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.
A herniated disc causes pain that can significantly affect your sleep, so the right mattress could mean the difference between a restful night and no sleep at all.
Can a Bad Mattress Really Worsen a Herniated Disc?
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.
Why You Need a Quality Mattress for Disc Problems
Investing in a quality mattress will make a significant difference in your pain and in your sleep.
The truth is, a low quality mattress can’t provide the level of support and body contouring that you need to relieve the pressure that laying in a bed can create.
A high quality mattress is made with better materials (such as more durable foam), superior construction (such as individually-wrapped innerspring coils), and added features (such as lumbar support) that are worth every penny for people who have disc problems.
All of these materials, construction elements, and features work together to align the spine, relieve pressure, and allow you to get better quality sleep.
Our Recommended Mattress Materials & Construction
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.
Memory Foam
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.
Hybrid
A hybrid mattress provides the best of both memory foam mattress innerspring, making it an excellent option for people with a herniated disc.
First, choose a hybrid mattress constructed with individually-pocketed coils that move independently with your body rather than a continuous innerspring system.
These coils are better, as they can contour to the body more effectively than fewer coils or a continuous innerspring system.
The innerspring layer of a hybrid mattress provides support and firmness, and it’s topped with one or more foam layers to provide softness and pressure point relief.
Together, the innerspring and foam layers create the right balance of firm support and soft contouring to alleviate back pain — particularly that associated with a herniated disc.
For example, our luxury hybrid mattresses — like the Sedona Grand, Elation Grand, and Luxury Grand — are constructed from premium custom pocketed coils and cooling gel foam.
They can be custom made to fit any size bed or space, which makes them a great choice for a wide variety of people and uses (including RVs!).
In fact, hybrid mattresses are 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.
If not, choose one with adequate softness and you’ll be good to go.
Latex
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.
If you’re a side sleeper, a latex mattress could cause stress on your hips and shoulders, which would add to your pain rather than help it. They’re also not as contouring 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).
Since latex mattresses offer moderate contouring, they’re a good option for back sleepers and side sleepers.
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
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.
It’s also important to choose an innerspring mattress made with strong steel to prevent sagging over time. Plus, mattresses with a higher coil count can be an option to offer more responsive support.
The cost will be higher to reflect the quality that comes with stronger steel and a higher coil count, but the added investment will ensure that your mattress provides adequate firmness for spinal alignment and softness for pressure point relief.
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). Therefore, 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.
What to Consider In a Mattress for Herniated Lumbar Disc Pain Relief
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.
Typically the best option will be a medium-firm mattress made with supportive yet firm foam, latex, or innerspring pocketed coils — to align the spine, but also provide enough softness to relieve stress on pressure points (like the hips and shoulders for side sleepers).
Spinal Alignment
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.
A mattress that is too firm to contour to the body’s shape can misalign the spine and aggravate a herniated disc. While, on the other hand, a mattress that’s too soft will cause the body to sink too deeply, also misaligning the spine and aggravating a herniated disc.
Remember, the specific mattress type and firmness depends on a person’s preferred sleeping position as well as their body type.
Firmness Levels
Mattress firmness levels are typically measured on a 10-point scale, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest.
In general, 1 to 2 represents ultra soft, 3 to 4 is soft, 5 to 6 is medium, 7 to 8 is firm, and 9 to 10 is very firm.
The best mattress for a herniated disc is typically a medium-firm mattress (5 to 8 on the firmness scale), vary from one person to another based on our golden rule — body type and preferred sleeping position.
For example, stomach sleepers need a firmer mattress, so the body doesn’t sink too deeply into the mattress and misalign the spine.
Side sleepers need a softer mattress to align the spine and provide relief to pressure points like the hips and shoulders.
Back sleepers typically need a firmness level between that of a stomach sleeper and a side sleeper to achieve spinal alignment.
Ultimately, taking into consideration how you sleep and your body type (lightweight, average weight, or heavyweight), you need to align your spine, reduce pressure point stress, and feel comfortable.
Only you can determine which firmness level meets all of these requirements for you.
Lightweight Sleepers
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).
A lightweight stomach sleeper should choose a firmer mattress, a side sleeper should choose a softer mattress, and a back sleeper should choose a firmness level in the middle.
Average Weight Sleepers
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).
Choose a softer mattress if you’re a side sleeper, a firmer mattress if you’re a stomach sleeper, and a firmness level in the middle if you’re a back sleeper.
Heavyweight Sleepers
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.
Durability
Durability refers to how long the mattress will last before it dips or sags, which means it no longer provides the spinal alignment and pressure point relief needed to alleviate herniated disc pain.
Overall, natural latex mattresses are considered to be the most durable type of mattress. To ensure a latex mattress lasts as long as possible, choose a density that adequately supports your body weight.
This is essential for any type of mattress you buy.
The durability of a memory foam mattress depends on the type of foam or foams used in its construction.
Density is one of the best ways to measure durability — the more dense a foam is, the more durable it should be.
The density of a typical synthetic latex foam is generally between 1 pound/cubic foot and 2.5 pounds per cubic foot. The density of memory foam can vary greatly, but generally it’s between 3.0 pounds to 7.0 pounds.
Choose a denser foam to improve durability.
An innerspring mattress made of individually pocketed coils is generally more durable than one made with a continuous innerspring system.
The durability of an innerspring mattress depends on the quality of the steel used to make the coils, the thickness of the coils (coil gauge), the number of coils, and the coil construction (continuous system or individually pocketed).
innerspring mattresses usually range from 12 to 18. Lower gauge, thicker coils typically make a more durable and firmer mattress. Some innerspring mattresses have multiple zones of coils made of different coil gauges to provide more support where it’s needed.
- Coil Steel Quality: Tempered steel is more durable than non-tempered steel, and steel that has been tempered twice is the most durable.
- Coil Gauge: Thicker coils are more durable than thinner coils. This is measured by gauge, with a lower gauge equaling thicker coils. Coil gauges for innerspring mattresses usually range from 12 to 18. Lower gauge, thicker coils typically make a more durable and firmer mattress. Some innerspring mattresses have multiple zones of coils made of different coil gauges to provide more support where it’s needed.
- Coil Count: This is important in pocketed coil systems because a higher number of individual coils will adjust better to the body and provide optimal contouring to relieve herniated disc pain. However, coil count doesn’t matter much if the coils are made of low quality or thin steel. All three metrics matter when it comes to durability, so you need to analyze them together. As a rule of thumb, a full size mattress should have a minimum of 300 coils, 400 for a queen size mattress, and 480 for a king size mattress.
Cooling Features
These serve multiple purposes for people with herniated discs.
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.
Other Bed Accessories to Offer Extra Support
There are a number of bed accessories that can also help relieve herniated disc pain while you sleep.
These include pillows, mattress toppers, mattress protectors, and an adjustable base.
Pillows
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.
Mattress Toppers
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.
Mattress Protectors
A mattress protector is placed directly above the mattress surface to protect it from stains and moisture.
It won’t 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.
Adjustable Base
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.
Get the Best Mattress With Excellent Support You Truly Deserve
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!
