One of the best things you can do to get relief from a herniated disc is to find the perfect mattress — one that provides the deep support, great body contouring, and the best features.
Yes, unfortunately a bad mattress really can worsen a herniated disc.
This is particularly true if you’re sleeping on an older mattress with lumps, dips, or other structural problems.
Similarly, if you’re sleeping on the wrong type of mattress for your preferred sleeping position (back, side, or stomach) or for your body type, the mattress may not provide the support and pressure-relief you need.
Bottom-line: a bad mattress is unlikely to cause a herniated disc, but it can definitely aggravate and worsen one.
There are four primary mattress material and construction options: Memory Foam, Hybrid, Latex, and Innerspring.
Choosing one comes down to what is best for your preferred sleep position and body type.
A Memory Foam mattress is made of one or more layers of foam material that contours to the body, and then returns to its original shape when you move.
It provides a “sinking” feeling and is excellent for relieving pressure point pain and maintaining spinal alignment.
The key is to choose a memory foam mattress that uses a combination of soft and firmer foams — for pressure point relief and body contouring, and adequate support.
However, stomach sleepers and people with heavier body types need to be mindful in ensuring they don’t sink too much into the mattress — something which will misalign the spine and aggravate a bulging disc.
Thankfully, if you’re not ready to buy a new mattress, you can instead add a foam mattress topper to your existing bed! This will also help relieve pain and provide better quality sleep.
The 3lb Gel Custom Memory Foam Mattress and the Custom 2” Brookside Memory Foam Topper with Organic Cotton are excellent options. Both are made from high density foam and provide an affordable alternative to buying a brand new mattress.
A Hybrid mattress provides the best of both Memory Foam mattress Innerspring, making it an excellent option for people with a herniated disc.
Be sure to choose a Hybrid mattress constructed with individually-pocketed coils that move independently with your body rather than a continuous innerspring system. They’ll contour to the body more effectively than fewer coils or a continuous innerspring system.
For example, our Luxury Hybrid mattresses are constructed from premium custom pocketed coils and Cooling Gel Foam, making this option great for all sleeping positions and body types.
(Just be sure to choose one with adequate firmness if you sleep on your stomach or if you’re a heavier body type!)
Latex mattresses are very supportive and help maintain spinal alignment, so they’re a good choice to alleviate pain from a herniated disc.
However, they don’t offer the same level of pressure point relief as Memory foam.
The firmness, contouring, and durability of a Latex mattress depends on how the mattress is made. One made using the Dunlop process will be denser, firmer, and more supportive. Whereas a mattress made using the Talalay process will be softer (and more expensive).
With that in mind, our 8.5″ Natural Latex Mattress with Organic Cotton is an excellent choice for your home, while the Natural Latex Sofa Bed Mattress is perfect for your Sofa bed.
Innerspring mattresses provide excellent support for anyone suffering from a herniated disc.
They can be made with a continuous metal wire system or individually-wrapped coils (also referred to as “pocketed coils” or “advanced coil technology”).
To relieve herniated disc pain, select an Innerspring mattress made with individually-wrapped coils. Since these move independently, they are much better at contouring to your body and keeping your spine aligned while you sleep.
Innerspring mattresses are springy, so you’ll feel like you’re on top of the mattress rather than sinking into it (like with Memory Foam). With that in mind, a high quality firm Innerspring mattress is perfect for stomach sleepers and heavier body types.
Our 8″ Park Meadow Pocketed Coil RV Mattress II will provide heavy duty support.
This is our golden rule:
The best mattress for bulging disc problems is one that provides the right firmness level to keep the spine aligned — based on a person’s body type and preferred sleeping position.
Different parts of your body need different levels of support to keep your spine aligned and reduce pressure point tension when you’re lying down.
Your hips and shoulders need a softer surface to reduce pressure, and the lower back and lumbar need firmer support to align the spine.
Mattress firmness levels are typically measured on a 10-point scale, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest.
The best mattress for a herniated disc is typically a medium-firm option (5 to 8 on the firmness scale), vary from one person to another based on our golden rule — body type and preferred sleeping position.
Lightweight sleepers are generally considered to be anyone who weighs less than 130 lbs.
People with this body type should choose a softer mattress that substantially shapes to the body, or they won’t sink into the mattress enough to benefit from pressure point relief or contouring that aligns the spine.
Recommended firmness levels for lightweight sleepers: Soft (3), Medium Soft (4), and Medium (5).
Average weight sleepers are between 130 to 230 lbs.
People with this body type can choose a medium-firm mattress that provides the pressure point relief and support they need for their preferred sleeping position.
Recommended mattress firmness levels for average weight sleepers: Medium Soft (4), Medium (5), and Medium-Firm (6).
Heavyweight sleepers weigh more than 230 lbs.
People with this body type should choose a firmer mattress that provides enough support to prevent too much sinking that could misalign the spine and worsen herniated disc pain.
Recommended mattress firmness levels for heavyweight sleepers: Medium Firm (6) and Firm (7–8).
Some heavyweight sleepers may prefer an Extra Firm (9-10) mattress, particularly if they’re stomach sleepers.
Not only do cooling features built into a mattress help you sleep cooler and regulate your body temperature, but research published by the National Library of Medicine shows that cooling features can reduce inflammation — soothing irritated spinal nerves.
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There are a number of bed accessories that can also help relieve herniated disc pain while you sleep.
Neck pain can add to discomfort from a herniated disc, ruining your sleep. This is especially true if your herniated disk is in the cervical spine (in the neck).
The right pillow will support your neck and align your spine to relieve pain. Some even have added benefits, such as the Liquid Gel Memory Foam Pillow, which also has cooling features.
A mattress topper sits on the top of your mattress to add softness or firmness, depending on the support you need to effectively align your spine and relieve stress on pressure points.
A custom mattress topper can also add cooling features to any bed, which can help reduce herniated disc pain.
A mattress protector add features to help alleviate herniated disc pain, but it’s important to have one to extend the life of your mattress — and the warranty.
Look for a waterproof mattress protector that fits your mattress properly, like the Waterproof Short Queen Fitted Mattress Protector or the Sleeper Sofa Mattress Encasement.
An adjustable base is used to build adjustable beds — a good choice if you suffer from a herniated disc, because it allows you to raise or lower different parts of the mattress to align your spine and reduce pain.
Adjustable beds are more of an investment, but could be worth it if they successfully help you sleep better.
Bottom-line, you should invest in the best mattress for your body type and preferred sleeping position in order to get adequate support, relieve herniated disc pain, and have high quality sleep every night.
Do you want to find out more about what we have in store for you? Browse our mattress selection to see if everything that meets your needs!
The best mattress to ease the pain of a herniated disk is one that will offer a lot of support to keep the spine aligned, as well as a lot of comfort to not aggravate pressure points. The specific material and firmness level depends on your sleep style.
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