infused memory foam, 2-inch Reactiv™ and 7-inch Support+.
This bed is wonderful for back and side sleepers. This bed in a box consists of 3 layers and is 11 inches thick. It consists of 2 inches of memory foam that’s gel infused, 2 inches featuring Reactiv™, and 7 inches of foam infused support.
The First Layer
This layer is the layer responsible for dissipating heat, it has a gel memory foam that’s 2 inches thick that conforms to your body. This layer can also relieve pressure, giving you a cooling night’s rest that’s also pretty comfortable. This layer also contains Triangulex™, that like Hive® is perfect for our side sleepers. It uses zoning to pinpoint where the mattress should be firm (midsection), and which areas should have more give (shoulders, hips).
The Middle Layer
The middle layer is our polyethylene foam. It is 2 inches of a latex-like texture of Reactive ™, this technology is great because it kind of acts like a spring, giving the bed a bit of a “bounce” to prevent the bed from reacting slowly when you lay on it and causing unnecessary sinking by providing an alignment structure that’s more neutral.
The Last Layer
The final layer of the Zoma mattress is polyethylene foam that’s 7 inches thick and features support+, which is designed to give the bed extra support.
The Zoma mattress also allows you to test the mattress for 100 days and includes a warranty for 10 years.
Best foam mattress for sleep apnea
Zoma Mattress with Adjustable Bed
Pairing the Zoma mattress with the Adjustable bed frame, which features a wireless remote, is going to give incredible relief for sleepers with sleep apnea. You can take advantage of the Zoma mattress cooling and breathable properties, and also adjust your sleeping position without having to move.
Best mattress for stomach sleepers with sleep apnea
The Plank by Brooklyn Bedding
This Brooklyn Bedding mattress is made with hard foam, and is very resistant. This mattress is perfect for people that like to sleep on their stomach that also struggles with sleep apnea.
That’s because this firm surface is also flat and foldable, which allows the spine to properly align. You can find this mattress in sizes that have proven quite difficult to find, like the Olympic Queen, RV King, or the short Queen and Kings. This mattress also gives you the option of adding a cooling layer if you run hot throughout the night.
Best Budget Mattress for Sleep Apnea: Vaya Mattress
Made in the USA, the Vaya mattress features certified foams by CertiPUR-US®. This mattress consists of 2 layers and is ideal for all types of sleepers.
The First Layer
The first layer features Vaya Comfort Foam, this foam has open cells. This causes the foam to be breathable, which prevents those late night sweats. Not only is it circulating air, but is also a responsive foam, this layer moves quickly when you switch positions to continuously provide you comfort.
The Bottom Layer
This layer features Vaya Base Foam, this foam stops the top layer from becoming too soft and aids in creating a support layer that also supports the spine for a great night of sleep..
This mattress gives you 100 days to test it out and a warranty that’s good for 10 years. Also, let’s not forget free shipping and returns! (Got to love free shipping).
How mattresses can help with sleep apnea
First, there isn’t a mattress that acts as a cure for sleep apnea, but it is extremely helpful. Especially regarding sleeping positions. There was a study done in 2015 that shows OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) symptoms are worse when sleepers sleep on their backs, that’s because muscles like the tongue can block your airways.
Switching to sleeping on their stomach had caused symptoms to reduce in 10 patients by 50%. During the study they found that memory foam mattresses can hold stomach and side positions while the participants slept.
Which leads us to draw the conclusion that mattresses that use memory foam is ideal for sleepers that experience sleep apnea. It can keep the spine aligned while offering relief to your shoulders and hips, areas that often build pressure.
Adjustable beds also help by raising the sleepers head higher, great for opening airways and also for snoring.
Sleep Apnea Mattress Buying Considerations
Construction & Build Material
If you are a sleeper that’s impacted by sleep apnea you’re probably stuck on figuring out how to choose your mattress. After all, a mattress can be a big investment. Luckily for you, we have a guide below on what to look for.
- Memory foam:
As stated earlier, you want to look for a type of material that’s going to relieve pressure for back and side sleeping. A material that can support and also provides cushion. Spring and firm mattresses don’t provide relief for joint pressure, so we want to stay away from those. I definitely would recommend going with high quality memory foam to avoid the mattressing sinking quickly.
- Latex:
Latex is natural, making it a lot of sleepers’ first choice. Latex is made from rubber tree sap making it non-synthetic. That also makes latex a material that can prevent allergies and promotes easier breathing, because it’s also hypoallergenic. There is synthetic latex, however it’s a material that can interfere with breathing so we want to stay clear of those.
- Hybrid:
This mattress combines latex and memory foam. Although this can be an ideal mattress type, some hybrid mattresses aren’t able to be used with adjustable bed frames, but you can find this material in a lot of high quality mattresses.
Natural & Organic Materials
It is so important to make sure you purchase a mattress that is natural and organic, if you already suffer from breathing problems, which is what sleep apnea is, it’s going to make it even harder to breathe if you use synthetic materials.
Synthetic mattresses contained airborne chemicals like volatile organic compounds, which has been linked to asthma, and other respiratory diseases. The mattress “degass” which causes more harm than good.
Now, organic can be a bit pricey, more budget friendly options would include any mattresses that are hypoallergenic. Allergies can also come from dust mites, mold or mildew in your mattress. Latex and memory foam is actually resistant to those disgusting sources and would definitely be a favored choice.
Firmness
Sleepers that have sleep apnea tend to sleep on their side, which is even more common if the sleeper uses a CPAP. That means the mattress needs to be able to give enough support while also relieving pressure in the hips and shoulders. It is definitely recommended a medium mattress compared to one that is too firm or too soft for better breathing and alignment.
FAQs
What type of mattress is best for sleep apnea?
Memory foam, which relieves pressure and gives support, is the best mattress type for sleep apnea and comes in many resistance levels.
Can a mattress help sleep apnea?
The short answer is yes, by lifting your upper body and providing the optimal level of support it can make a huge difference, especially if you pair your mattress with a wedged pillow.
Is it better to sleep on a hard or soft mattress?
A medium mattress is what you want to go for when dealing with sleep apnea. It gives the perfect balance between both support and cushion, which is going to improve the symptoms of sleep apnea.
Which mattress type is best for sleep apnea?
Memory foam, latex and hybrid mattresses are great choices when it comes to a bed that relieves sleep apnea symptoms. These mattresses offer compatible surfaces that are supported by robust materials and promote long-lasting comfort. We advise people who suffer from sleep apnea not to use a conventional spring mattress. This is because the typical recommendation is to sleep on your side, but that can be uncomfortable on a classic spring mattress. The traditional mattress has a thin layer of comfort that cannot completely relieve pressure on the shoulders and hips.
The best mattress type will either be latex, memory foam, or a combination of the two. The materials used for these mattress types to ensure that the mattress lasts,is suitable for side sleeping, thick enough for enough comfort and pressure relief.
Either of these 3 mattress types is going to provide sleepers a more peaceful night of sleep night after night.