Are you suffering from hip pain when waking up or throughout the night? The reason lies in your mattress. Read this article on how to choose the best mattress for hip pain?
When it comes to sleeping with chronic hip pain, the goal is spinal alignment. Spinal alignment means that the back and hips should be aligned as they are in the body’s natural position, with no unnatural twist or curvature. Meanwhile, about 20% of Americans claim to experience disruptions in sleep due to pain or physical discomfort.
Do you know: 14.3 % of people above the age of 60-years reported hip pain.
Hip pain can be the enemy of your sleep but on the other hand, the right mattress can help to mitigate the negative effects and help in achieving pain relief, especially if you suffer from hip pain.
How Sleeping Position Effects Hip Pain?
Sleeping position, sleeper’s weight and firmness of the mattress work in conjunction to determine how the way you sleep affects your hip pain. The end goal in every case is spinal alignment. So if you are a side sleeper, you will need more pressure relief than a back sleeper, and consequently, your pain may be exacerbated if you do not choose a relatively soft mattress. However, if you have above-average body weight, you would have to choose a firmer mattress so that your body does not sink in too deep and affect spinal alignment.
Hip Pain due to Arthritis
| Osteoarthritis | Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of hip pain among people aged 75 and above and is characterized by the weakening of the cartilage present in the body’s joints. |
|---|---|
| Psoriatic arthritis | This is linked to psoriasis, a skin condition that causes the skin to develop scaly patches. Psoriatic arthritis often begins to show before the psoriasis is apparent, and can affect a certain area. |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | This condition mainly causes inflammation in the joints but can spread to other parts of the body as well. |
Hip Pain due to Physical Injuries
| Hip Fractures | This can occur due to severe impact due to a fall or an accident. If the cartilage within the pelvic girder is damaged it can cause chronic hip pain, especially in old age. The CDC estimates that more than 300,000 adults 65 and older are hospitalized for hip fractures each year, and 95% of these cases are attributed to severe falls. |
|---|---|
| Tendinitis | Tendinitis is characterized by irritated tendons, the tissue that connects bones form muscles. While it can happen anywhere in the body, the hip joint is a commonly affected area. |
| Sprains | A sprain is a damaged ligament. Sprains in the hip can cause pain by compromising the structural integrity of the body. |
Hip Pain due to Pinched Nerves
| Sciatica | Though rooted in the lower back, where the sciatic nerve is being pinched, the pain often radiates to the hip. |
| Meralgia paresthetica | Characterized by compressed nerves in the upper thigh, it can discomfort in the form of misplaced sensations. |
| Sacroiliitis | It is a result of pinched nerves in the sacroiliac joints, which can regularly cause pain in the hip region. |
What is The Best Position to Relieve Hip Pain?
A study conducted on a group of about 10,000 people found that 23.8% experience chronic hip pain. To that end, sleeping on your side, with some form of support between the knees can be useful. Cushioning between the knees is crucial; as it will make sure that it there is no twisting of the pelvis, due the upper leg tugging at one end of the pelvic bone, causing unnecessary curvature in the spine.
Another preferable position would be sleeping on your back. However, it is advised to use a bolster pillow underneath the lower back.
Why Inner Spring is Not a Good Option
The bounce you experience in an innerspring mattress can often be mistaken for softness. Make no mistake, innerspring mattress are not ideal for sleepers with hip pain. The contact area between the body and mattress is already less, resulting in higher-than-normal pressure. Innerspring mattresses compound that problem due to the metal springs offering strong counterforce.
Secondly, their rigidity limits contact between parts of the body that do not exert a lot of force during sleep such as the waist, which means these parts go unsupported.
Lastly, the metal springs are malleable so the mattress tends to sag over time, failing to offer support even to the pressure points such as the shoulders and pelvis.
What Type and Material is Recommended
A study by the University of Tübingen in Germany termed the link between sleep and the quality of your mattress as “significant”. If you are looking for better sleep, you must upgrade your mattress to something that suits your condition.
Memory Foam
Memory Foam gets its name from its ability to respond to the unique shape of your body. It is dense and not very quick to displace, however it conforms to your body with near perfection. As a result, it is a great substitute for anyone looking for a combination of soft and sturdy in their mattress, especially if they aim to achieve pain relief. For patients of hip pain, a memory foam mattress can be useful in allowing their spine and pelvis to achieve their most comfortable position without the fear of excess displacement.
Latex mattresses
Latex mattresses are exceptional when it comes to pressure release. Made from latex foam, are soft and easy to displace, but at the same time, they offer adequate support and do not sag after prolonged usage. The cell structure of latex foam is such that it also allows for aeration allowing the mattress to stay cool through the night.
| Material | Memory Foam | Latex Foam | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source | Synthetic | Natural | |
| Key feature | “Remembers” your body by contouring around its particular shape | Unique blend or extra soft and responsive | |
| Temperature control | Poor to good | Satisfactory to Good | |
| Motion Isolation | Excellent | Good | |
| Sleeper’s Mobility | Poor to satisfactory | Satisfactory to good | |
| Good for | All sleeping positions | Back and side sleeper | |
Having trouble with back pain? Check out our The Best Mattress for Back Pain and The Best Mattress for Lower Back Pain review and learn more about it.
How firm a mattress should be for a hip pain sleeper?
People with below-average body weight will tend to prefer a softer mattress, but the same level of softness might compromise support for people with above-average body weights.
Even though it is impossible to predict who would like what, accurately, users with hip pain generally gravitate most towards mattress of medium firmness. Multiple studies, such as one conducted by Oklahoma State University suggest that medium-firm mattresses are ideal for sleep.
- Support Hip and Spinal Alignment
The mattress you choose must offer the right balance of support and alignment. If you go for a considerably firm mattress, it may offer adequate support but the may not displace well enough, causing unnatural curvature to emerge in the spine or the cervical region.
On the other hand, the very soft mattress may feel very comfortable but can potentially cause the same problem; this time in the opposite direction by allowing the pelvis, which the heaviest part of the body to sink in deeper than the rest of the body.
Thus, a medium-firm mattress will allow your body to stay aligned by striking the right balance between soft and firm so that it cradles around the hip and the shoulder while offering support to the rest of the body as well.
- Pressure relief
The essential aspect of any mattress is the pressure relief it can offer. This, too, is linked to how much a mattress conforms to your body. If a mattress is to offer pain relief to a certain part of the body, it needs to offer to conform to said part of the body, without disrupting the overall the posture. As such, it is important that it provides equal support to all part so that the pressure points naturally sink in a little more than other body parts.
- Personal comfort
A study conducted by the Oklahoma State University found that people reported improvement in sleep when they could choose their own personal bedding systems. Mattresses and their link to comfort cannot and should not be reduced to a definite science. At the end of the day, you will get the best sleep if you are content, both physically and mentally.
- Pelvic Rotation
Also, referred to as anterior pelvic tilt, pelvic rotation causes the front of your pelvis to be lower than the back, which causes the lower back to arch more. This makes hip muscles work in a tighter position that may cause pain. However it is not a serious concern as a study by the Zonguldak, Faculty of Medicine, Turkey found that the pelvic tilt is mostly harmless while another one at the University of Salford, Manchester found that a staggering 85% of males have one.
You may be interested in Top Rated Mattress Brands.
Compare & Review – Top 5 Mattresses For Hip Pain
| Brand | Comfort Layer | Support Core | Firmness Option | Support rating | Conforming rating | Durability | Sleep Trial | Warranty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spindle Mattress | 3” layer of Latex foam with the firmness of choice | 3” layer of latex foam with the firmness of choice | Soft, Medium soft, medium, medium firm,
Firm |
Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | 365 nights | 10 years | Overall Comfort |
| Bear Mattress | Graphite infused memory foam | 6.5-inch high-density polyurethane foam | Medium soft | Excellent | Good | Satisfactory | 100 nights | 10 years | Pain relief |
| Helix Mattress | 2-inch polyurethane foam | 2.5-inch layer of microcoils + 6.5-inch Polyurethane foam | Soft, Medium soft, medium, medium firm,
Firm |
Good | Excellent | Satisfactory | 100 nights | 10 years | Customized Preference |
| Layla Mattress | 3-inch memory foam on one side + 1-inch memory foam on the other | 4.5-inch high-density polyurethane foam | Medium soft, firm | Good | Good | Good | 120 nights | Lifetime | Budget |
| Amerisleep AS3 | 3-inch memory foam | 9-inch polyurethane foam | Medium
(Variants of different firmness available as separate models in the same line) |
Good | Excellent | Satisfactory | 100 nights | 10 years | Pressure points relief |
1. Spindle Latex Mattress – Best for Overall comfort
Features
- 100% natural latex foam
- Organic Cotton and Wool
- Varying levels of firmness
- Three 3” layers of foam
- Responsive
- Adjustable cover
- Breathable
What makes this mattress great is its simplicity and effectiveness. It efficiently uses a piece of quality equipment to create a comfortable experience without overloading you with unnecessary gimmicks.
The Spindle mattress is available in varying levels of comfort, ranging from soft, all that way to firm. While the supportive capabilities of the mattress remain the same at all levels of firmness, what changes is how much the mattress conform to your body. As a user, this gives you an extra layer of control, which is great especially when your aim is hip pain relief.
Why we like it :
- Feels exceptionally soft and comfortable
- Allows for immense pressure release
- Minimal motion transfer
- Durable and environmentally friendly
- Available in different firmness levels
Why we hate it :
- Little support on the sides
2. Bear Mattress – Best for pain relief
Features
- Specially designed for a pain relief
- Graphite cooling gel
- Celliant® Cover
- CertiPUR-US certified foam
The Bear mattress is great if you are an athlete or have a high-activity lifestyle since it suits people with average body weight who need constant muscle and pain relief.
The graphite cooling gel makes sure that any heat that is transferred to the mattress during sleep is dissipated throughout the mattress and is not concentrated in the area of contact. This prevents the foam from overheating and in turn, helps you remain cool even after hours of continuous usage. This is great for people living in warmer areas or those who generally prefer cooler temperatures during sleep.
Why we like it :
- The right balance of firm and soft
- Remains cool through the night
- Great for a high-activity lifestyle
- Environmentally friendly
- Economical
- Aesthetically pleasing
Why we hate it :
- Maybe too firm for a user with above-average body weight
- More suited to back sleepers than side sleepers
3. Helix Mattress – Best for Customized Preference
Features
- Custom-built
- 3-layered composite
- Pocketed Micro coils
- High-Grade Polyfoam
The Helix mattress is a great customizable option for people with hip pain to their specific sleeping requirement.
Even though a manufacturer providing a free trial period is common, it becomes especially relevant to this mattress. If you do not feel satisfied with your custom Helix mattress, you can return it without having to answer for it. This provision is useful for customers who are skeptical or generally unsure if the idea of a customized mattress sits well with them or not.
Why we like it :
- Offers various possibilities for various sets of requirements
- Very soft to the touch due to an outer layer of latex foam
- Reliably sturdy owing to the thick base of polyurethane foam
- Ideal for people who sleep with a partner since both get to have their own custom-built halves
- Little to no motion transfer
Why we hate it :
- Lacks provision to counter overheating
- Too soft for heavier users
4. Layla Mattress- Best for Budget
Features
- Double-sided
- Copper-infused memory foam
- Temperature control through the convoluted foam
- 4 layered composite
- Gel-infused cover
The Layla mattress will work best for people who prefer that their mattress remains cool at all times and do not mind a change in the feel of their mattress every now and then.
Another way it ensures temperature control is through the use of an intermediate layer of convoluted foam between the thick layer of polyfoam and the soft 2-inch memory foam. This allows the mattress to remain aerated, thereby assisting the copper in dissipating even more heat to keep the mattress from heating up. This makes the mattress ideal for people who list temperature control on the top of their list of priorities.
Why we like it :
- Exceptional temperature control
- Versatility due to double-sidedness
- Reliable build quality
Why we hate it :
- Not particularly built for pain relief
Want to know more before purchasing? See our review of Layla mattress where we mention everything that you need to know about this model.
5. Amerisleep AS3 – Best for pressure points relief
Features
- Softer and firmer are available
- Extra-breathable
- Responsive memory foam
- Intermediate layers of convoluted foam
- CertiPUR-US® certified
- Celliant Mattress Cover
- Edge support
The Amerisleep AS3 is a great choice if you are combo sleeper with hip pains with average body weight, however, if you are worried about pressure building up, it may be wise to look into softer variants of this model.
Another way in which the memory foam used in this mattress is different from the rest is that it is much more responsive than conventional memory foam. Normal memory foam tends to make users feel stuck but the responsive memory foam of the AS3 makes it easier for you to move around on it, by regaining its shape much more quickly.
Why we like it :
- Ideal firmness for back and side sleepers
- Memory foam helps in pain relief
- Virtually non-existent motion transfer
- Durable foam
- Good edge support
- Environmentally friendly
Why we hate it :
- Too firm for heavier side sleepers
You may be like to read more about How to Choose a Mattress Fit for You?
Conclusion
At the end of the day, a mattress is just an aid to sleeping, and most important variable in deciding whether a mattress works for you is the quality of sleep you get from it. A study conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of North Texas showed that 50% of people with Insomnia complained of chronic. While lack of sleep can worsen chronic pains, on the bright side, ample sleep has proven benefits in mitigating it.
With this guide, we hope to give you a better understanding of what chronic hip pains mean for you as a sleeper, and how a mattress can help to optimize your sleeping environment.
