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(Top 7) Best Mattresses for Herniated Disc Relief, According to Our Tests

For people with a herniated disc, a quality mattress is one of the most important purchases they will make. This is not where you want to skimp and go cheap. Poor support or a poor quality mattress that breaks down will cause misalignment in the spine and ultimately cause you more pain and a longer recovery. In this post we have listed some important information about best practices for sleeping with a herniated picked as well as picked our favorite mattresses on the market specifically for people suffering from herniated disc pain. 

Quick Picks

  1. BEST OVERALL (EDITOR’S PICK) – Dusk LUXE
  2. BEST VALUE – Brooklyn Signature
  3. BEST FIRM OPTION – Plank LUXE
  4. BEST MEMORY FOAM OPTION – Puffy LUX
  5. BEST NATURAL OPTION – Birch Natural
  6. BEST PRESSURE RELIEF – Bear Elite Hybrid
  7. BEST FOR SIDE SLEEPERS – Midnight LUXE

BUYING TIPS:

Assessing your current mattress:

  • Is it a quality mattress? If it was cheap it likely was not quality. This is one area where spending money on a quality product will benefit your life greatly
  • Is the mattress firm or soft? A mattress that is too soft is not good for spinal alignment. You generally want something on the firmer end of the spectrum.
  • Is your mattress over 5 years old? Some mattresses last closer to 8-10 years. But after 5 years it is important to check how the structure of your mattress is holding up. Do you see dips or sags? Are there “soft spots” that you can feel?
  • Is your support system supportive and solid? Did you put it together properly? Are you using the correct support system? Make sure your bed frame is flat and supporting your mattress properly. Check your box spring to make sure it is not broken and is sitting properly on the bed frame. If your bed frame is a queen or larger does it have a center support on the frame that is in tact? If you have a platform bed or bed slats make sure none are broken and that they are spaced appropriately apart. 

Buying a New Mattress: 6 things to look for when shopping for the best mattress for a herniated disc

While there is never the perfect mattress that works for everyone there are certainly mattresses that are better for helping with a herniated disc than others. Below we have listed a few features to look for when purchasing your mattress. 

1) Choose the Right Firmness

The firmness of your mattress is very important for a herniated disc. Firmness level will vary depending on your sleeping style (stomach, back or side sleeper) but in general you DO NOT want a soft mattress with back pain. A soft mattress will throw off your alignment and will not offer enough support for your spine. The best mattresses for back pain in general are ones that are medium-firm to firm. 

Side Sleepers

firmness-back-pain-side-sleeper

Back Sleepers

back-sleeper-firmness-level-back-pain

Stomach Sleepers (not recommended for back pain)

stomach-sleeper-back-pain

2) Choosing the Right Size Pillow:

You want to make sure your pillow is the right firmness and thickness so that it allows your head to lay perfectly flat in line with your shoulders, keeping your spine straight. A pillow that is too thin or too thick will throw off your neck and cause pain throughout your neck, back and shoulders as your body compensates. The material you choose for your pillow does not matter as long as it is the right height. There are pillows you can choose that allow you to adjust the amount of filling to make the perfect height for your needs.

right-pillow-height-for back-pain

3) Which Material is Best?

As long as the mattress you choose is firm and supportive you can generally go with whatever material you like best as long as it is a quality product with materials that won’t break down. In general we prefer a mattress with a coil system rather than a foam base. A quality coil system tends to be more supportive and creates for better spinal alignment.

zoned-pocketed-coil-innerspring-unit

4) Type of support system:

The most important thing when it comes to choosing a base for your mattress, especially if you have any sort of back pain, is to ensure that the base is solid and supportive. Make sure the base is not broken or missing and support pieces. You can opt to go with a platform bed, a frame with a box spring or an adjustable base and all will give the support you need as long as they are well made and from a reputable company.

Important note: If it is within your budget we highly recommend an adjustable base with a “zero gravity” feature for anyone with a herniated disc. This feature takes pressure off the back and allows for muscle relaxation.

Best Adjustable Base for Herniated Disc
The Adjustable Base by Puffy
by Puffy

The Puffy Adjustable Base comes with a variety of features that take your sleeping experience to the next level. Puffy products are all made in the USA and come at a great value.

What we love:
  • Adjustable height options
  • UBS ports
  • LED lighting
  • "Zero Gravity" position for back pain relief
  • Vibrating massage feature
  • Much More
Buy Here

5) Price:

While price doesn’t always mean quality, you can use it as a general gauge for what type of mattress you are getting. I can tell you right now, the $200 mattress on Amazon is not going to give you the proper night sleep that you need to help heal. If you want your mattress to help rather than hurt you will need to spend some money to get a quality product. You don’t need to get the most expensive mattress on the market but do not buy something cheap that you will end up needing to replace in a year or 2. 

6) Mattress Age:

Is your mattress over 5 years old? Some mattresses last closer to 8-10 years. But after 5 years it is important to check how the structure of your mattress is holding up. Do you see dips or sags? Are there “soft spots” that you can feel?

All of the mattresses below have been hand picked by our team as mattresses that we believe are best for people who are sleeping with a herniated disc. Each of these mattresses provides industry leading pressure relief and have the support to ensure proper spinal alignment for years to come. When making the decision for which mattress is right for you, especially when it comes to sleeping with a herniated disc we recommend spending the money if possible and getting something that is well made and will support your body. A low end mattress will only cause further problems, issues and more money down the road. Proper support and alignment while sleeping is one of the best things you can do for your back pain. 


7 Best Mattresses for a Herniated Disc


1. The Helix Dusk LUXE

Best Overall (Editor's Pick)
by Helix Sleep

The Helix Dusk is a quality hybrid mattress with a medium-firm comfort level that is great for the vast majority of sleep preferences and styles. The Dusk utilizes zoned support within its pocketed coil system to adapt to pressure points and offer spinal alignment for combination sleepers. This mattress was awarded best mattress for sciatica by Medical News and is a great all around option for pressure and pain relief. Helix is a trusted brand within the mattress industry and makes all of their mattresses 100% in the USA.

What we love:
  • Spinal alignment with zoned support system
  • Pressure Relief
  • Made in the USA
  • Sleeps Cool
  • Great for combination sleepers or couples
  • Pain relief benefits
Buy Now

What our testers are saying:

The Helix Dusk is a great all around mattress if you are suffering from Herniated Disc pain. It offers quality comfort and support with a medium feel that allows for the natural curvature of your spine whether you sleep on your back or stomach. The pocketed coil support system has zoned layers that support the hips and shoulders differently than the legs, head and torso in order to keep your spine aligned properly. This mattress is also compatible with an adjustable base.

High quality pressure relief and support

back-or-stomach-sleepers
Whether you sleep on your back stomach or side this mattress will adapt to your body and give you spinal alignment and pressure relief.

Luxurious tufted cover with quality stitching

zoned-support-system
The pocketed coils are zoned to allow for the natural curvature of the body. The memory foam comfort layers provide pressure relief and support.

Great all-around hybrid design

firmness-dusk-luxe
The firmness level of the Dusk LUXE is medium which means it can adapt to a variety of different sleep styles, making it great for combination sleepers or couples.

2. Brooklyn Signature Hybrid

Best Value
by Brooklyn Bedding

GREAT ALL AROUND VALUE

TRADITIONAL INNERSPRING FEEL

An all around hybrid mattress that combines the benefits of a traditional innerspring mattress with Brooklyn Bedding's patented “Titan foam” comfort layers (combining the best properties of latex and memory foam to appeal to all sleeping and comfort preferences). Brooklyn Bedding has been in the mattress industry for years and makes each mattress at their own factory, meaning they can cut out the middle man and provide a great price. This mattress has thousands of 5-star reviews from customers who rave about its value and universal comfort.

What we love:
  • Unbeatable comfort for the price
  • Luxury hybrid innerspring design
  • High quality support and pressure relief
  • Choose soft, medium or firm
  • Over 2,000 5-star reviews.
  • Made in the USA
Buy Now

What our testers are saying:

The Signature Mattress is Brooklyn’s most popular mattress. It utilizes a pocketed coil innerspring support system with Titan foam comfort layers on top (combines the best properties of latex and memory foam into one foam). This mattress is great for anyone with a herniated disc who is looking for a quality mattress at a value friendly price point. The Signature has thousands of 5 star reviews from customers who love the quality. This mattress is available in a soft, medium or firm option. For anyone with back pain we recommend a medium or firm level of comfort.

High quality pressure relief and support

tester-on-mattress
Provides high quality pressure relief while maintaining support and spinal alignment. This mattress is a great option for a variety of different styles of sleepers and the variety of firmness levels means you can choose an option that is right for your specific needs. We generally recommend the medium firmness for the vast majority of sleepers.

Luxurious tufted cover with quality stitching

luxurious-cover-and-build
A luxurious tufted cover and quality stitching makes for a high end sleep experience at a great price point. The cover also is highly breathable to keep you sleeping cool.

Great all-around hybrid design

pocketed-coils-combined-with-memory-foam
Individually pocketed coils combined with the layers of comfort foam make this hybrid mattress a great all around sleeping option for all styles of sleepers. The pocketed coils also minimize motion transfer and partner disturbance.

3. The Plank LUXE Hybrid

Best Firm Option
by Plank Mattress

The flippable Plank Luxe Hybrid is designed to be the firmest mattress on the market—pairing all of the benefits of the original Plank with the additional responsiveness and pressure point relief of individually encased coils. Inspired by the minimalist approach to sleep in the Far East, the firmer, flatter, flippable surface of the Plank mattress creates a neutral spine position that’s better for your back and posture overall. The 2-sided design allows for multiple comfort preferences - The top side of the mattress feels like a traditional firm; the bottom side of the mattress is ultra-firm.

What we love:
  • Built specifically for people who like a firm mattress
  • 2-sided (firm and extra-firm)
  • Heavy duty individually encased coil support system
Buy Here

What our testers are saying:

The Plank Hybrid mattress is made specifically for those sleepers who prefer an extra firm sleeping surface, which is great for anyone with back pain or a herniated disc. It is by far the best mattress on the market for people who love a firm mattress. If you buy mattresses and constantly are wanting them firmer then this mattress was made for you. The Plank hybrid mattress takes firm to the next level and offers a 2 sided design with a standard firm and extra firm surface. They also offer an option “cooling layer” that you can add on top to help keep you sleeping cooler during hot months. At just over 1000 for a queen size, the price point is very competitive.

cooling plank-cover
The optional cooling cover is a great way to add additional breathability and cooling benefits to the plank mattress. The cover is also tight knit in order to keep the mattresses firm feel.
full-size-innerspring-mattress
The 2 sided design of the Plank offers a firm and ultra firm sleeping surface so you can choose the right firmness level for your preferences. The 2 sided design also increases the lifespan of the mattress and allows you to get more sleeping time out of your purchase due to the increase level of materials used.

4. The Puffy LUX Hybrid

Best Memory Foam
by Puffy

LUXURY HYBRID MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS

The Puffy Lux Hybrid Mattress measures 12″ in thickness and is a great all around hybrid mattress for any sleeper. The combination of wrapped coils and memory foam offer superior adaptability and pressure relief for side, back and stomach sleepers. If you are looking for a quality mattress at a great price that will be your every-night mattress, the Puffy Lux is hard to beat.

What we love:
  • Unbeatable value
  • Heavy duty support from wrapped coil system
  • Luxury pressure relief
  • Removable and washable cover
  • Made in the USA
Buy Here

What our testers are saying:

The Puffy Lux mattress is a hybrid memory foam mattress that incorporates the use of a very supportive pocketed coil innerspring unit with luxury memory foam top layers. The pocketed coil innerspring base in the LUX offers heavy duty support that doesn’t give or sag under pressure and leaves you feeling very supported even on the edge of the mattress. The memory foam top layers allow for pressure relief when sleeping on your side and hug the hips and shoulders. The medium-firm feel is a great comfort level for the vast majority of sleepers and is a comfortable mix for side sleepers who want support and some give.

puffy-lux-hybrid-review
puffy-lux-top-layers
motion-transfer-puffy-lux

What Customers love: Luxury memory foam mattress. Fits majority of sleep preferences. Over 6000 5-star reviews.


5. The Birch Mattress

Best Natural Option
by Birch

The Birch Natural mattress is a high quality natural mattress at a highly competitive price point. The wrapped coils provide a luxuriously supportive base that offers industry leading spinal alignment and cradles the natural curves of the body. Birch has built this mattress around optimizing pressure relief with the use of natural latex and wool comfort layers. Latex is one of the best foams on the market for providing pressure relief while still being supportive. The wool adds comfort while naturally wicking moisture and sleeping cool. Birch then has topped the mattress off with an organic cotton cover, making is naturally hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant. This mattress is a great all-around natural option for anyone looking for a medium-firm hybrid mattress that is chemical free.

What we love:
  • 100% Made in the USA
  • Non-Toxic
  • Supportive, hybrid wrapped coil design
  • Luxury pressure relief
  • Natural and Organic Materials (Latex, Organic Wool & Cotton)
  • Universal "Medium-Firm" Feel
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What our testers are saying:

Birch is a well built, medium-firm natural latex mattress that has the perfect level of support and pressure relief for back pain. Birch is known throughout the industry for their high quality natural latex mattress options. The Birch is their most budget friendly latex mattress and provides all the healthy benefits of a latex with the benefits of a pocketed coil innerspring unit. The Birch comes in a medium-firm comfort level to suit the vast majority of comfort levels and preferences and is perfect for a side sleeper. This mattress also has an organic cotton cove for any individuals with allergies or who are sensitive to non-organic fabrics.

inside-the-birch-mattress-layers
Utilizes a pocketed coil innerspring unit for luxurious support and spinal alignment. The top layers feature organic cotton and wool for a hypoallergenic and non-toxic sleeping environment. This will be a great healthy option that comes at a reasonable price for the quality.
healthy-cover-breathable-organic
The cover is made from organic cotton and organic wool and is naturally moisture wicking and breathable. This mattress will sleep cool while also being dust-mite resistant and hypoallergenic.

What Customers love: Medium-firm, natural latex mattress at an affordable price.


6. Bear Elite Hybrid

Best Pressure Relief
by Bear Mattress

The Bear Elite Hybrid is a luxury hybrid mattress with a supportive wrapped coil innerspring unit and pressure relieving comfort layers. This mattress is available in a variety of firmness levels from luxury-plush to Extra-Firm. Bear is known for their memory foam mattresses and this mattress combines their memory foam design with the support of a traditional mattress. The mattress sleeps very cool and is built to last for years.

What we love:
  • Luxury materials and build
  • Choose firmness level: Luxury-Plush to Extra-Firm
  • Made in the USA
  • Sleeps Cool
  • Supportive Wrapped Coils System
Buy Now

What our testers are saying:

Bear has taken their original memory foam mattress to the next level and provided a luxury Hybrid mattress that incorporates heavy duty pocketed coils for a traditional mattress feel with extra support. Their extra-firm option is the most luxurious and high end extra-firm mattress in the industry. If you want a well made luxury mattress feel then you can’t go wrong with the Bear Elite Hybrid.

supportive-firm-bear-elite-mattress
The Elite Hybrid uses heavy duty pocketed coils for a supportive and firm base. The extra-firm option uses minimal comfort layers to provide pressure relief while keeping you flat and supported.
side-view-elite-hybrid-mattress
Elite Hybrid has a luxury cover that you find in only the most high end mattresses. It is naturally breathable and sleeps very cool.

WHAT CUSTOMERS LOVE: Luxury firm feel and heavy duty support.


7. The Midnight LUXE

Best for Side Sleepers
by Helix Sleep

The Helix Midnight LUXE is their most awarded mattress and is a great all around mattress in our opinion. This mattress is going to have a medium-firm feel which is perfect for most sleep preferences and styles. The individually wrapped coil support system provides the support and bounce of a traditional innerspring unit but has the bonus of "zoned" support which means it perfectly supports and gives to the natural curvature of your body, allowing for industry leading spinal alignment and pressure relief. Helix also offers a softer and firmer option in their LUXE lineup if you prefer something on one of the other ends of the firmness spectrum. Overall, our team loves this mattress and many of our employees choose this exact mattress in their own homes at night.

What we love:
  • Medium-firm feel
  • Made in the USA
  • Cooling/Breathable cover
  • Highly awarded and reviewed
  • "Zoned" lumbar support coils for luxury support and pressure relief
  • Premium quilted pillow top
  • Hypoallergenic cover
Buy Now

What our testers are saying:

The Midnight LUXE is our testers favorite all around mattress for side sleepers and is the one many of our team choose to sleep on every night. This is one of the most universally liked and recommended mattresses in the industry. It is supportive while still being comfortable and has a mix of pocketed coils and a memory foam pillow top, to give support and pressure relief. This mattress was made specifically for side sleepers who prefer a medium firmness, giving them the best of both worlds in terms of support and pressure relief. The zoned pocketed coil system works to add extra support under the hips and shoulders to keep a flat and straight spine.

built-for-side-sleepers
This mattress is built specifically for side sleepers and is a great all around comfort level for the vast majority of sleepers. This mattress has won” best all around mattress” by a variety of publications and testers.
midnight-luxe-internal-components
The combination of the zoned pocketed coil system with the multiple layers of pressure relieving foam makes this mattress a great all around sleeping option and perfect for side sleepers who need some extra pressure relief for shoulder pain or hip pain.
helix-midnight-side-angle
The Helix midnight has a luxurious pillow top for pilllowy comfort while still being supportive enough to feel firm underneath.

What Customers love: Luxury pillow-top comfort. Great for all sleeping types


What is a herniated disc?

herniated-disc

Discs are essentially cushions in-between our vertebrae that help us bend, jump and move without pain. When one of these discs tears it causes the central portion to rupture, ultimately effecting surrounding discs and causing pain during mobility. Over time as discs become more worn down they are more likely to herniate. A herniated disc can occur anywhere along the spine from the neck to the lower back. 

Sleeping with a herniated disc

herniated-disc-pain

Living with a herniated disc can be painful and debilitating, especially when trying to get comfortable at night. We have all experienced waking up after sleeping on a bad mattress or in the wrong position and feeling our back or body become extra stiff. If you have a herniated disc you need to be extra careful about the way you sleep and what you are sleeping on. The right sleep position and mattress can make a big difference in minimizing pain and helping you to heal more quickly. Adversely, the wrong mattress or sleeping in the wrong position can make a herniated disc worse and delay the healing process. In this article we will cover all the things you need to know about sleeping properly with a herniated disc.

Is your mattress part of the problem? Analyzing your current mattress.

An old or poor quality mattress is one of the biggest factors for causing aggravation to a herniated disc. If your mattress is not supportive and is not aligning the natural curve of your spine then it is making things worse. As mattresses age or if they are low quality they tend to sag in certain areas that take the brunt of your sleeping weight. Over time these “sagging spots” will get worse and without you realizing it you will begin to wake up with more and more pain. 8 hours of your spine being out of alignment every night takes its toll on the entire body. 

Worst sleeping position for a herniated disc

worst-back-pain-sleeping-position

Sleeping on your stomach is agreed upon by many experts to be the worst sleeping position for a herniated disc or for any spinal issues. Stomach sleeping causes an unnatural curve in your spine which ultimately adds additional strain to your muscles and ligaments, resulting in increased pain. 

If you cannot avoid sleeping on your stomach you can try putting a pillow underneath your hips to help lift the spine into a more natural position. 

Best sleeping position for a herniated disc

best-back-pain-sleeping-position

The absolute best sleeping position for a herniated disc or back pain in general is to sleep on your back. Sleeping on your back helps to put the spine in its most natural position and relieves pressure from the surrounding muscles. For an added bonus slip a pillow under your knees and it will help to take even more pressure off of your spine, giving you maximum relief. If you cannot sleep on your back, side-sleeping is the next best option. Sleeping on your side is better than sleeping on your stomach, but you will want to put a pillow between your knees to help align your spine properly. 

Alternative options for sleeping with a herniated disc

If you don’t want to purchase a new mattress there are a few things you can do to try to sleep better on the current mattress you have: 

  1. Pillow under your knees. We mentioned this above but putting a pillow under your knees will help take pressure off of your spine and will allow your muscles to relax. 
  2. Check your pillow and make sure it is keeping your head level with your spine. If you pillow is too thick it can cause your neck to strain. 
  3. Purchase an electric adjustable base for your mattress. Adjustable bases allow you to raise your head or legs to any desired height. This will help to put your body in a position that is comfortable for you to sleep. 
  4. CBD oil has been said to help with relaxation and pain relief. May be worth a try. 
  5. Turmeric helps to reduce inflammation and could be a great alternative treatment option as well. 

Getting rid of your old mattress

If you do decide to purchase a new mattress you will likely be looking to get rid of your old one. Many of the mattress companies today do not take away your old mattress when delivering your new one. Luckily, A Bedder World does! You can easily book a mattress removal on our website, put your items outside by 8am and our team will come by and pick it up!We have recycle dover 500K mattresses throughout the country and saved millions of sq.ft. of landfill space. 

Overall, the type of mattress you choose is very important in how it will benefit your sleep while dealing with a herniated disc. Be sure not to go the cheap route and instead purchasing a well made product that is supportive and on the firmer end of the spectrum.