The Best Bedding For Your Style Of Sleeping

At Spotlight, you can find a huge range of soft and firm pillows made out of many amazing natural and synthetic materials. One of the most important factors you need to take into account when choosing a pillow is how you like to sleep at night - whether you sleep on your stomach, side or back.

Sleeping on the wrong pillow can lead to neck and back pain, as well as prolong the time it takes you to drift off. This guide will help you choose the right pillow for your sleeping style, as well as other bedding choices like mattresses and pillowcases that can help you sleep comfortably and wake up refreshed.

Quick Links

• What Does Your Sleeping Style Mean?
• Bedding For Back Sleepers
• Bedding For Side Sleepers
• Bedding For Front Sleepers
• How To Change Your Sleeping Style

What Does Your Sleeping Style Mean?

Your sleeping style refers to how you lie on your bed as you sleep. Here's a quick rundown on each style:

Back sleeper

Sleeping on your back is one of the best when it comes to your health. Back sleepers can rest easy knowing their entire body is evenly supported by their mattress and pillow - no fears of spinal misalignment or collapsing joints here! Back sleeping is also the best way to sleep if you have a congested nose - make sure your head is elevated with a firm pillow, or even an extra one, to help keep your airways clear and open.

The only downside to back sleeping is that it increases the potential of snoring or even sleep apnea, as it causes a bit of compression on your airways.

Side sleeper

Sleeping on your side is great when you do it right, but can cause pain and discomfort if done wrong. Side sleepers can enjoy a clear airway and a happy digestive system - did you know that due to the way our organs are orientated, sleeping on your left side can help prevent heartburn and indigestion? It's also the ideal way to sleep for pregnant people.

Side sleepers must make sure their hips are properly aligned (popping a pillow in-between them can help), their arm isn't being crushed underneath their body and that their head isn't tucked into their chest to avoid pain in the neck and hips. Sleeping loosely in the foetal position can help with back pain, but don't curl up too tightly or you may find it hard to breathe as you drift off.

Front sleeper

The most uncommon way to sleep is on your stomach. It's a cosy way to sleep and leaves your airways open so you can breathe easily, as well as helping prevent snoring. Stomach sleepers have to sleep with their head cranked to one side, which can lead to neck pain in the morning. Front sleepers will also find the weight of their torso can cause it to sink into the mattress, leading to an unnatural curve in the spine that can cause lower back pain.

Finally, arm placement for front sleepers is key. Try to keep both arms at a similar height to minimise spine misalignment, and avoid sleeping directly on them as well - it's uncomfortable and can cut off blood flow to your arms.

Sleeping style pros and cons

Bedding For Back Sleepers

Best pillow for back sleepers

All back sleepers need to make sure their head is elevated above their spine at a comfortable level - you want a little height, but not so much that your shoulders aren't touching the mattress. The best pillow for back sleepers will be one that straddles the line between soft and firm!

Because your face isn't touching the pillow, you don't need to worry about getting wrinkles from your pillowcase. Choose one that suits your temperature needs as a hot or cold sleeper or just one that matches your quilt cover set.

Best mattress for back sleepers

While a soft and cushiony mattress is always tempting, back sleepers should look for a moderately firm mattress to help prevent the shoulders and hips from sinking downwards, which will cause the spine to curve too far. Avoid extra firm mattresses that will push your hips up - a good way to test the mattress is to lie on your back and then try to slide your hand under the small of your back. It should be hard but not impossible to do - if there's no gap, your hips and shoulders have sunk and the mattress is too soft. If it's easy because of a large gap, it means your mattress is too hard.

Bedding For Side Sleepers

Best pillow for side sleepers

Side sleepers will need a firm pillow with a high loft, in order to raise the head up to at least neck height. A pillow that is too soft will cause the head to droop down to shoulder height, which will leave you with a very sore neck in the morning! If you tend to roll frequently between your left and right sides, make sure your pillow is filled with a material that will return to its loft when you move away - the best pillow for side sleepers will be filled with a material like latex or wool.

Finally, you can prevent overnight wrinkles with a pillowcase made from satin or silk. These materials won't crumple and crease your face, plus they leave your skin's natural oils in place which will prevent it from drying out overnight.

Best mattress for side sleepers

Side sleepers should look for a medium mattress that provides a good mixture of support and softness. Your hips and shoulders will need to be kept in position to keep your spine aligned, but you'll also want some softness so sleeping on these harder points of your body is comfortable. The best mattress for side sleepers will conform to the curves of your body - materials like memory foam are a good choice. Test a mattress by lying on it in your preferred side sleeping style for a few minutes. If you feel pain or pressure in any area, then the mattress isn't the right one for you.

Bedding For Front Sleepers

Best pillow for stomach sleeping

Stomach sleeping pillows need to be low-loft and soft to keep the head and neck down and aligned with the spine. You may also like to have an extra flat pillow underneath your shoulders or hips to keep you comfortable. Because your face is smooshed into the pillow all night as a stomach sleeper, look for a smooth pillowcase that can take some damage - a bamboo-cotton blend is a great all-rounder that is easy to clean.

Best mattress for stomach sleeping

A firm mattress is a must for stomach sleeping, as it will prevent the torso from sinking downwards, leaving behind the head elevated on the pillow and causing back and neck pain in the morning. Stomach sleepers tend to move around a lot, so when testing a potential mattress, make sure to move around a bit to ensure you are comfortable no matter how your limbs are contorted!

If you don't want to shell out for a new mattress, consider looking at a mattress underlay or topper to change the firmness instead. They come in firm and soft varieties, with the ability to make a major or minor adjustment depending on what kind you choose.

How To Change Your Sleeping Style

Wondering how to become a back sleeper, or want to see what the fuss about side sleeping is all about? If you've decided your current sleeping style isn't the best way to sleep, it's not too hard to change. If you have the mental willpower to just pick a sleeping style and stick with it, good for you! But if you've tried to change your sleeping style and find yourself drowsily rolling back to your old habits, we've got a few methods you can try.

Make a pillow fort

Okay, you don't need to literally build a pillow fort. But utilising extra pillows is a comfortable way to encourage you to sleep a certain way. Looking to become a back sleeper? Make a pillow wall on your preferred sleeping side so you'll get a face full of pillow whenever you roll over. Want to sleep on your side? Line up some firm pillows against your spine so you can't roll onto your back to sleep. And how to stop sleeping on your stomach? Place a light pillow over your stomach to make it hard to roll onto it at night. A long body pillow over your torso is just one of the pillow types great for this!

Use an attachable object

This is a more forceful method and may lead to some restless nights of sleep until it works. Attach something small and hard to the side of your body you don't want to sleep on, like a tennis ball or golf ball, or wrap something like a backpack or wearable purse around your body. This means that whenever you try to roll onto your old side, the object will either physically prevent you from moving or you'll be so uncomfortable you couldn't possibly sleep on it. You can sew the object on, or make use of a strong fabric glue, but make sure either way you're using old pyjamas you don't mind altering!

Enlist your partner

If you've got someone else sharing your bed, get them to help! Your partner can prod you awake if they notice you rolling onto your old sleeping side, or just act like a human pillow wall and forcibly stop you from moving in the first place - with love, of course! You could even help each other find the best way to sleep together.

Find The Right Bedding For Your Sleeping Style At Spotlight

Ready to discover the best bedding for your sleeping style? Discover the range of pillows, mattress underlays and toppers at Spotlight today! Shop online, pay your way and we'll deliver your bedding order straight to your front door. Otherwise, visit your nearest Spotlight store and our amazing team will help you find the perfect bedding for your needs.

For more information on the right bedding for you, make sure to read our buying guides on pillows, pillowcases and mattress protectors before making your purchases. And for amazing bedroom decorating ideas read our blogs on styling a guest bedroom, wardrobe storage and the serene haven decorating trend.