The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Bed for Your Sleep Style

Sleep Style Guide

Ah, sleep. The glorious escape from the daily grind, the recharge station for our bodies and minds. But achieving that perfect night’s rest goes beyond simply closing your eyes. A crucial factor is your bed – the haven where you drift off to dreamland.

For years, I woke up feeling like a lorry ran me over. Turns out my trusty old mattress was to blame. This guide is informed by my journey to sleep sanctuary and equips you with the knowledge to find your own sleep haven and improve your sleep quality.

That said, with a plethora of options available, choosing the right bed can feel overwhelming. But fear not, weary sleeper! I aim to give you everything you need to pick the perfect bed for your sleep style, ensuring you wake up feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the day.

Outlining Different Sleep Styles

The first step is understanding your sleep style or sleeping position. Do you starfish across the mattress, cradle like a foetus under a mountain of blankets or cuddle up close to your partner? These preferences, along with your body type, body weight and any sleep issues, paint a picture of your ideal sleep environment. Let’s delve into the most common sleep styles…

Side Sleepers: This is the most common preferred sleeping position, accounting for almost three-quarter of all sleepers. Side sleepers require a soft mattress that provides pressure relief on the shoulders and hips, cradling the body’s curves. Often, this is in the form of a memory foam mattress.

Back Sleepers: Back sleepers, making up 16% of the population, benefit from a bed that offers balanced support for the entire spine, ensuring proper spinal alignment. A medium-firm mattress is often ideal – either a memory foam or pocket sprung mattress.

Stomach Sleepers: While not the healthiest position due to potential strain on the neck and spinal alignment, around 1 in 10 sleepers favour their stomachs. A firmer mattress that keeps the spine aligned is the best mattress for this position.

Combination Sleepers: Many of us are restless souls who toss and turn throughout the night, utilising various sleeping positions. A versatile, hybrid mattress with pressure relief and good motion isolation is key.

Sleep Style Spotlight: Finding the Best Bed for You

Now that you’ve identified your sleep style, let’s explore specific bed types and the best mattresses that cater to your needs. Mattress firmness is one of the key factors, whether they relieve pressure, provide extra support or maintain healthy spinal alignment. The key question to ask yourself is ‘what bed firmness is right for ME and MY sleeping position?’ Find out below.

Best Bed For Side Sleepers: If you adopt a side sleeping position, embrace the comfort of a softer mattress in the form of a plush or memory foam mattress. These conform to your body’s curves, minimising pressure points on your shoulders and hips. Innerspring mattresses with a pillow top can also be a good fit. You should even consider a mattress with good edge support if you’re a side sleeper who tends to roll towards the edge of the bed.

Best Bed For Back Sleepers: Sleep on your back? Opt for a medium-firm mattress that provides balanced support for your spine, keeping it in proper alignment. Innerspring mattresses with good coil count or hybrid mattresses that combine innerspring with other materials like memory foam are excellent choices, providing proper support combined with a touch of softness.

Best Bed For Stomach Sleepers: A firmer mattress is ideal for stomach sleepers, as it helps prevent your spine from sinking out of alignment. A supportive mattress like innerspring mattresses with a high coil count offer the necessary support, while some firmer memory foam mattresses with high foam density can also be adequate. However, stomach sleeping puts strain on your neck, so consider using a contour pillow with a lower loft to maintain proper cervical alignment and prevent neck pain.

Combination Sleepers: Those who move a lot during sleep need a versatile mattress that caters to multiple positions. A medium-firm hybrid mattress with a combination of innerspring and memory foam often provides the best of both worlds, offering support and pressure relief. Adjustable beds can also be a great option for combination sleepers, allowing you to adjust the head and foot of the bed for optimal comfort in whatever position you choose.

Beyond the Mattress: Exploring Bed Frames and Other Sleep Essentials

While the mattress type is the star of the sleep show, the supporting cast of your bed frame, pillows and bedding play a crucial role too.

Bed Frame: Choose a sturdy bed frame that complements your mattress size and offers extra support. Consider bonus storage options like ottoman storage beds if space is a concern. For maximum stability, I would suggest bed frames made from solid wood or metal.

Pillows: The right pillow ensures proper neck alignment and prevents discomfort. Select a pillow that fills the gap between your neck and shoulder, depending on your sleeping position. Side sleepers need a thick pillow to cradle their head, back sleepers a medium-thickness one, and stomach sleepers a thin pillow or even no pillow at all. Consider materials like memory foam or down alternative for hypoallergenic and pressure-relieving options.

Bedding: Breathable fabrics like cotton or linen allow for good airflow, preventing you from overheating during sleep – this is especially important for naturally hot sleepers. Consider a duvet weight suitable for the climate, often that’s a lower tog rating in the summer and a higher tog rating in the winter.

Additional Tips for Sleep Success

A comfortable bed is just one piece of the sleep puzzle. Here are some additional tips from personal experience that can assist in providing a restful night aside from the bed itself.

• Establish a regular sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at consistent times, even on weekends, to regulate your body’s natural body clock.
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine: Wind down before bed with calming activities like reading, taking a warm bath or practicing light stretches or yoga.
• Optimise your sleep environment: Ensure your bedroom is cool, dark and quiet. Invest in blackout curtains, an eye mask and set of ear plugs, or even a white noise machine if necessary.
• Limit screen time before bed: It can be hard to drag ourselves away from our devices but the blue light emitted from screens can disrupt sleep patterns. Avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime if you can.
• Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity promotes better sleep in general, but avoid strenuous workouts like running and weight-lifting close to bedtime.
• Manage your stress: Chronic stress can wreak havoc on your sleep. Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation before bed. You can also find useful apps on your phone around managing stress levels and relaxing.
• Listen to your body: If you’re still struggling with sleep after implementing these tips, consult a doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions.

In Summary

By following these steps and choosing the right bed for your sleep style, you’ll be well on your way to achieving restful nights and waking up feeling refreshed and energised every morning. We have outlined the various sleeping positions we adopt before detailing the right mattress types for the different positions and even giving some extra sleeping tips beyond the bed, the bedding and the mattress.

Here at Home Treats UK, sweet dreams and luxurious sleep are just a few clicks away! Explore our curated selection of mattresses based on your sleep style, with memory foam, hybrid and pocket sprung mattresses available. Combine your new mattress with the ideal bed frame and leave bad sleep in the past.