Top Mattresses for Seniors (Elderly) Individuals

Aging is a normal and unavoidable process. No matter how vital and healthy a senior person can be, still the aging process can cause some pain in the joints, stiffed neck and shoulders, ache in the spine or the hips and so on.

Elderly people must pick their mattresses carefully; their mattress should be supportive and shouldn’t put any pressure. It should be comfortable and keep their bodies in a neutral position, to avoid any dangerous and risky situations.

There are seniors who suffer all types of issues such as osteoporosis, arthritis, injuries (hips, shoulders, arms etc.), fibromyalgia, or simply have ache in their joints and muscles. If the ache caused by these illnesses or injuries is harsh during the day, you can imagine how it feels at night.

This is why a quality bed is crucial in having a peaceful and pain-free night. Your mattress must not cause you additional ache, problems or pressure.

We want to point out all the important things you need to know before you get your new bed; an old or non-suitable bed can make the whole situation worse or even cause damages to a healthy elderly individual.

Our list of which mattress is the best for seniors with a short reviews is down below and right after that section you can check our detailed guide.

Reasons to Have A Comfortable Mattress When You’re Older

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is affecting the soft tissue and the muscles and manifests with chronic pain in the muscles, problems with tender or trigger points, fatigue, having sleeping problems because of pain and so on.

It can be treated with medications, reducing stress but also sleeping on a suitable mattress.

Elderly people who suffer from it, need to change many habits in their lifestyle; it’s important for them to sleep on a mattress that won’t put pressure to their body.

Also, their bed should be suitable for their sleeping position as well. Side sleepers need a softer mattress, while back and stomach sleeper need a firm bed.

Although this condition is treated with medications, often the pain can be deepened because of sleeping on the wrong mattress which can lead to sleep problems, fatigue, and moodiness and so on.

The best mattress for seniors must be comfortable and supportive enough to reduce the pressure but also to relieve the pain and help them fall asleep.

A suitable mattress won’t cure fibromyalgia, but will help you fall asleep – see our top mattress picks for fibromyalgia.

Arthritis

Arthritis isn’t common for seniors only. Unfortunately, it can occur in anyone no matter the age. Even though it has one name, arthritis isn’t just one disease; it’s a name that refers to pain in the joints and joint disease. There are in fact about 100 (or more) types of this disease and conditions that are similar to it.

The main symptoms include pain, swelling, feeling stiffed and decreased motion. A weird thing with arthritis is that these symptoms may come and go and can be severe or mild (or in between). Some people have them for years (for example mild symptoms), but there isn’t a rule; they may worsen with time.

Severe arthritis causes harsh pain, and stops the person from doing simple activities; elderly who have it are unable to even climb the stairs.

Sleeping the right mattress may sooth the pain at least during the resting hours.

Consider reading: Top Mattresses for Arthritis Pain – Buyer’s Guide and Reviews

Osteoarthritis 

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types that attacks the slick surface of the bone’s end. This part tends to wear off causing the bones to rub against each other. Of course, the pain is harsh, and with time the joints lose their strength, so the pain becomes chronic and unbearable.

People that are a risk of this disease are usually people that are overweight, elderly, people who have a family history with osteoarthritis, people who suffered injuries like tearing of their ligaments and so on.

Seniors who suffer from it need the top-rated support from their mattress, but at the same time, they need the comfort that won’t put additional pressure to their already aching joints.

A firm mattress is an ideal choice for this condition because it will keep the body in a natural position without sinking and will distribute the weight properly.

It’s important to sleep mostly on your back (any other position may cause additional pressure).

Other Problems (Hip, Back and Neck Pain)

Feeling ache in your neck, hips or back can be a real problem during the whole day, especially when you have to go to bed. Literally, no position would seem to be good when a certain part of your body aches.

It will make you cranky and restless and can seriously interrupt your sleeping schedule. And we all know that a person who lacks sleep cannot function properly, whether it’s an elderly person or not.

The wrong mattress can even cause hip, back, and neck pain, even more often than you think – see more: Top Mattresses for Neck Pain – Ultimate Guide

A surface that is made of a material that doesn’t work for your sleeping position is one of the top reasons for the chronic and serious problem.

Sleeping in a bad position especially when you have pain in any part of your body can cause you more problems than you think and this especially goes for elderly – see our: Our Highest Rated Hip Pain Mattress Reviews

If any of these areas already caused you problems, you need a mattress that will reduce pressure and provide you with better comfort and support. Elderly people need to pick the ideal mattress for their body if they want to have a proper and pain-free sleep.

Also read: Bed Buying Guide For an Upper and Lower Pain Relief

Bed Shopping Advice for Senior Citizens

Edge Support

This feature is important for everyone, but for senior citizens is crucial. The edge support will prevent you from sinking deep into the layers and will help you remain on the surface of the bed.

This is important for seniors who have diseases such as arthritis that causes pain when they move. It’s highly important to have a bed that doesn’t make you feel stuck in it; you need to feel free to adjust, move and get up.

Also, your weight should have a proper distribution, and no part of your body should sink in, putting additional pressure to other areas (if hips or pelvis sink, then the pressure go to the lower back).

Having a proper support means sleeping on a bed that supports the crucial points of your body like lumbar area, neck, shoulders, and spine.

Firmness and Density Level

Your bed’s firmness plays an important role in your general well-being and comfort when you sleep. As we have mentioned many times, as a back sleeper and stomach sleeper you will be more comfortable and have the best rest on a firm mattress, while side sleepers benefit from a softer surface.

When comes to the ideal firmness and density level, there is no right answer. Some people prefer one over the other.

But, there is the right answer when comes to certain sleeping positions, especially if the sleeper has back pain or other diseases such as fibromyalgia or arthritis.

It’s important to sleep on a bed that doesn’t force you to adjust all the time or feel as if you are sleeping in the wrong position.

The comfort is important for everyone, but contouring and support as well, especially if you are an elderly person.

Quality of Materials

We can go on and on when comes to quality materials and the importance to sleep on such bed. But, we’ll try to sum it all up.

When comes to seniors we recommend to purchase materials like memory foam (which besides its responsiveness, memory foam bed provides durability, comfortable, supportive and priced within a normal price range). Foam is considered as one of the top quality materials because it will contour your body, respond to your warmth and frame and create a bed suitable for every muscle and joint of your body.

Latex (a bit pricier though) provides natural coolness, comfort and response (although it’s slightly firmer than foam) and bounce, an important feature for elderly people who may have problems with getting in and out of bed. Also, latex is a high-end material so do read more about it.

Hybrids are a great choice as well (especially coils and foam) because they offer bounce, contouring and excellent edge support combined with a lovely comfort. Also, they have fantastic value in the hybrid market.

If you are into innerspring types, do check out our typical innerspring brands.

Why Sleep is So Important for Elderly

Improvement in Heart Function

Having a healthy heart is crucial for good health and active life. As we age, our hearts are at bigger risk of diseases which is why we have to take care of every aspect of our life, including our sleeping schedule.

Sleeping may turn to be a problem for elderly citizens from various reasons (as we age we need less hours of sleep, but some seniors tend to rest a couple of hours only due to other reasons such as diseases, insomnia, stress and so on).

Make sure you don’t take too much caffeine and don’t drink coffee after 1-2pm. It will help you fall asleep easier at night.

Most senior people need to rest during the day; a power nap of half an hour will do miracles for your health and heart.

It’s important to maintain a sleeping schedule and stick to it (don’t interrupt it if you want your biorhythm to remain unaffected).

Diabetes May Be Reduced

When you go to sleep, your nervous system slows down, which means your brain uses less glucose to function.

It’s a well-known fact that glucose is one of the main “fuels” for the brain; therefore going to sleep will not cause the brain being so “hungry” for it.

Enough rest can change plenty of things in your body, it can reduce stress, help your cells repair and now, this excellent thing – it may reduce diabetes.

If you are an elderly person who has diabetes (even if you are younger), you need to know that a healthy sleeping schedule can improve your condition and help you feel better.

Scientists were doing experiments where they were disrupting the rest of the people they were doing this research with; it showed that a sleep that isn’t so deep decreases the level of diabetes.  After several nights of disrupted sleep, the subjects showed higher tolerance to glucose for magnificent 25%.

Reduction of Your Stress Level

Stress doesn’t choose by age or gender, it simply happens to anyone. We are living in times where anything causes stress – our jobs, the traffic, the news, health issues, and family situations and so on.

It’s important to rest enough and let your body and mind relax to a point where you are able to fight all the negativity and stress that surrounds you.

Senior people are exposed to stress as well; only in their case, their organisms may take it far more serious than a younger person who has the strength to fight it all after a while.

Besides leading a healthy life and sleeping on the right bed, getting enough sleep in crucial if you want to reduce your stress level.

There are many ways you can relax such as meditation, avoiding coffee or liquids before going to bed, not watching TV and so on.

Better Mood 

Being in a good mood is excellent, and everything goes well for you. But, just remember those days when you didn’t get enough sleep and were annoyed by anything and everything. Lack of sleep may reduce your ability to function, drive your car, think clearly or work.

Lack of sleep puts everyone in a bad mood; it makes you cranky and irritated, incapable of enjoying life or doing your work properly.

A power nap during the day can make miracles for your immune system and will instantly improve your mood. A healthy night deep sleep will not only help you regenerate and rest, but will give you strength to finish your tasks, live your life and feel good in your skin.

Being in a good mood is another way to fight stress and maintain your general health.

Highest Rated Senior/Elderly Mattress Reviews

Helix – Best for Older Citizens

Helix is a hybrid mattress built with memory foam and microcoils. The top layer provides excellent comfort and quick response. It’s ideal for elderly because of the quick response.

Its transitional layer provides a pleasant cooling (it resembles a combination of foam and latex) and contours every inch of your body, making you feel as if you’re cradled. The third layer has the micro coils; it is firm enough to provide support but, it also has bounce and provides excellent contouring, keeping the spine in a natural shape. and contours the body in a natural shape.

The foundation is made of solid foam that makes the entire construction stable.

This is the top choice for stomach and back sleepers; their weight gets properly distributed and doesn’t add pressure. Side sleepers might feel a little pressure to the usual pressure points.

Helix offers a solid edge support and low motion transfer. When comes to sinking, you will sink a little, but the coils won’t let you feel stuck or as if you’ll drop into the core.

This mattress comes with a warranty of 10 years and 100 nights sleep trial.

See a complete Helix Sleep review.

Zenhaven – Excellent Value

This mattress is made of natural latex, one of the highest-quality materials when comes to low risk of off-gassing. Zenhaven was made of 100% Talalay latex; it will respond to your body shape and will keep your spine aligned and supported.

Besides that, latex is a fabric that has cooling features so you can relax and sleep in a fresh bed at all times.

Its cover is made of organic cotton that feels soft to the touch and keeps the layers protected; it is the perfect choice for sleepers who have respiratory issues or skin problems.

We recommend it for back sleepers, especially elderly people who have back pain. The support is amazing and the spine will remain in a natural position. If you’re a heavier person and make deeper compression, this mattress will also give you great comfort and support and will distribute your weight ideally.

There is a minimal sinking and the edge support and firmness are excellent (there is no pressure, which is especially important for elderly people who already have pain in their joints and muscles).

It has a warranty of 20 years and 120 nights sleep trial – go to our full Zenhaven by Saatva review here.

Casper – Great Comfort & Feel

Casper is an all-foam mattress with medium firm bed, best for every sleeping position. The foam layers have different density; the top layer adds comfort and feels soft and responses to your body. The inner layers and the base are firmer adding stability and contouring.

We recommend Casper for senior people because of its Zoned Support; it has two types of foam. The soft foam is placed under the shoulders and the firm foam is below the hips.  This way elderly people will get a wonderful support (with the best-rated firmness) suitable for different parts of their bodies.

There is no pressure added when you lie down, so you can easily adjust to any position you want.

There is a little sinking, but that’s only in the top layer. Casper’s edge support is excellent even for heavier sleepers. There is no way you’ll drop into the center, and you can sleep near the edges without risk of falling on the floor.

Casper has a removable and breathable cover, soft and pleasant for sleeping.

It has a limited warranty of 10 years, 100 nights sleep trial, and free shipping.

Check out our Casper Sleep review here.

Conclusion

We have dedicated this article to the senior people who are in a pursuit of the best mattress suitable for their needs, back or neck issues, arthritis and so on.

If you’re an elderly who doesn’t even have any issues (great for you) we also recommend you a comfortable and supportive bed that will allow you a proper rest.

These people need a sleeping surface that will reduce pressure and pain and will give them the best comfort to any sleeping position they have chosen.

We hope that our review list and our extended shopper’s guide as well as our tips are of great help for anyone who read these lines.

Sources:

• Normal and Abnormal Sleep in the Elderly – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3142094/
• Sleep Changes in Older Adults – https://familydoctor.org/sleep-changes-in-older-adults/
• Sleep Disorders in Older Adults – https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/sleep-disorders-in-the-elderly
• Osteoarthritis (OA) – https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/osteoarthritis.htm

Read:

• Top Adjustable Beds (Frames) Picks – In-Depth Guide