Best Mattresses for Hip & Shoulder Pain – 2023 Review

Do your shoulders and hips hurt when you’re lying in bed? Many people struggle with hip and shoulder pain throughout the night, especially side sleepers, for whom these areas are key pressure points. If you experience this kind of pain, then finding a better bed is one step you can take toward relief.

The best mattresses for hip and shoulder pain have design features that offer soothing relief to achy joints. In this article, we’ll share our top mattresses for hip and shoulder pain relief, a shopping guide for finding your new bed, and tips for minimizing nighttime discomfort.

The cause of hip pain can be as simple as not having the right mattress or an indication of a more severe underlying condition. The pain can be blamed on just about anything.

According to Rush University System for Health¹, these are some of the reasons people experience hip and shoulder pain at night:

We’ll discuss some of the conditions in more depth later in this article. However, evaluating whether or not you have the right mattress first and seeking a medical professional's input can be powerful.

If your bed is too hard or soft, it could put your spine at an unnatural angle. Spending seven to nine hours of sleep each and every night at this awkward angle can lead to severe problems and pain.

When we sleep, especially on our side, we put most of our body weight in the shoulder/hip area. So, if you have pain here, imagine how uncomfortable that’s going to be!

If your mattress is too firm, these body parts are unlikely to sink deep enough to get any pressure relief at all. It’ll feel like sleeping on concrete.

On the other hand, if your bed is too soft, your hips and shoulders will sink too far down and not have the proper support to keep your spine at a neutral angle. Either way, you’re setting yourself up for a nightmare of a time in the bedroom.

If this is the case, we suggest looking into getting a new mattress. Most online bedding companies allow you to try their product for 100 to 365 days to see if this solves your problem before taking more drastic measures.

If your hip and shoulder pain diminishes when you switch positions, your mattress may be contributing to your pain. You still might have some other issues happening, especially if your bed is not right for you, but it should be comforting to know that you can get relief just by moving around a bit.

People with pain in their bodies usually do best by sleeping on their side, given that they have a supportive sleeping surface. When you lie on your side, the weight of your shoulders and hips can sink into the mattress. If you could view the spine at this angle, you’d see that it maintains a straight position and doesn’t form a kinked curve, which can result in pain.

In order for this position to alleviate symptoms, the bed must have an ideal blend of comfort and support. Again, if the mattress is too firm, the spine can tilt up, especially in the pelvic area. Similarly, a too-soft bed can allow you to sink in too deeply and lose the support you need to stay comfortable and pain-free.

Another reason side sleeping can be ideal is that most people report pain in only one side of their body. If it hurts to sleep on your right side, you can often get relief by switching to your left, and vice versa.

View Our Complete Guide: Best Rated Mattresses For Side Sleepers

Sleeping on your stomach is somewhat controversial. First of all, stomach sleepers are in the minority. Second, according to one medical research group², sleeping on your stomach is bad for your back, and we can only assume it’s equally bad for your hips, as it causes strain and pressure on the spine.

If lying on your side hurts no matter which side you try, and you can’t stand the thought of sleeping on your stomach, you may want to try switching to your back. Again, exercise caution with this position because it can create excess pressure in the base of your spine.

We recommend putting a pillow underneath your knees to elevate the lower body slightly. If you still feel pressure, try adding a second cushion.

Another option is a wedge pillow. You can place it directly under your knees, or get a second one to prop up against the headboard to create the effect of a makeshift recliner.

Get More Info: How to Sleep On Your Back

Not only do memory foam mattresses get the highest customer satisfaction rating from sleepers worldwide, but they also tend to be the best option for people experiencing hip and shoulder issues.

If you’re unfamiliar with memory foam, it’s a material that contours to your body and helps you feel cradled while you sleep. When you lie down, the bed should contour to the shape of your body and help keep your spine in its natural curve. Remember when we discussed how your hips and shoulders are the body parts that sink into the bed the most?

With memory foam, those denser and sharper areas of your body should be well-supported, increasing your chances of a pain-free night of sleep. As you shop for a memory foam bed, remember that even though you want something soft, you should also seek something supportive.

A too-soft, low-density foam could cause your body to sink rather than be cradled. That could throw your spine out of alignment and exacerbate your pain.

While we love memory foam, it does have one drawback: it tends to run hot. As your body sinks into the surface of the bed, it can trap heat.

Latex has the same benefits as foam but without heat properties. Make sure you get natural latex sourced from the sap of a rubber tree.

This material should help keep you cooler and contains fewer chemicals. By contrast, synthetic latex is petroleum-based.

For those on a budget, natural latex is much more expensive than synthetic latex. If a higher price tag scares you, consider getting a latex mattress that blends natural and synthetic forms.

By definition, a hybrid bed can contain any number of materials. Most often, you’ll find varieties that combine an innerspring core with a memory foam top layer. Sometimes you’ll find that the foam sandwiches the coil core, or you’ll see varieties that have both latex and memory foam in addition to the innerspring structure in the center.

Hybrid beds tend to combine the best of both worlds: You get the contouring and cradling of memory foam with the structure and support of a coil base. However, they can also be more expensive, and they may not be soft enough for someone who regularly has nerve, joint, or bone pain.

If you decide to get a hybrid, seek out something with a supportive top layer, like medium-density foam. If the foam is too soft, it likely won’t provide support, but if it’s too hard, you may not get pressure relief. The best is to research the product's construction to see what kind of feel and support it brings.

For many people, traditional innerspring mattresses feel too firm, and they develop uncomfortable pressure points. In other cases, out-of-date beds that have begun to sag offer inadequate support. If this sounds like your bed at home, it may be time to upgrade.

One choice is to go for a hybrid or an innerspring mattress that has incorporated a comfort system that uses foam to cradle your painful joints while the coils go to work, offering exceptional support. Coil-on-coil systems that use a layer of pocketed micro coils can also offer a unique blend of body conformance and spine alignment.

Many people throw the term “pressure relief” around, but if you’re not in the industry, it might not make a lot of sense.

Here’s what’s meant by the term: when we lie down, our weight is heavily concentrated in two body parts – our shoulders and our hips. These are our widest parts, so when we go horizontal, our weight settles here.

If a bed’s surface is either too hard or too soft, it’ll put undue pressure on these areas. When that happens, it can cause pain, numbness, and discomfort.

Because your hips and shoulders become concentrated pressure points when you sleep on your side, side sleepers typically need softer mattresses than back and stomach sleepers. If your bed is too firm, you’ll likely experience painful pushback in these zones when you lay down.

That being said, there’s such a thing as “too soft.” You don’t want your mattress to sacrifice crucial support for a plush feel. Make sure that you find the surface cozy and that the bed has quality support materials that will prevent it from sagging and keep your body from sinking too deeply.

If you’re experiencing shoulder and/or hip pain, we recommend choosing a mattress between a 3 and a 6 on our firmness scale.

When we’re in bed, our spine should be in proper alignment. What does that mean exactly?

When you lie down, your spine should look the same as it does if you were to view it from someone standing from a straight-on view. To sum up, it should look straight. When your bed is the ideal firmness⁴, and you’re sleeping on the right pillow size, your spine should indeed look straight.

If it’s buckled upward or dipping down, it’s out of alignment. Even just one night of sleeping like this can cause several nights, if not weeks, of pain.

It’s easy to find a mattress that feels comfortable for a few nights or months. However, cheaper mattresses may break down over time, and within a few years, they might sag in all the wrong places.

A sagging mattress could put undue pressure on the hip and shoulder areas, resulting in unnecessary and totally preventable discomfort.

If you’re buying a foam mattress, you can seek out something made of a higher-density foam at the core. And if latex is your bed of choice, keep in mind that natural is more durable than synthetic.

For innerspring mattresses, there are different types of coils, and they’re made from different steel thicknesses. Many durable innerspring mattresses will likely have either pocketed coils (individually wrapped) or offset coils. A further advantage of these two coil structures is that they should provide more contouring and conformity than most innerspring designs.

Body pillows can help with hip pain by offering extra support and cradling in this area. These pillows are typically larger than regular pillows we use under the head. However, they come in many shapes, sizes, and firmness levels, allowing you to choose what’s most comfortable depending on the pain you’re dealing with.

A mattress topper can help change the firmness and feel of your mattress without splurging on a new bed. You can go for a softer or firmer topper, depending on what you’re trying to achieve.

Medium firmness is typically the best, but for side sleepers with hip pain, an even softer topper may be a good option. There are many to choose from, and they are made from all different kinds of materials depending on your preferences for surface temperature, body conformance, and thickness.

An adjustable base makes it easy to customize how a mattress feels by allowing you to change the angle of the bed. There’s a range of adjustable bases moving in various ways, so you can pick based on how you want your bed to move. One thing to keep in mind is that these bases can be pricey, and not every mattress is compatible with an adjustable base.

The stress and movement of the day can build up and peak at night. Then when you lie down and remain still, the shoulder tends to stiffen. If you combine that with a suboptimal mattress and the wrong sleeping position, it’s a recipe for disaster.

If you lie on your shoulder, this can also increase the pain level, especially since you’re not moving and allowing blood to circulate and relax the muscles.

Yes, a mattress can cause or exacerbate hip pain.

If a mattress is too firm, it may cause soreness around your hips and shoulders, which are two key pressure points for side sleepers. On the other hand, if a mattress is too soft or lacks proper support, your hips may press too deeply into bed. This may result in poor spinal alignment and possible aches and pains.

A soft mattress with reliable support is a good option for sleepers with hip pain, particularly those who sleep on their side.

In general, you’ll want the mattress to be soft enough to feel good on your joints but firm enough to promote healthy alignment and support.

Your desired firmness may differ from another person’s, so go with whatever feels good and benefits your hip pain the most.

If you experience hip pain when you’re in bed, try some of these tactics. (Of course, if your hip pain is persistent and prevents restful sleep, you should also always seek the advice of a medical professional.)

• Place a pillow or rolled-up blanket between your legs. This practice can help your spine and pelvis stay in a neutral position that helps take the strain off surrounding tissue. There are even pillows that have been contoured for this specific purpose.
• If you feel pain in one hip, switch to sleeping on the other hip. In general, take pressure off of the most affected areas of your body whenever you can.
• Try sleeping on your back instead of your side. If you’re a lifelong side sleeper, this may feel like a drastic adjustment, but we promise it’s possible to learn how to sleep on your back with practice.
• Purchase a new mattress that will be more comfortable for your hip pain. If you’d rather explore a more budget-friendly option first, you can look at pressure-relieving mattress toppers.

Stretching is one of the best things you can do before bed. Your chiropractor or physiotherapist can recommend exercises for you to do daily. In addition to the toe-touching stretch mentioned above, a stretch called pigeon can be an effective hip opener.

You can do this exercise either standing, sitting, or lying down. Here are instructions if you’d like to try it lying down:

Supine Pigeon

If both hips hurt simultaneously, it can feel like an impossible task to fall asleep. Stretching and a pain reliever may help. You can also invest in a contoured body pillow that provides superior all-over pressure relief.

If you’re still uncomfortable, you’re going to need some additional help. You may want to try this experiment (and it could even be fun!):

Book a night at a hotel, preferably a good one. Try sleeping in their bed. If you wake up feeling little or no pain, you may have proof that your mattress was the culprit all along!

If you’re hesitant to splurge on a fancy hotel, consider getting a bed with a no-risk trial so you can see if that will make a difference.

Plusher mattresses with great support systems can greatly reduce the likelihood that you’ll aggravate your pain in the night, but not everyone can stretch their finances towards a brand new mattress at a moment’s notice.

A mattress topper designed for relieving hip pain may be a fantastic alternative that can add just a touch of extra pressure relief to your bed without overextending your budget.