Osteoporosis is a disorder characterized by a weakening of the bones. It’s caused by either losing bone or not regenerating it at a normal pace. When this happens, the skeletal structure isn’t dense enough to fully support body weight and impact.
The result is a tendency for the bones to become more fragile. This can cause pain and discomfort in some sleepers and makes spinal alignment and pressure relief vitally important.
Best Rated Mattress for Osteoporosis
- Saatva Zenhaven – Editor's Pick
- Helix Midnight – Best Mattress for Combination Sleepers
- DreamCloud Premier Rest – Best Mattress for Couples
- Nectar – Best Mattress for Back Sleepers
- The WinkBed – Best Innerspring Mattress
- Bear Star Hybrid – Best Mattress for Recovery
- Nolah Signature – Best Mattress for Pressure Relief
- Puffy Royal Hybrid – Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
- Layla Memory Foam – Best Memory Foam Mattress
- TEMPUR-ProAdapt – Best Mattress for Hip Pain
What Interrupts Your Sleep the Most?
We want to help you find the best product for your needs.
Click on your preferred option below and it'll lead you to our picks for a selected category.
If you suffer from this condition or you’re in an at-risk group, you’re probably wondering about the perfect bed for someone with osteoporosis. You’ll want something that’s comfortable but also healthy for your bones.
Sounds scary, right? What’s even more alarming is that bone loss associated with osteoporosis affects nearly 54 million Americans. If you’re a woman over fifty, there is a 50% chance of breaking a bone due to osteoporosis.
And before we forget, we bet you were wondering about the origin of the word osteoporosis. Let’s clear up that mystery, shall we? Osteo means bone. Porosis means porous, referring to a surface or structure that has pores or holes. In a literal sense, this condition means having holes in the bones.
But enough about that. What mattress do you need? In this guide, we’ll share some top brands as well as give you some general guidelines to look for when you shop.
Shopping Recommendation:
Are you confident that a mattress for osteoporosis is the perfect option for you? If so, continue exploring this page!
If you're unsure or want to learn about more great mattress options available then we recommend you check out our best mattress reviews. It is a great starting place for most mattress shoppers because it includes a diverse list of mattress picks based on various preferences, styles, and needs. It also includes links to an additional 60+ best mattress pages from Sleep Advisor (example: best latex mattress).
Top 10 Osteoporosis Mattresses Reviewed
Editor's Pick
Saatva Zenhaven
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Dual-Sided
- Certified Organic Cotton
- OEKO-TEX® Certified
- 365-Night Trial
- Lifetime Warranty
- Made in the USA
Zenhaven is an all-natural latex product from a well-known online mattress retailer called Saatva that has built its reputation on more eco-friendly materials in a line of luxury mattresses. This mattress has two different firmnesses built into it, one on each side, giving you a choice between a firmer or softer bed, depending on what works best for you.
What’s the fuss about?
- Not only does the luxurious Talalay latex in this bed offer great pressure-relieving comfort, but the clever design also uses aeration holes placed at different distances from one another to provide zoning. By varying firmness in the comfort layer, the materials should be able to cradle and support different weights and hold your body level.
- Beyond the comfort system, a firmer layer of Talalay forms the bed’s supportive core that offers extra support on one side and extra pressure relief on the other. We may suggest the Firmer side for heavier folks who need extra support and the softer side for lighter individuals who sometimes struggle to push through the comfort layers. However your tastes run, you can try out both sides to see which is the most comfortable and pain-reducing.
Want to learn more? Take a look at our full review for Zenhaven bed here.
Best Mattress for Combination Sleepers
Helix Midnight
Combination sleepers with limited mobility due to osteoporosis can benefit from a mattress that contains more responsive layers to foster easier repositioning. Helix’s Midnight model is a hybrid built with foam and coils. The coils in the Midnight provide bounce that should help combination sleepers transition between positions.
The Midnight’s top two foam layers include Memory Plush Foam and a high-grade polyfoam. These layers should give sleepers good pressure relief, while the coils and base foam keep their weight supported. For those worried about getting too hot at night, the bed’s Soft Touch Design Cover is made to be breathable, and the coils will promote extra airflow.
What’s worth noting?
- The Helix Midnight has a medium-firm feel, which is a good middle-ground firmness for multiple sleep positions.
- The foams in this mattress are CertiPUR-US®, ensuring they meet strict health and safety standards.
Need more details? See our full Helix Midnight mattress review.
Best Mattress for Couples
DreamCloud Premier Rest
DreamCloud’s Premier Rest offers a great sleep solution for couples in which both or one person has osteoporosis symptoms. The Premier Rest’s medium comfort feel is a great middle-of-the-road firmness level that should work for both parties. In addition, the Premier Rest is built with cooling and motion isolating capabilities that couples typically love in a mattress.
For those with osteoporosis, the DreamCloud Premier Rest’s comfort layers are top-notch. Starting off, the Premier Rest has a luxurious pillowtop with a cashmere-blend material and two foam layers quilted into it. Below the pillow top is an additional 2.5 inches of contouring soft foam for added pressure relief that should feel good on the joints.
Why do we love this bed?
- DreamCloud offers one of the best consumer deals in the market. Customers get a full year to try out the bed and a forever warranty with their purchase.
Need more details? See our full DreamCloud Brand review.
Best Mattress for Back Sleepers
Nectar
Nectar’s flagship model is an impressive memory foam mattress with top-quality materials built into it. This medium-firm bed is great for back sleepers because you get an ideal balance of soothing pressure relief with firm support.
If you are learning to manage osteoporosis, you may feel unsure about memory foam as you may worry about having trouble repositioning or overheating. The gel in the memory foam and the more responsive layers in the comfort system keep this bed cool and responsive while cradling your shape in a nice hug that melts away your pressure points.
What’s impressive about it?
- By going to an online sales model and packing their bed into a smaller box for easier shipping, Nectar can offer a lot of quality for the dollar. Beyond the generous sleep trial, there’s also a Forever Warranty that comes with this bed.
Need more details? See our full Nectar mattress review.
Best Innerspring Mattress
The WinkBed
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Multiple Firmness Options
- OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, Class 1
- CertiPUR-US®
- 120-Night Trial Period
- Lifetime Limited Warranty
If you love the extra support of springs but want an upgrade to help curb back pain from osteoporosis, the WinkBed mattress is worth your consideration. The WinkBed is a hybrid made with foam and coils. The bed’s coil layer is where this mattress shines for support. The coils are zoned in five sections for enhanced support, meaning they provide extra reinforcement in areas where it’s typically needed most.
The WinkBed is available in a Soft, Luxury Firm, or Firm model. By providing multiple firmness options, customers can choose the best feel for their sleep position and body frame. As a result, WinkBed allows for a customized experience to foster better sleep.
What’s worth mentioning?
- The WinkBed has received the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, Class 1 and CertiPUR-US® certifications, ensuring the mattress meets important safety and health standards.
- Shoppers receive a 120-night trial period and lifetime limited warranty with the purchase of a WinkBed mattress.
Want to learn more? Take a look at our full review for WinkBed bed here.
Best Mattress for Recovery
Bear Star Hybrid
HIGHLIGHTS:
- CertiPUR-US® Certified
- 120-Night Trial
- Lifetime Warranty
- Children’s Charity Initiative
- Made in the USA
Research has proven that using your muscles can help protect your bones long-term, but a more active lifestyle requires restful sleep so that your body can repair itself before you set out on your next big adventure. Bear has targeted their mattresses at those folks who like to keep active, and they’ve developed performance materials that they say help enhance your body’s natural recovery process.
What’s its best feature?
- The cover of the Bear Star Hybrid is made with Celliant®, which is a performance textile that recycles your body’s energy and uses infrared technology to improve tissue oxygenation. Clinical research is currently underway to prove what health benefits this might provide, and we encourage you to read up on it to see how the science behind it develops.
- Beyond the cover, the bed's comfort foams are made to be responsive and resistant to heat build-up so that you should not be woken up by sweat or difficulty moving around in the comfort materials. The firmer base should comfortably align your spine so you wake up refreshed and ready to hit the road again.
Need more details? Visit our complete guide for Bear Star Hybrid here.
Best Mattress for Pressure Relief
Nolah Signature
People struggling with osteoporosis often have problems with pressure build-up, especially those who prefer sleeping on the side. The Nolah Signature is a great memory foam option for pressure relief, providing gentle cradling.
The bed features AirFoam™ in two layers, although they feature different firmness. The first one is softer to cradle the body, while the second one is firmer to support the body and prevent it from sinking too deep into the mattress. AirFoam™ is Nolah’s proprietary foam that’s 300 percent more durable than traditional memory foam. Plus, it’s unlikely to sag as quickly as memory foam.
Why do we love it?
- The Nolah Signature mattress is rated 5/10 on the firmness scale, among the best firmness levels for pressure relief. The bed should fit dedicated side sleepers and combination sleepers.
- The company offers a 120-night trial for you to test the mattress before deciding if it’s the right fit. Shipping is free, and you also get a lifetime warranty.
Looking for more info? See our full Nolah review here.
Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
Puffy Royal Hybrid
Side sleepers who simultaneously experience osteoporosis need a top-quality bed that helps relieve uncomfortable pressure that makes it harder to rest comfortably. Puffy’s Royal Hybrid model is the brand’s most plush mattress and should be an excellent fit for this group.
Lying down on the mattress, you should get a cloud-like experience on the top of the bed with a slow-moving feel for a cozy sleep environment. Another big advantage for side sleepers who need quality pressure relief is that the Royal Hybrid contains four comfort layers for plenty of softness.
Why we love it
- In addition to four comfort layers, the Royal Hybrid comes with a support layer that includes Firm Core Support Foam and Contour-Adapt Coils. While the coils deliver support throughout the mattress, the foam is strategically placed around the perimeter for edge support. The edge support should make getting in and out of bed much easier.
Need more details? See our full Puffy Brand review.
Best Memory Foam Mattress
Layla
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Dual-sided Firmness
- CertiPUR-US® Certified
- 120-Night Trial
- Lifetime Warranty
- Made in the USA
Memory beds are known for great pressure relief, but modern memory materials can deliver a variety of feels and it’s difficult to know which will work best for you. Layla’s dual-sided mattress offers two distinct feels so you can try out sleeping more inside or on top of the mattress to find where you’re the most comfortable, while still getting enough support to keep your spine straight.
What’s special? Layla’s memory foams give you a classic memory foam experience that you should just sink down into for a pressure-free and blissful sleep. Updates to the cooling system which use both copper and a special proprietary gel help to ensure that you don’t wake up in a pool of sweat.
Either side of this mattress should work great to cradle the sensitive frames of folks with osteoporosis, but we do suggest that those people who struggle with mobility may be better served by the firmer side of the mattress, which is slightly easier to navigate.
Interested in learning more? Check out our complete Layla bed review.
Best Mattress for Hip Pain
TEMPUR-ProAdapt
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Multiple Firmness Options
- Free White Glove Delivery
- 90-Night Trial Period
- 10-Year Limited Warranty
The TEMPUR-ProAdapt mattress was built with adaptability and comfort in mind, making this an excellent match for sleepers experiencing osteoporosis pain in the hips. Customers can choose from three foam options and one hybrid option. The foam models come in soft, medium, and firm variations, and the hybrid model is only available as a medium feel. The customization provides a way for shoppers to seek a mattress that closely meets the needs of their sleep position and body frame.
Each TEMPUR-ProAdapt contains proprietary foams to supply adaptability and pressure relief for optimal comfort regardless of how you sleep. While the adaptable layers respond to your position and weight, the pressure-relieving materials should melt away uncomfortable pressure buildup in the hips and other areas.
Why we love it
- Most people with osteoporosis are older, and with a free white glove delivery service, they don’t have to worry about carrying their new mattress themselves.
Osteoporosis Mattress Buyer’s Guide
Spine Alignment
When people shop for mattresses, they tend to think first about comfort and firmness, but they often neglect to consider how the structure of the bed positions their spine. Regardless of whether someone has a bone condition or other ailment, keeping the spine in the right position is crucial for getting the best night of sleep and avoiding pain.
When you lie in bed, your spinal column should retain the same shape it has when you’re standing up. It should be relatively straight, while still maintaining its natural curvature, with no buckling or awkward angles. A bed that is too firm or soft can throw your body out of alignment.
Even the highest quality beds could be problematic depending on your preferred sleep position. However, many people can find relief in a a “zoned” mattress, or something with uniform sinkage, to ensure that the surface of the bed absorbs your weight evenly. The way a zoned mattress works is that it’s softer in areas for body parts that put more pressure on the surface (like your hips and shoulders) and firmer in parts where less of your weight pushes into the bed.
The goal of a zoned mattress is that you get the right amount of support to stay comfortable and in proper alignment all night.
Firmness
A common misconception is that people with osteoporosis need a firm mattress to support their bones. However, a bed that is too hard won’t necessarily allow for proper spinal alignment, as we discussed a moment ago.
The ideal mattress for most is classified as medium-firm. It should be soft enough to absorb the weight of your body’s heavier parts, especially when you lie on your side, but firm enough to prevent you from sinking too deeply into the surface of the bed and out of alignment.
As you shop around, you’ll see a variety of terms describing firmness levels. Keep in mind that these are subjective measures and vary by brand. One company’s idea of ultra-firm might be another brand’s middle-of-the-road product.
Instead, look out of for numbered ratings. A medium-firm sleeping surface is typically ranked between 6 and 6.5 out of 10, with a ranking of one being equivalent to sleeping on a bed of feathers, and 10 is more like a concrete slab. Just keep in mind – this can be highly subjective when taking weight distribution and body type into account.
Get More Info: Mattress Firmness Guide
Considering Memory Foam or Latex?
Over the years, many people have decided that their ideal blend of comfort, support, and proper spinal alignment comes in the form of memory foam and latex mattresses.
If you’re interested in a memory foam bed, you can find a mattress that has multiple layers of varying densities. Look for something that has a softer upper layer that contours to your curves with a denser, more supportive base layer to provide the right amount of support.
Avoid cheaper brands that contain low-density foam only. These beds may feel okay for a couple of months, but they can deteriorate rapidly.
Latex mattresses can also work well for those with brittle bones. If you look for natural latex, it is sourced from the sap of a rubber tree. It’s a greener alternative and said to be more durable than synthetic materials, but you can find both on the market. Both latex and memory foam beds now offer the zoned support we discussed earlier. If it’s in your budget, this is a splurge you can consider.
Read More: Best Latex Mattresses
Considering Innerspring (Love that Bounce)?
Innerspring mattresses, also referred to as coil, used to be a top choice in America, but they’re steadily evening out or even being replaced by foam, latex, and hybrid beds.
To put this into perspective, let’s think back to physics. Remember Newton’s Third Law of Motion? For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Innerspring mattresses are a classic example of this principle. When you lie down on a bed with springs, the force that your body weight exerts onto the coils is pushed right back at you. Some of these beds have zoning or comfort layers to make sure that spinal alignment stays at the appropriate level. If high bounce is something that is too much for you, you may purchase a different type of material instead.
Learn More: Top Rated Innerspring Beds
Want to Go Organic (If Possible)?
This is a more expensive option, but it’s worth it if you value trying to avoid chemicals. Mattresses that aren’t organic are likely to contain something called “volatile organic compounds” (VOCs), though there are some certifications like CertiPUR-US that help ensure low VOCs. They haven’t been proven toxic, however, some are linked to allergies, asthma, difficulty breathing, and poor indoor air quality.
If you have a health condition that compromises your immunity, you could seek out an organic bed.
Find the Right Pillow
Even the most perfect mattress in the world won’t do you much good if you’re sleeping on the wrong pillow. When it comes to choosing somewhere to rest your head, the same rules apply. You need something that keeps your head, neck, and spine in the right alignment.
Although they’re soft and fluffy, avoid super thick pillows that prop your head up at an angle that’s too high. Ideally, a slimmer option is best for freefaller or back positions. Looking at a cervical neck pillow that has an opening for your head and slightly raised edge to support your neck is an option.
If you’re a back sleeper, you can consider wedge pillows. They’ll help prevent pressure from building up in your lower back.
For side sleepers, placing a pillow between your knees keeps your lower back and hips in a more natural position can help. The pillow stops your top leg from twisting to the side, so it can be a lifesaver for those with low back pain.
Want to see more? Take a look at our list of top rated pillows for more inspiration.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mattresses for Osteoporosis
What’s the best sleeping position for osteoporosis of the spine?
Sleeping on your side or back are both viewed as suitable for those with brittle bones. You may want to avoid sleeping on your stomach because it can cause too much of an arch in the back, which is both unhealthy and uncomfortable. (But if you do, there are definitely ways to minimize that.)
Remember, if you sleep on your side, you can place a pillow between your knees to help train your body to stay in alignment. Back sleepers can also put a pillow under their knees to relieve any undue pressure.
Should I invest in a mattress topper if I have osteoporosis?
Mattress toppers can be helpful if you’re trying to make slight adjustments to your bed. If it’s too firm, for example, you might want to buy an egg-crate style topper to soften things up. There are even toppers that boast a firmer surface, so if the bed you bought is too soft, you might be able to add some firmness to it.
Our only cautionary here is to avoid buying a mattress topper to help save a sagging bed that’s beyond its useful life. While this tactic can be smart for young people on a tight budget who need to extend the life of their bed by a couple of years, it’s not a recommended course of action for people with brittle bones.
Don’t compromise on your comfort or health by suffering with a mattress that’s sagging and unsupportive. Nowadays, you can get a top-quality new mattress for less than what you think.
Read Our Full Guide: Highest Rated Mattress Topper
How does sleep affect the skeletal system?
You already know that sleep is vital to staying healthy. But did you know that not getting enough sleep can also harm your bones?
A recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine found that not getting enough sleep decreases bone mineral density, which is a leading cause of osteoporosis. What’s particularly compelling about the results of this study is that we tend to think that older people need less sleep than younger people.
It could very well be that this is a myth. Perhaps senior citizens should be getting just as much sleep as young adults!
Conclusion
Since this condition doesn’t necessarily have any pain-based symptoms, other than the obvious agony of breaking a bone, it might be tempting to think that any old mattress will do. Investing in the right mattress is important for two reasons:
- Proper spinal alignment can help prevent further injury.
- Being able to sleep comfortably increases your chances of getting adequate sleep. Since not sleeping enough is linked to bone loss, it may be worth the effort to find a mattress that best fits your needs.
Sources and References:
- Osteoporosis – mayoclinic.org
- What is Osteoporosis and What Causes It? – bonehealthandosteoporosis.org
Katie is a content writer and serial hobby collector who enjoys naps almost as much as her pets do. When she isn't writing, she likes to ride her motorcycle, catch Pokemon with her hubby, and practice yoga with her dog.
