Best mattress for upper back and neck pain

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Waking up with a stiff neck isn't uncommon, but this doesn't mean it's normal or that it should be ignored.

Whether you’ve injured yourself, had a car accident, or you sit at your desk hunched over the keyboard all day, neck pain can prevent you from getting a comfortable night's sleep.

If your bed is keeping you up at night, it might be worth checking out some of the best mattresses for neck pain. We hope this list can jump-start your research and help you wake up strong and rested.

Whether your discomfort is due to an injury, arthritis or a mishap at the gym, there can be ways to both prevent and improve pain that don’t require drastic measures. It might be as simple as changing your sleeping position, switching out your pillow, or buying a new mattress.

Shopping Recommendation:

Are you confident that a mattress for neck pain 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 highest-rated beds for 2022. 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 mattress for side sleepers).

10 Best Mattresses for Neck Pain Sufferers

• Saatva Original – Best Innerspring Mattress
• Helix Midnight – Best Cooling Mattress
• Nectar – Best Affordable Mattress
• DreamCloud Premier – Best Luxury Mattress
• Nolah Signature – Best Mattress for Pressure Relief
• Bear Original – Best Mattress for Athletic People
• Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid – Best Hybrid Mattress
• Leesa Legend – Best Mattress for Couples
• Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Cloud – Best Mattress For Back Sleepers
• Layla Memory Foam – Best Mattress For Side Sleepers

Best Innerspring Mattress

Saatva Original

HIGHLIGHTS:

The Saatva Original has two height and three firmness options, allowing sleepers to customize the mattress. The bed excels for back sleeping, reducing back pain by supporting proper spine alignment.

The Saatva has a pillowtop and a layer of memory foam underneath, supporting the entire back and neck area in all sleeping positions. The first coil unit has individually-wrapped springs to isolate motion, which should benefit couples. The second coil unit supports the other layers from sagging under the sleeper’s heavier parts.

What stands out?

• The Saatva Original has thick foam reinforcing the perimeter and providing excellent edge support so that you can sleep and sit near the edge.
• Sleepers can choose a firmness level based on their preference and the pain severity they deal with. Luxury Firm and Firm may be the best for neck pain because these models provide the best support.

Best Cooling Mattress

Helix Midnight

HIGHLIGHTS:

The Helix Midnight has a Soft Touch cover promoting cooling and preventing the foam layers from overheating. The coils allow additional airflow to keep hot sleepers cool throughout the night.

The Midnight features coils and foam, bringing the best of both worlds. The memory foam provides pressure relief, soothing the pressure points while cradling your body. The coils support the sleeper’s weight, allowing proper spinal alignment to reduce lower back and neck pain. Another thing coming from the pocketed coils is the motion isolation couples should benefit from. The Helix Midnight features thicker-gauge coils along the perimeter, providing edge support and preventing the sides from collapsing under the weight.

Why do we love it?

• Helix manufactures all its beds in the USA, which is good to know if you’re after an all-American brand.
• The Midnight is 12 inches tall and medium-frim, so it should be good for all sleeping positions and body types.

Best Affordable Mattress

Nectar

HIGHLIGHTS:

Nectar offers good value for money, keeping the price affordable while delivering quality materials and a year-long trial for you to test the mattress. This memory foam mattress is a good choice if you’re not looking to break the bank but still want a quality bed to last a long time.

Nectar is rated 6.5/10 on our firmness scale, so it should be good for all sleeping positions, supporting the neck and spine to reduce pressure in these points. The bed does a good job eliminating motion transfer, so sleepers can move freely without disturbing their partner. Nectar is an all-foam mattress but has good edge support, allowing you to sit or sleep near the edge without collapsing. The bed has a cotton cover and a top layer made of gel foam to keep hot sleepers cool.

What makes it special?

• This bed features high-end materials but has an affordable price, long trial, and a forever warranty.

Best Luxury Mattress

DreamCloud Premier

HIGHLIGHTS:

The DreamCloud Premier is a luxury mattress with a Eurotop cover and gel memory foam that adapts to the shape of your body. The layers conform to your curves to prevent pressure build-up in the neck, shoulders, and hips. Side sleepers should benefit from how the mattress dissipates the weight across the entire bed.

The luxury construction starts with 2.5 inches of conventional foam, acting as a comfort layer that relieves pressure on sensitive points. Next is the support layer, followed by the 8.5-inch tall coil unit. The coils move separately to allow maximum motion isolation so that couples don’t disturb one another when tossing and turning. The Premier has inner and perimeter coils for added edge support.

Why do we love it?

• The DreamCloud Premier is rated 5.5/10 on our firmness scale. The bed is best for side sleepers who prefer a softer mattress to relieve pressure on the neck, shoulders, and hips.

Best Mattress for Pressure Relief

Nolah Signature

HIGHLIGHTS:

If you’re seeking a mattress that can help mitigate neck pain and deliver helpful pressure relief, Nolah’s Signature model is a great find. This 12-inch bed features an all-foam design that includes two layers of the brand’s proprietary Nolah AirFoam™.

At the top of the mattress is a cooling version of Nolah AirFoam™ to help keep hot sleepers cool while also contouring the body to relieve uncomfortable pressure buildup. Further below is a secondary AirFoam™ layer to give the sleeper even more pressure relief.

Why we love it

• The Signature features an all-foam construction, and the foams in this bed are CertiPUR-US®, ensuring it meets important health and safety standards.
• If purchasing American-made products is a priority, this mattress is made in the USA.
• The Nolah’s softer feel should further help with relieving pressure, especially for lighter individuals and side sleepers.

Best Mattress for Athletic People

Bear Mattress Original

HIGHLIGHTS:

Athletic people need a supportive mattress that helps with pressure relief, recovery, and muscle inflammation. The Bear Original mattress includes responsive layers and cooling materials that help alleviate pain while speeding up recovery.

The Celliant® cover helps with recovery as it pulls the heat away from your body, turning it into infrared energy. In addition, the bed features gel memory foam to further enhance cooling, making it easier for hot sleepers to fall and stay asleep. Pressure relief comes from the transition layer, followed by a high-density support layer that gives it durability and structure.

Why we like it

• The foams in the Bear Original have an open-cell construction, which allows maximum breathability so that the bed doesn’t overheat.
• The mattress is available as all-foam and hybrid, allowing sleepers to choose based on their needs and preferences. The hybrid is slightly more supportive, but the all-foam model is better at relieving pressure.

Want more details? Read our full Bear review.

Best Hybrid Mattress

Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

HIGHLIGHTS:

The Signature Hybrid from Brooklyn Bedding is available in three firmness options. The medium and firm models are best for stomach sleepers, but side sleepers may like the soft model better.

The construction starts with the TitanFlex™ layer, which is a latex alternative. The thickness of this and other layers depends on the model you choose. Next is the VariFlex™, which acts as a comfort layer before the coils. The third layer is the 8-inch coil unit, featuring individually-wrapped Ascension® coils, followed by high-density foam.

What makes it special?

• The Signature Hybrid has good edge support thanks to the high-caliber Ascension® coils in the perimeter, preventing the edges from collapsing and allowing sleepers to use the entire surface of the bed.
• This hybrid features the brand’s proprietary TitanFlex™ for contouring and responsiveness. This layer is paired with VariFlex™ to further enhance the support you need in all sleeping positions.

Best Mattress for Couples

Leesa Original

HIGHLIGHTS:

If you struggle with neck pain and sleep with a partner, you need a mattress to fit both of you. Waking up with neck pain is a serious issue that can prevent you from enjoying the rest of your day. The Leesa Original is made entirely of memory foam and designed to relieve pressure and support sensitive areas such as the neck, back, and shoulders.

The mattress has three foam layers and a seamless, cool knit cover that’s breathable and soft to the touch. The construction starts with a top layer made from two inches of cooling foam, followed by two inches of contouring memory foam, and a base made from 6-inch foam.

Why we like it

• Leesa offers a 10-year warranty and a 100-night trial for customers to test how the mattress fits their needs.
• The 6.5/10 firmness level should work for all sleeping positions while relieving pressure and easing lower back pain.

Best Mattress For Back Sleepers

TEMPUR-Cloud

HIGHLIGHTS:

The Tempur-Cloud is comfortable for back sleepers thanks to its mid-range firmness that supports the spine and neck in this position. The bed conforms to your body shape, filling in the gasp to relieve pressure on sensitive points.

Couples should like the edge support and motion isolation, allowing you to use the entire surface of the bed. The construction of the Tempur-Cloud starts with a soft and breathable 360 cover. This is followed by a layer of pressure-relieving memory foam and a firmer layer of Tempur material for added support on the shoulders, neck, and lower back. All the layers rest on a firm base that gives the bed structure and durability.

What we like about it?

• The Tempur-Cloud is a good option for lightweight, average, and heavyweight sleepers, but people weighing closer to 300 pounds should seek more support.

Best Mattress For Side Sleepers

Layla Memory Foam

HIGHLIGHTS:

The Layla mattress is dual-sided, meaning that you get two mattresses in one. The firm side should fit stomach and back sleepers, while the soft side is perfect for those who sleep on their side.

The Layla has four layers that perform differently depending on which side you use. Starting from the top, the firm side features a 1-inch top layer of copper-infused foam, followed by a 4-inch thick foam that supports the sleeper, relieving neck and lower back pain. The next is a 2-inch layer of AirFlow support foam for added breathability and cooling. The final layer is a 3-inch copper-infused memory foam that comes first if you’re a side sleeper using the soft side.

What makes it special?

• The firm side of the Layla mattress is excellent for heavy people who prefer sleeping on their back and stomach. The soft side is more suitable for lightweight sleepers and those who sleep on their side.

We’re all different, so there’s not a single best position for sleeping, as it's mostly a matter of preference. Regardless of your preferred position, there are best practices that you can follow that will help stop neck pain in its tracks.

Most people prefer to sleep on their side for at least some portion of the night. The most important thing to remember if you’re a side sleeper is to keep your neck and spine in proper alignment.

In general, you should sleep on a pillow that’s thicker than what a stomach or back sleeper would use, but not so high that your neck is thrown out of whack. When you lie on your side, your spine, from the base of your skull down to your tailbone, should be in a straight line.

We’ll talk more in a bit about how your pillow plays a part in this, but for now, just know that a pillow that’s too high or low will put your neck at an unnatural angle.

Get More Info: How to Properly Sleep On Your Side

If you’ve got neck challenges, try avoiding sleeping on your stomach! When you lie on your stomach, you may either have to strain your head up in order to be able to breathe normally, or even worse; you turn your head to the side, which has the potential to hyperextend the muscles. Stomach sleeping can be a recipe for cervical pain.

For people who insist that the only position they can fall asleep in is by lying flat on their stomach, there are a couple of hacks that you can try:

• Use a very thin pillow that keeps your neck relatively flat.
  

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• Avoid using a pillow at all and sleep directly on the sheet.
  

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• Or a more expensive hack: Try to get a mattress for belly sleeping.
  

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The reason these tips can help is that they allow your neck to stay centered over your shoulders, and that’s one of the keys to preventing undue strain.

Wondering where to put your arms? Our recommendation is to raise them above your head, in either a field goal position, or cross them above your head with your hands touching opposite elbows.

People with neck pain often find relief by sleeping on their back. This allows the neck to be at a neutral angle without twisting to the side. Back sleepers should use a thinner pillow to prevent propping their head up too much.

The best way to determine if you’re in the right position is to lie down and have a friend or family member take a close-up picture of your head and shoulder area so you can see if you’re at a neutral angle. If you feel strange about making that odd request, set a timer on your phone (there’s a free app) and take the photo yourself.

Learn More: How to Properly Sleep On Your Back

The wrong pillow can wreak havoc on your neck. You should ideally choose something that’s not too high, not too low, not too firm, and not too soft. It’s almost as if you’re a real-life, modern-day Goldilocks.

Here, we’ll break down the different pillow styles and heights to consider:

Also known as cervical pillows, these have a contoured design that has a deeper impression for your skull and curved support for your neck. If you’re a back sleeper, these are fantastic.

View Our Full Guide: Top Rated Pillows for Neck Pain

Ah, these are heaven! Known for providing relief for pregnant women, body pillows are becoming more mainstream, and they are true miracle workers when it comes to providing comfort. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from cushions that span the entire length of your body to some that are more like the size of your torso.

They’re ideal for supporting your head, and some allow you to position your body in a way that also provides support for your knees and lower back.

For animal rights purposes, you can look for a down alternative. It’ll feel just like feathers without the quills poking through and you can sleep with a clear conscience knowing that no animals were tortured to make your nocturnal gear. The reason feather, or down alternative, pillows are helpful for neck pain is because they can be easily reshaped, and they also adapt to your sleeping position.

This type of pillow is ideal if you start the night on your back and then switch to your side or stomach, or you move around all night. Different sleeping positions require varying pillow thicknesses, so having something that adjusts along with you is perfect.

See Our In-depth Guide: Best Down Pillows

Memory foam pillows are popular among people who want their head and neck to feel cradled, and they don’t move around a lot during the night. The foam will hold the shape of your head and keep you in a comfortable position all night. If you toss and turn, however, it may be harder to find that sweet spot because of the length of time it takes for the foam to adjust back to its normal shape.

When in doubt, err on the side of a pillow that is too firm. A soft pillow will allow your head to sink deeply, which can twist your neck unnaturally.

The ideal thickness or thinness of your pillow depends on your sleeping position and your body size. For example, if you sleep on your side, you should have a thicker pillow than if you sleep on your back or stomach. Back sleepers should have thin pillows, and stomach sleepers should have an extra thin pillow, or no pillow at all.

Your height and the width of your shoulders will also play a part in determining the right pillow height. Someone who is petite should choose a thinner pillow than someone who is larger, for example.

Did you know that there’s an ideal mattress firmness depending on the position you sleep in?

If you, or another couple you know, has ever talked about how one person thinks the bed is too soft and the other complains the bed is too firm, then there’s a good chance they sleep in different positions.

Take this as an example. A woman thought the mattress she shared with her husband was too firm, and he was adamant that it was too soft, and lacked support. It turns out that she was pure side sleeper and he was a back sleeper. She needed something contouring, and he wanted a bed that had more firmness.

At the time, they had a pure innerspring bed, and they switched to a hybrid innerspring/memory foam mattress. Now they’re both happy.

That story is quite common and demonstrates that how you interpret the firmness level of a mattress will depend heavily on how you sleep.

As you may have deduced, side sleepers need a mattress that contours their body and hugs their curves. People who sleep on their side experience a lot of pressure from the weight of their shoulders and hips digging into the surface of the bed. They need a mattress that is soft to cradle that weight and provide pressure relief.

Back sleepers need a firm bed, but not too firm. They should feel well-supported throughout their entire body, especially in the low back and hip area where their weight will tend to sink in. On a firmness scale, we would classify this as medium-firm.

Stomach sleepers are a whole other animal. They require a firm mattress to support the weight of their entire body and prevent their hips from sinking into the bed, which will cause their back to arch, exacerbating any pain, especially in the neck.

If you’ve sustained an injury, had surgery, or have spent years practicing improper posture, then you may have stiff and weak muscles in the neck area. We recommend seeing a physical therapist who can work with you to help strengthen and relax those muscles. Often, they’ll also assign homework, so you can do these exercises independently and improve even faster.

Those with herniated discs may experience the pain of this condition either in their cervical spine, which is in the neck, in their lumbar spine, which is their lower back. In most serious cases, herniated discs in the thoracic spine can be particularly debilitating. Though surgery is an option for this condition, many individuals prefer to manage the pain with lifestyle changes, physical therapy, medicine, and/or proper sleep hygiene.

When sleeping with a herniated disc, where ever its location may be, you want to make sure your posture remains in a neutral position and you aren’t putting any unnecessary strain on your strain by holding it in an awkward position. Beds with enhanced support, such as zoned materials, and a good blend of comfort can help you sleep better without aggravating your pain points.

Find Out More: Top Rated Beds for Herniated Disc

You’re not going to like this, but you may need to stop taking your phone to bed! Here are three compelling reasons why you should remove the phone from your sleeping area:

• Text neck: When you look down at your phone, your head tilts at an unnatural angle of up to 60 degrees. Think about how much your head weighs (about 10-12 pounds), and then consider how all that force is being plunged downward. We’re sure there’s some physics formula to demonstrate how unnatural and unhealthy this is.
  

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• Smartphone Chin(s): No one wants a double chin, but keep looking down at your phone, and you’re bound to get one. Don’t believe us? Put your phone in mirror mode and look down at it as if you were scrolling through Facebook or reading this fascinating article. Count the number of chins you have..
  

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• Blue Light Special: Is Kmart even still around? Anyway, the light that your phone emits disrupts your melatonin production, the hormone that helps you sleep. So, if you’re checking email in bed, or doing something that’s of equally perceived importance, it’s going to negatively affect your ability to fall asleep.

Depending on what trimester you’re in, you’ll face a varying set of challenges. You already know that you can’t take painkillers, so you have to get creative when it comes to battling neck pain.

During your first trimester, your body is going through a lot of hormonal changes, so you can expect to experience extra stiffness. Things may regulate during the second trimester, only to flare up again in the third, and final, trimester.

Want To Learn More? Read our complete guide to sleeping while pregnant.

Remember, our neck and back are linked, literally, by our spinal column, so the pain and pressure you feel in the lower portion of your body is connected to your neck, too.

When you’re pregnant, try avoiding sleeping on your stomach and investing in a pregnancy pillow. The body pillow will become your new best friend. You can even share ice cream together. Look for something that supports your stomach while also allowing your neck to stay in alignment. We recommend either a full body pillow or something that you can place between your knees to ease any pressure.

If you’re a side sleeper, you can start your search with memory foam mattress. These may contour best to the shape of your body and keep your spine in perfect alignment.

The history of memory foam is rather fascinating. We won’t bore you with all the details, but you may be interested to know that the material was developed by a NASA scientist to help make aircraft cushions safer. We’ve seen Apollo 13, and we know how those astronauts can get thrown around in space.

It took about 25 years, but finally a mattress company made the connection between impact safety and mattress comfort. And memory foam was born.

Latex has a lot of the same properties as memory foam, but instead of being made out of a viscoelastic polyurethane foam, it’s the product of sap from a rubber tree. There are synthetic forms of latex that are less expensive, although they are made of chemical components.

Latex is known to provide a cooler sleeping experience than memory foam, but it can be more expensive. Again, if you’re a side sleeper, you’ll appreciate the softness and comfort of latex. It’s also ideal for back sleepers.

Read Our Full Guide: Top Rated Latex Beds

Hybrid beds can be any combination of materials; usually a blend of coil construction and latex or memory foam, or both. If you’re on the fence about whether you should get a foam mattress or an innerspring bed, or if you have a partner with vastly different preferences than yours, a hybrid bed could be a happy compromise.

No matter what your sleeping position, look for a quality core construction made from top-notch coils and a soft, but supportive upper layer.

Stomach sleepers and innerspring beds are a match made in heaven. This type of bed can be the most supportive for some, which is what stomach sleepers, who are prone to experience neck pain, need. In the bedding industry, you’ll find four types of coils in innerspring mattresses: bonnell, continuous, offset, and pocketed.

You can find quality mattresses featuring each of these types of coils, but if your budget allows, look for either offset or pocketed coils. These will provide the most durable structure and mimic the contouring effect of memory foam without the feeling of sinking in to the surface of the bed.

When we talk about pressure relief, we’re referring to relieving pressure from the weight that your shoulders, torso, and hips put on the surface of the mattress. Ideally, your mattress should provide enough sinkage to allow your body to maintain a natural angle and feel comfortable.

Mattresses that are too hard won’t provide adequate pressure relief, and those that are too soft can cause you to sink down to the base of the mattress. Either way, your neck will be thrown out of alignment, and even if you have no underlying conditions, you can expect to wake up stiff and uncomfortable if you sleep on a bad bed for too long.

Again, there’s a delicate balance between hardness and softness when it comes to a mattress. There’s a reason that Goldilocks and the Three Bears is such a popular story that we all know intimately.

Whether you sleep on your side, back or stomach, it’s imperative that your spine stays in alignment. By that, we mean that it should be straight and mimic the way it would look if you stood up straight in the correct posture. If your bed doesn’t provide adequate support, your spine could either buckle or sink, both of which increase your chance of feeling pain in your neck.

Most beds feel comfortable when you first buy them. They’ll feel soft and fluffy, like a cloud. But fast forward five or ten years, and you might have springs poking out, unraveling fabric, or severe indentations that make you feel like there’s a strong gravitational force pulling you through the center of the bed and into the depths of an uncomfortable hell.

When you’re buying a new mattress, it’s a smart idea to weigh the cost of the bed versus its longevity. Mattresses that are built to last may cost more initially, but they’ll last longer and provide more years of comfort.

If you’re having an especially hard time falling asleep because of pain in your neck, you may want to ask your doctor about a cervical collar, also called a neck collar. It looks like a soft, foam neck brace, and it’s comfortable enough to wear in bed.

Use caution when wearing one of these, however. Just like wearing a back brace for lifting, it can provide protection and support, but extended wear will weaken the muscles, making your neck pain problem even worse.

Stretching exercises are a quick and effective way to ease cervical stiffness. One doctor from the Cleveland Clinic recommends the following four exercises, and they only take a few minutes:

• Do 10 backwards shoulder rolls.
  

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• Squeeze your shoulder blades together 10 times (push your chest out and squeeze backwards).
  

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• Sitting in your car, push your head all the way back into the headrest and hold for 30 seconds. An alternative to this exercise is to tilt your head back and look at the sky, being careful not to overextend your neck to the point where it’s painful. Also, avoid doing this directly below a flock of birds.
  

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• Tilt your head to the right side toward your ear and repeat 10 times. Switch sides, and do 10 repetitions on that side, too.

Other tips include the application of ice and heat. Start with ice for the first 48-72 hours after the first instance of stiffness, and then switch to heat after that.

You can also try an orthopedic or cervical pillow that offers proper contouring and support. You may want to use it as a preventive measure on a regular basis, or just when you have neck pain.

Yes, absolutely! Many headaches are actually caused by neck pain because the upper portion of the spinal column in the neck, or cervical spine, shares the same neural pathways as our head and face. This type of neck pain can result in something called a cervicogenic headache.

Like a regular headache, most of the symptoms are the same. Patients report pain, nausea, and increased sensitivity to light and noise. The difference between a cervicogenic headache and a standard headache is that you’ll feel tenderness or sensitivity at the base of your skull, and it may be painful to move your head from side to side.

There are a number things that can disturb your sleep at night and chronic pain definitely tops the list, and a majority of Americans who are treated for pain each year complain that they also suffer from insomnia. If your pain is the cause of your restlessness, a superior sleep space can reduce pressure on your pain points and get you to sleep.

While a pillow may play an important role in alleviating neck pain while you sleep, your mattress also plays a crucial role. You want to be sure that your body is able to sink into the bed so that your entire spine remains in a straight position. If you lie on your side and your shoulders aren’t able to adequately dip into the comfort materials, you may have trouble getting off to sleep or wake in the middle of the night with a stiff neck.

View Our Complete Guide: Top Beds for Insomnia

The hours we spend in front of a computer and on our smartphones can lead to neck pain, and this pain can last anywhere from a single night to years. By taking a few proactive steps, like limiting smartphone use, or at least being conscious of our body’s position while we use our devices, we can help prevent this pain from happening in the first place.

If you’re already stuck in a cycle of neck pain, add some light stretching exercises to your routine and evaluate whether your pillow or your mattress could be contributing to the issue.

Sources and References:

1. Chronic Neck Pain: What Condition Is Causing My Neck Pain? – spine-health.com
2. Why Does My Neck Hurt? – webmd.com
3. Neck Pain – mayoclinic.org