Getting enough good night’s sleep during pregnancy can be a challenge. Luckily, best mattresses for pregnancy can help you get enough sleep that you deserve. Take a look at Counting Sheep’s guide to choosing the best mattress for pregnancy and choose the right product.
Pregnancy is a big and an exciting moment for most women, especially if you’ve been trying to conceive for a while. Let’s face it, you get all the ‘aww’ feelings when you see a tiny shoe, shirt or when you start imagining how cute the nursery room will be for your little one. Of course, pregnancy is not all rainbows and butterflies; it’s also a roller coaster of emotions and physiological changes. In one moment, you are happy and glowing and the next one you are sad or start crying because there are no cookies in the jar. Not to mention the cravings, nausea, etc. the usual’s. As pregnancy advances and the bump is getting bigger, it is quite common to feel lack of sleep, due waking up in the middle of the night trying to find the right position or because of sudden pain in the back. That is why investing in a good quality mattress is a wise choice to help yourself get a good night sleep.
Since there are many types, sizes, etc. of a mattress to choose from, we decided to dedicate this article to all of you lovely pregnant ladies, to help you get comfy while going through this beautiful journey of yours.
We will discuss the key factors and concerns while choosing and purchasing the mattress as well as our top choices and recommendations researched and tested by our team.
First things first, it is important to notice when the sleep disruptions become more frequent. Studies have shown that most women experience difficulties during the 1st and 3rd trimesters because of frequent urges to urinate and chronic pain. Also, sleep disruption might still be present after childbirth due to the needs of your newborn that frequently have to be satisfied during the night.
To enhance the quality of sleep, we advise pregnant women to take their time and find an appropriate mattress that will satisfy their needs during expecting period and the period after childbirth. A good thing to pay attention to is the motion isolation, support, and comfort. That will make the pregnancy time and the period after more comfortable.
To know which mattress will have a positive or negative impact we first need to be familiar with the functions and characteristics of the mattress. So, let’s look at some of the important ones that we need to pay attention to when buying a comfortable bed for pregnancy:
We will review the most common types of mattresses and the expected price vs. the comfort they offer.
Innerspring – The construction of these models includes comfort layers made of foam; the base made of steel coil and the supporting core made of poly-foam.
Regarding support, firmness varieties, neutrality of the temperature and edge support – it performs fair to very good but in terms of conforming, durability, isolation of the motion, noise reduction – it doesn’t perform very well. The price ranges from 700 dollars to 1100 dollars.
Foam – The construction consists of the comfort layers that are made of memory foam and poly-foam and the supporting core made of layers of poly-foam.
Regarding support, conforming, firmness varieties, durability, isolation of motion and noise reduction it performs well but the downsides are neutrality of the temperature and weak edge support. The price ranges from 700 dollars to 1200 dollars.
Latex – The construction consists of the comfort layers that are made of layers of latex and the supporting core made of layers of poly-foam. In terms of support, conforming, firmness varieties, durability, neutrality of the temperature, noise reduction and isolation of the movement it performs well. The only downside is the weak edge support. The price ranges from 1500 dollars to 2000 dollars.
Hybrid – The construction consists of the comfort layers that are made of latex or memory foam in addition to a mix of mini coils and poly-foam. The supporting core is made of coils that are pocketed. In all stated aspects it performs well. The price ranges from 1400 dollars to 1800 dollars.
Airbed – The construction can be with comfort layers that are made of comforting foam layers or without it entirely, and the supporting core is made of air chambers that can be adjusted. In terms of support, conforming, firmness varieties, neutrality of the temperature, isolation of the movement and edge support it performs well. The downsides are the durability and noise reduction. The price is usually more than 2000 dollars.
Nectar mattress is an excellent example of a brand that offers high quality with a relatively low price compared to their competitors. So, it’s a great choice if you want good quality memory foam mattress for pregnancy without spending a fortune on it.
They offer a medium firm (6 on firmness scale). It consists of a supporting core which made out of polyfoam, comfort layer which contains gel memory foam and regular memory foam. Lastly, it has a cover layer made of Tencel, Lyocellan, and Cotton. The comfort layer construction provides proper spinal alignment and helps relieve pain and pressure, but it doesn’t sink in too much. The base construction provides extra edge support. Since the medium firm is a golden middle on the firmness scale, pregnant women will find it comfortable no matter of their weight.
Nectar mattress, like most foam mattresses, offers great motion isolation and they do not make any noise while enduring weight. Also, it makes much cooler sleep compared other foam mattresses because of the top layer that contains gel memory foam and the cover that includes light and organic materials. The bed itself is comfortable to rotate and move due to its lightweight.
The consumers will get free delivery in the US and White Glove services with an extra charge. The warranty lasts ten years, and you get one-year sleep trial which is much longer compared to competitors. The mattress is compressed and vacuum sealed for shipping.
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A new product of the brand Purple, aimed at making a hybrid mattress that will provide maximum comfort and cooling sensation while sleeping.
New Purple mattress offers medium to firm (6.5 on firmness scale) medium (5.5 on firmness scale) and medium to soft (4.5 on firmness scale). It consists of a supporting core and the comfort layer that is made of the Smart Comfort Grid’ Buckling Column Gel and a cover layer made of 98% polyester with 2% of spandex.
The Smart Grid proves to be an innovation compared to typical hybrid standards. The construction of it provides temperature neutral feeling, which is perfect since most pregnant women have a problem of sleeping hot. Also, this same structure provides pain and pressure relief and great motion isolation, so you don’t have to worry about being woken up due to sudden movement or waking up the other person.
Another benefit of this system is that it lasts longer compared to poly-foam which tends to deteriorate over time. This means you can enjoy the close conforming for many years as well as having strong edge support. The variety of firmness will accommodate any preference you might have.
As it has many benefits, this mattress has a higher cost compared to competitors, but the price depends on the height choice. The brand Purple provides free shipping in the 48 states of US and free White Glove shipping. The mattress is compressed, vacuum sealed and boxed for shipping.
You will get a warranty of ten years and one hundred days of sleep trial with a full refund within that time.
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As we mentioned in the beginning, the 1st and 3rd trimesters are the most troubling for pregnant women because they often experience hot flashes, poor circulation, and aches all over the body. The Bear mattress aims at solving that with its flashgrip mattress made of memory foam and a cover layer formed of a unique fabric called Celliant. This material is made in a way that takes in all of the heat from the body and transforms it to energy called infrared; then it sends it back to you. It might seem unusual, but this kind of process improves your blood flow, provides pain relief and faster recovery due to increased oxygen levels in tissues.
Although it absorbs heat, it does not promote sleeping hot, on contrary Celliant helps regulates temperatures which will help with hot flashes that pregnant women face. It has only one firmness option, the Medium Firm 6.5, which would work quite well throughout the whole pregnancy especially during the last stages. Comfort layers made of polyfoam and memory foam provide consistent and moderate conforming which suits well for people who prefer to sleep on the side or their backs. It also provides noise reduction and excellent motion isolation.
For this kind of comfort, it offers a reasonably low price and free shipping. The mattress is compressed and boxed for shipping. You will get a warranty of ten years and one hundred nights with a full refund within that time.
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Brooklyn Bedding decided to make an innovative hybrid mattress as well, named Aurora containing special material PCM – phase changing material that has a temperature regulator, it absorbs the heat from the body until specific temperature, that provides comfortable and cool sleep during the night. That is why Aurora is perfectly suitable for pregnant ladies who struggle with sleeping excessively hot throughout the night.
Also, if you notice that during pregnancy you start to have a problem with circulation, this mattress can help you because its comfort layer is made out of memory foam that is infused with copper. The supporting core is made of polyfoam high in density and coil that is pocketed which enforces the entire mattress, that as well reduces the possibility of sagging and sinkage which usually happens around the edges. It also provides you with noise reduction and excellent motion isolation compared to their competitors. Aurora offers Soft, Medium and Firm type of mattress.
Brooklyn Aurora offers free shipping for a mattress standard in size, but the extra charge may be included, depending on the model. The mattresses are vacuumed sealed, compressed and boxed for shipping. You get a warranty of ten years and one hundred and twenty days of sleep trial with full refund during that time.
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Casper’s new model – The Wave offers firmness of 4.5 or a Medium Soft mattress. The construction contains a comfort system made of memory foam, latex layers, and poly-foam. Those layers closely conform the body giving you a feeling of pressure and pain relief. The Wave model aims at alleviating the pain from the most common sensitive areas like lower back and neck. That is why the support core is made of foam that is high in density which minimizes the potential to sag and sinks in. Lastly, the cover is made from cotton which makes it breathable and neutralizes the body temperature, great for pregnant women who sleep hot.
One of the struggles that pregnant women face is getting out of the bed due to sinkage that most mattresses have, but with The Wave, they won’t have that problem. The thickness level of this mattress is 11.5 inches giving it the right balance for pregnant women no matter the trimester.
Casper provides their customers with free shipping and free White Glove services for The Wave only. The mattresses are vacuum sealed, compressed and boxed for shipping. You get a warranty of ten years and one hundred nights with full refund during that time.
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The Loom and Leaf by Saatva produce high-quality memory foam for people who want a good deal concerning quality and price. The bed contains convoluted memory foam laminated with a cooling gel that will help pregnant women a lot because they struggle with pain points during the night. Also, it closely conforms with your body for extra comfort.
They offer two types of mattress firmness. The Relaxed Firm is a medium (5.5 on firmness scale) and The Firm mattress is a firm (8 on firmness scale) mattresses contain supporting core which made of polyfoam, comfort layer which includes both 2.5 inches gel memory foam and 2 inches regular memory foam and a cover layer formed out of quilted foam with organic cotton. The construction of the comfort layer provides softness while the cover layer provides additional cushioning. The base layer construction helps you maintain even support with no sagging in the middle.
Both the Relaxed firm and Firm are created to adapt to the body, so pregnant women will find it suitable for their needs. In addition to all of that, the cover made of cotton provides cool sleep and has excellent motion isolation, making no noise whatsoever.
The Loom & Leaf offers free shipping and free White Glove services for The Wave only. The mattresses are not vacuum sealed, compressed and boxed for shipping. You get a warranty of fifteen years and one hundred and twenty nights with full refund during that time.
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We want to share with you some additional tips to make your shopping trip a success. Pay attention to these things when comparing brands and models.
We covered many important aspects when choosing the best mattress for pregnancy. That shows how valuable it is to take time to research before investing because it can make a significant difference to the quality of your sleep. The mattress choice is essential but let’s not neglect sleeping accessories that come with it. The two important ones for pregnant women are mattress toppers and pillows.
Toppers are the extra layers of cushioning which are positioned on the top of the bed to help you adjust the comfort as well as the firmness of the mattress and give you support that is vital during your pregnancy. Most toppers are designed to soften the mattress, but there are some that might make your mattress firmer.
It is important to remember that you have a variety of toppers made from different materials, so that factor should be included when you’re comparing models and brands.
The ones made from wool, latex or foam it will not produce any noise. It will offer excellent motion isolation and last for some time, but the price is higher as well. The ones made of polyester or feathers, will not last as long and might not fully satisfy your needs, even though the performance is fair and the price is lower.
Pillows are created to provide maximum comfort and support for sensitive areas like shoulders, neck, and head. The key point when deciding on a pillow is the level of thickness or loft. If it does not provide the right amount of thickness, it can cause pressure to build up, which then causes discomfort making it unsuitable for pregnancy.
Pillows that are high loft are over five inches thick, medium ones are thick between five and three inches, and soft ones are thinner than three inches. What are the factors to determine the right thickness or loft?
The low loft is for people with smaller than average head size, narrow shoulders and higher than average weight. The recommended mattress firmness is soft – to medium soft with a pillow of three inches thickness.
The medium loft is for people who have average head size, shoulder width, and average weight. The recommended mattress firmness is medium and a pillow that is from three to five inches thick.
High loft is for people who have larger than average head size, broader shoulders and less than average weight. The recommended mattress firmness is medium – firm and a pillow that is more than five inches thick.
As the choice of topper material matters, the same goes for the pillow. If you choose a pillow made of memory foam, buckwheat or latex (although a bit pricy choice) it will provide better support, durability, and comfort. While materials such as polyester and other alternatives might be cheaper, it will not last long due to a tendency to wear out quickly. The support and comfort levels are not very favorable as well.
The adjustable base of the bed – This means that you can adjust the angle and the position of the bed. For example, to lower or raise at the head or feet area. Most beds of this sort have manual control, but recently as technology advances, we can even choose the wireless option using an app.
Pregnant women will love this because they can sleep at the most preferable and comfortable angle due to its adjustable feature. This is very helpful especially in the 1st and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy because it will relieve aches and pain pressure. Some models of this type of bed offer a new feature called anti-snoring that provides you with presets that reduce snoring by uplifting the head to a certain angle. Adjustable beds usually support weight from 600 to 800 lb. This will make it suitable for expecting couples.
Because it offers a wide range of commodities its price goes from 1000 dollars to 3000 dollars or more.
Lastly, let’s review some helpful advice for higher quality sleep during pregnancy.
For the 1st trimester
Take frequent naps – Since the levels of progesterone are rising, the most effective way to adjust to it is to a take nap in the middle of the day that doesn’t exceed thirty minutes.
Exercise during pregnancy should be in your morning routine – When you do your workouts in the morning, that will help you have a healthier sleeping cycle rather than during the evening.
Drinking before bed is a no-no – If you drink fluids before bedtime you will experience frequent urge to urinate during the night which will disrupt your sleep, and the quality will drop.
Consume salty treats – Snacks that contain salt like nuts, pretzels, etc. will help you with your morning sickness.
For 2nd trimester
After eating do not lie down – If you stand or sit after a meal, that will activate the process of digestion and lower the possibility for heartburn. Also, to prevent indigestion, cut down on food that is spicy.
Before bedtime stretch your legs – This will prevent leg cramps from happening but if they occur during the night flex your muscles a bit.
Keep track of your blood pressure – If you notice that your blood pressure keeps rising this might be a symptom of preeclampsia, and we urge you to see your doctor.
For 3rd trimester
Recommended side sleeping – This position will help reduce discomfort and pain because the weight of the tummy will be centered on the middle of the bed. Also, sleeping on the side helps you and your baby to get a good air flow which can prevent symptoms of sleep apnea.
Recommended using pregnancy pillow – For optimal comfort for your 3rd trimester use a belly pillow for pregnancy that is designed to be used under your knees, behind your back, and under your belly.
Recommended to drink less fluid – In addition to cutting down on fluid intake, empty the bladder before going to bed, to ensure you won’t take any night trips to the bathroom.
Recommended to refrain from food rich in iron – This will reduce the chances of experiencing symptoms of restless leg and nocturnal cramps.
After Childbirth
You and your baby should be in the same room – Investing in a crib will limit disruptions during night time because often a trip to your babies’ room can affect your sleeping pattern.
If possible, breastfeeding is highly recommended – While breastfeeding a hormone named prolactin is triggered causing new moms to fall asleep quickly.
Recommended doing nighttime duties in shifts – This will ensure that both you and your partner get enough sleep despite disruptions.
If PPD symptoms occur – Postpartum depression is normal, but it is essential to talk to your doctor about it. Most common symptoms include difficulty in concentrating, mood shifts, depression and loss of appetite.
Since it is vital to choose a comfortable bed for pregnancy, let’s quickly review the main points when deciding on a mattress.
Firstly – Make sure that the potential mattress has excellent conforming ability. The best way to describe it is that you feel like the mattress is closely hugging your body and helping your spine to be in proper alignment. This will also help to alleviate pain and ache.
Secondly – Neutrality of the temperature is essential for pregnant women since they often experience hot flashes and tend to sleep hot due to that. Find a mattress that is constructed of materials which provide cooling during sleep and that absorb minimal heat from the body.
Finally – Do not forget to check if the mattress can provide proper motion and noise isolation. Most couples move during sleep or some snore, this feature will help both of you to get a good quality of sleep. Since pregnancy often urges you to frequently go to the bathroom, if the motion and noise isolation are right, you won’t have to worry that you’ll wake up your partner.
Whatever you choose make sure you don’t stress too much about your choice since 90% of the time you can return or replace your mattress due to the sleep trial option. Just make sure you read the fine prints!
A fashion designer by profession, writer by choice and bookworm – always. As a person struggling with anxiety for years and someone who loves to sleep, I can relate to the struggles of getting a good night’s rest. When I'm not doing sleep research, I enjoy reading books, being involved in creative activities and discovering the best use of my Moka pot.
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