Best Mattress for Hip Pain

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Nolah mattress logo - Bed Tester
  • Excellent for side sleepers.
  • Good motion isolation.
  • 120-day, risk-free trial.

$125 OFF

DreamCloud
  • Good for side sleepers with hip pain at night.
  • Good edge support.

$200 OFF

Free Delivery

puffy icon
  • Good value for the money.
  • Good for all sleeping positions.

$300 OFF

Free Pillow

Our hips are essential for many reasons, most notably for providing the range of motion we need in our everyday lives. We usually carry on with our routines without giving much thought to the systems that make us work. But, when you look inside, you’ll see that our hips are quite remarkable.

If you remember your early biology classes, you’ll probably recall that the hip joint falls under the ball-and-socket category. The hip is connected to the leg bone—the femur, that is. Ligaments help keep the bone and muscle in place, while cartilage and fluid cushion and provide nutrients to joints. As we age—or as our bodies adjust to pregnancy, surgery or injury—our hips change. With that sometimes comes pain.

Types of Chronic Hip Pain at Night

Pain at night, especially hip pain, can impact the quality of your sleep.

We know you’re asking, “What is the best mattress for hip pain?” First, let’s cover how sleep can affect our hips—and vice versa. The way we sleep affects how we feel when we wake up, and this includes our sleeping position. Sometimes we might sleep in an awkward position, causing us to wake up with joint pain.

If you’re already a bit tender, either from an injury or from chronic pain, finding a comfortable sleeping position for hip pain can be a challenge. Conditions that can cause hip pain include the following.

Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

Because osteoarthritis affects the joints, this is the type of arthritis most associated with hip pain. (It’s also the most-common form of arthritis.) This condition is caused by the wearing down of the protective cartilage surrounding our bones. This is often due to injury or inflammation. The discomfort that comes from hip osteoarthritis can lead to difficulty walking.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease causing inflammation in the joints. Individuals with RA in their hips will often experience stiffness, swelling, and pain. Other common symptoms include loss of appetite and fatigue, which is why the right mattress is essential for RA hip pain relief.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis in the hips is less common than in other joints. Most individuals who have this condition develop psoriasis, a skin disease resulting in itchy patches, before developing arthritis. In many cases, individuals with psoriatic arthritis will usually experience swelling and pain in smaller joints like toes and fingers before experiencing symptoms in the hips.

Bursitis

According to Mayo Clinic, bursitis affects small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion bones, tendons and muscles near your joints. These sacs, called bursae, can become inflamed, causing significant pain. Bursitis is most commonly seen in shoulders, elbows, and hips, and the most common cause is repetitive motions or positions that put pressure on bursae.

How to Relieve Hip Bursitis Pain

Relief for bursitis pain often entails strengthening exercises, over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medications, and stretching. Individuals with hip bursitis may also undergo physical therapy or minor surgery to remove fluid from bursae for relief. Proper rest promotes healing, so getting quality sleep every night is also important.

Sciatica

When there’s pressure on your sciatic nerve (such as a herniated disk), pain can radiate throughout your lower back, hips and buttocks—sometimes as far down as your leg. Sciatic pain can cause significant disruption to your sleep. Age-related changes can cause sciatica, and you’re also at higher risk if you have diabetes or poor posture or if you sit for prolonged periods of time or carry heavy loads frequently.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis refers to the irritation or inflammation of your tendon, which is the thick cord between your bone and muscle. While tendonitis is more often found in shoulders, elbows, wrists and ankles, this pain and tenderness can also affect our hip joints. Like bursitis, tendonitis is usually caused by overuse of a joint and/or repetitive motions.

These are just a few health-related reasons for hip pain at night. If you think you might have one of these conditions (or think there’s another underlying cause of your hip pain) it’s best to seek advice and attention from a medical professional.

Your sleeping position, posture, and surface can also cause (or worsen) hip pain at night. 

Hip Pain and Sleep Position

The mattress you use can certainly impact the amount of hip pain you experience, but the way you sleep can also influence your hip pain levels. 

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers are in a good position to prevent and relieve hip pain, but they may still experience some pain throughout the night. A contouring mattress that is firm enough to support your hips will be crucial for back sleepers who want hip pain relief. 

Sleeping with a pillow under your knees can also provide additional comfort.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers are said to put more pressure on their hips and shoulders than those who sleep on their stomach and back. Since side sleepers are more prone to misalignment of the spine, the firmness of the mattress matters. If only one hip hurts, side sleepers should try to sleep on the opposite side for relief.

For additional relief, side sleepers can try sleeping with a pillow between their knees to promote proper spine alignment.

Stomach Sleepers

Sleeping on your stomach puts a lot of pressure on the fronts of your hips as well as the lower curvature of your spine. If you can’t change your sleeping position, you need to find a mattress that firmly supports your hips and offers pressure point relief. You may get some relief by sleeping with a pillow under your hips, as well.

How Hip Pain Affects Sleep Quality

Individuals with hip pain, regardless of the source of their discomfort, tend to report lower quality of sleep and increased levels of fatigue. Without proper support and pressure point relief, individuals with chronic hip pain will routinely experience:

  • Difficulty falling asleep

  • Difficulty staying asleep

  • Low quality sleep

  • Frequent sleep disruptions

Mattress Features for Relieving Hip Pain

Hip pain relief is essential for a good night’s sleep. Here are some of the most important qualities of a mattress that provides relief for hip pain and related symptoms.

Firmness

Depending on your sleep style, you may need a different level of mattress firmness. Stomach sleepers, for example, often need a firmer mattress than back sleepers. Mattresses should have sufficient edge support, as well, to allow sleepers to more easily get in and out of bed.

Support

Support for the most sensitive parts of your body, especially the hips if they are painful, is important for restful sleep. If you experience hip pain, you should seek a mattress that doesn’t allow you to completely sink into the surface but contours to your body as needed. 

Temperature Regulation

Comfort is key for sleepers with hip pain. A mattress that provides pressure relief should also accommodate hot sleepers and not trap body heat; inadequate temperature regulation can contribute to disrupted sleep that negates the effects of pain relief.

What Makes a Mattress Good for Hip Pain?

A good mattress for hip pain typically provides the following.

Spinal Alignment

Proper alignment of the spine is critical for hip pain relief. Mattresses should support the spine during sleep and prevent misalignment; a softer mattress may allow the spine to sink in too much whereas a firmer mattress may prevent the spine from relaxing into position, so finding the right balance for your body is key.

Pressure Point Relief

Relief for pressure points allows sleepers to be more comfortable in bed. Sufficient pressure relief can cushion the hips and prevent your weight distribution from causing pain and discomfort overnight.

Joint Pain Relief

Similarly, the ideal mattress for individuals with hip pain should provide targeted joint pain relief. By cushioning sensitive regions of the body, especially the spine, shoulders, and hips, the right mattress can alleviate pain and allow individuals to fall asleep faster and stay asleep.

Top Mattress Selections for Hip Pain Relief

We’ve selected a few of the mattresses we think are best suited for providing hip pain relief. Keep reading to learn why we chose the ones we did.

To prevent (or reduce) your sleep-caused hip pain, you might want to choose a “just right” mattress: not too firm, not too soft. Popular among side sleepers, the Nolah Original 10 is rated medium on the firmness scale and offers excellent pressure relief. Nolah Airfoam is the proprietary technology behind Nolah mattresses, which are also known for offering excellent pressure relief.

A Nolah Original mattress on a wooden bed frame.

Mattress Pros

  • Excellent for side sleepers.
  • Good motion isolation.
  • 120-day, risk-free trial.
  • Works with any base or surface.
  • 100 percent temperature neutral.

Mattress Cons

  • Minimal edge support.
  • Not ideal for stomach sleepers.
  • Not ideal for sleepers weighing more than 230 pounds.

Hybrid mattresses give sleepers the benefits of memory foam and coils. That’s why we especially love the DreamCloud Mattress and why we added this foam-and-coil model to our list for the best mattress for hip pain. Rated medium-firm in firmness, the 15-inch DreamCloud contributes to better spinal alignment at night. This mattress has multiple layers, starting with a cool, comfortable quilted top down to the foam-encased, super-supportive coil core. DreamCloud offers fantastic edge support, ideal for side sleepers (especially so for heavier sleepers).

DreamCloud mattress with a white comforter draped over it.

Mattress Pros

  • Good for side sleepers with hip pain at night.
  • Good edge support.
  • Durable.
  • 365-day trial.
  • Lifetime warranty.

Mattress Cons

  • Lightweight side sleepers could find this too firm.
  • Doesn’t “hug” the body like other 100 percent memory foam mattresses do.
  • Lower motion-isolation than other mattresses.

We’ve rated Puffy the most comfortable mattresses in a few categories over the past several years, and we’re now adding it to our picks for the best mattress for hip pain. Puffy is perhaps best known for it’s “hugging” quality, meaning that it conforms to your body as you sleep. Rated medium in firmness, the original Puffy comprises three foam layers: A 7-inch bottom layer provides balanced support, the middle foam layer offers pressure and top layer is breathable, thanks to gel-infused foam.

Puffy mattress inner layers.

Mattress Pros

  • Good value for the money.
  • Good for all sleeping positions.
  • 101-night trial.
  • Limited lifetime warranty.
  • Zip-and-washer cover.
  • Hand-crafted in the USA.

Mattress Cons

  • Minimal edge support.
  • Only one firmness option.

The support and pressure relief of coils are ideal for sleepers with hip pain, especially side sleepers. Like the DreamCloud, the Eco Terra Latex Mattress is a hybrid mattress. Instead of memory foam, though, these mattresses are made of 100 percent natural latex. This 11-inch mattress also features a certified organic wool and cotton cover. We also like the Eco Terra Latex Mattress because it offers temperature regulation.

Eco Terra mattress with decorative pillows in a bright room.

Mattress Pros

  • Good value for the price.
  • Eco-friendly natural materials.
  • Two firmness levels: 5 or 6.5.
  • Excellent support for heavier sleepers.
  • Excellent edge support.
  • 15-year warranty.
  • 90-night trial period.

Mattress Cons

  • Limited motion isolation.
  • Not ideal for stomach sleepers.
  • 30-night minimum in the sleep trial period.

Loom & Leaf (from Saatva) is an eco-friendly memory foam mattress known for excellent pressure point relief, ideal for alleviating hip pain. Thanks to a layer of cooling gel foam, this mattress is also perfect for people who “sleep hot.” As a luxury brand, you can be sure the Loom & Leaf mattress is made from top-quality materials, including its organic cotton quilted cover.

Best mattress for fibromyalgia - Loom & Leaf Mattress - outside - BedTester.com

Mattress Pros

  • Cooling properties are ideal for people who “sleep hot.”
  • Good motion isolation.
  • Durable.
  • 15-year limited warranty.
  • 120-night sleep trial.
  • Free white-glove delivery.
  • Made in the United States.

Mattress Cons

  • Minimal edge support.
  • Only one firmness option.
  • Back and stomach sleepers report less comfort.
  • A premium mattress, it’s priced higher than other online brands.
  • Reported delivery issues.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mattresses for Hip Pain

Can a mattress cause back and hip pain?

The wrong mattress can exacerbate back and hip pain. A mattress that is too firm, for example, will prevent relaxation and force the spine and hips into unnatural positions, resulting in soreness, stiffness, and pain throughout the night. 

Is a soft mattress good for hip pain?

A soft mattress can help provide some pain and pressure relief for individuals with hip pain by cushioning the joints and promoting proper alignment. However, a mattress that is too soft can cause excessive sinkage, which can worsen pain symptoms.

Is memory foam good for lower back and hip pain?

Yes, memory foam can contour around your hips and provide comfort and relief for the joints in this area. Most individuals with hip pain will find that a medium firm mattress with memory foam provides the comfort, support, and relief they need to sleep well.

Can your sleeping position impact the hip pain?

Absolutely. Stomach sleepers, for example, may experience worsened hip pain symptoms because of an increased amount of pressure on the front of their hips. Getting a mattress that supports your sleep style and making necessary adjustments (such as using pillows to support your joints) can help you get pain relief no matter how you sleep.

Which type of mattress is best for hip pain?

The mattress you choose will likely depend on a variety of factors, such as your preferred sleep position and firmness preferences. We have provided five options for you to consider, and we believe these different mattress options have the right features to support your body and help relieve your hip pain.

Buying the Best Mattress for Hip Pain

There are many factors to consider when selecting the best mattress for hip pain such as firmness, durability and edge support. We had these traits and more in mind as we compiled this list. We’re hopeful you’ll find your dream mattress—and nighttime pain relief—among these options.

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