Best Mattresses for Shoulder Pain (2023)
Jul 7th, 2023 •
One of the most common causes of shoulder pain during the night is excessive pressure on the shoulder joint, which can make the discomfort you went to bed with even worse when you wake up. If you sleep on your side with the affected shoulder facing down, the effects can be especially unpleasant. What you need is a pressure-relieving mattress that contours around the shoulder while gently supporting the neck and upper back.
We’ve tested dozens of top-rated beds to bring you our list of the best mattresses for shoulder pain. These mattresses provide pressure relief with materials such as advanced memory foam and natural latex. Some even have the seal of approval from leading chiropractic associations.
Irregular sleep can impair your body’s ability to heal, so losing sleep because of shoulder pain could leave you feeling stuck in a vicious cycle. Compare our top picks and check out our buyer’s guide to find out how the right mattress can help you get back on track.
Best Mattress for Shoulder Pain: Our Top Picks
- Editor’s Pick – Saatva Classic
- Best Value Mattress for Shoulder Pain – Nectar
- Best Mattress for Hot Sleepers with Shoulder Pain – Helix Midnight Luxe
- Best Mattress for Side Sleepers with Shoulder Pain – Nolah Signature 12″
- Best Mattress for Back and Shoulder Pain – The WinkBed
- Best Mattress for Athletes with Shoulder Pain – Bear Elite Hybrid
- Best Mattress for Back Sleepers with Shoulder Pain – Birch Natural
- Best Mattress for Couples with Shoulder Pain – Brooklyn Sedona Elite
- Best Memory Foam Mattress for Shoulder Pain – Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-breeze
- Best Mattress for Neck and Shoulder Pain – Layla
Please note: while we’re experts when it comes to mattresses, we are not doctors. It’s always recommended that you consult with your doctor when it comes to choosing products meant to address health and pain issues.
Why You Can Trust Mattress Advisor
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity in our product reviews and other content by incorporating real customer feedback, empirical testing and objective evaluations. Our results and recommendations are never influenced by the commission we may receive from brands, and products we receive are never guaranteed a positive review.

Saatva Classic
Editor's Pick
Best for
- Outstanding pressure relief
- Side sleepers
- Multiple firmness options
customer rating
our score
firmness
Customizable
trial period
365 days
✅ Saatva is endorsed by the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations.
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
The Saatva Classic innerspring hybrid gives you three firmness options—soft, medium, and firm—so you can pick the right level of firmness for your needs. We recommend the soft or medium options for shoulder pain, so that your shoulder can gently sink into the surface. With a 9/10 pressure relief score, the Saatva Classic is among the best for gently contouring around the shoulders and other pressure-sensitive areas.
Saatva’s performance in spine alignment also works well if you have back pain in addition to shoulder pain. The hybrid design, which includes layers of pressure-relieving foam and supportive coils, makes for a well-balanced mattress that can suit a variety of sleepers. You can also count on the bed’s targeted lumbar zoning for additional support and relief.
Pros:
- Hassle-free setup: Saatva’s mattresses come with white-glove delivery, which means you don’t have to unbox or set up the mattress yourself, nor worry about what to do with your old one. Saatva will take care of everything.
- Eco-friendly: All the mattress’s materials are organic, and have been certified to be free from harmful chemicals.
- Next-level edge support: We’ve named this one of our top beds for seniors due to its excellent support around the edges of the bed. But this benefit isn’t limited to one age group—the Saatva is a great one for anyone who likes to spread out or sit at the edge of the bed.
Cons:
- Price: The Saatva is considered a luxury mattress, so it might not suit every budget.
Read our full Saatva Classic mattress review. To compare more of our top-rated beds, see our roundup of best mattresses of 2023.

Nectar
Best Value Mattress
Best for
- Budget shoppers
- Couples
- Hot sleepers
customer rating
our score
firmness
Medium-firm: 5.5-6/10
trial period
365 days
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
The Nectar Memory Foam mattress (Nectar’s original model) is a solid choice for relieving pressure in the shoulder and other sensitive areas, as evidenced by its 8.5/10 pressure relief score in our testing. Although the 7.5/10 spine alignment score isn’t great, budget-conscious people might be open to a compromise because of its pressure relief performance and overall value.
If you like to move around on your mattress to find the best position—or if you sleep with a partner—you’ll be comforted to hear the mattress supplies above-average responsiveness and edge support. High scores in these two categories are rare for memory foam mattresses.
Pros:
- Budget-friendly: Currently, you can get a queen-size Nectar for a little over $1,000. That’s not bad for such a highly rated mattress.
- Good conditions: Nectar offers a lifetime warranty and a 365-night sleep trial.
- Easy setup and care: The Nectar Memory Foam mattress is compatible with virtually any bed platform or foundation, and the removable cooling cover makes for easy care and cleaning.
Cons:
- Not the coolest: Memory foam mattresses have a reputation for trapping heat. The Nectar falls into this category, with a below-average cooling score of 7.5/10.
Read our full Nectar mattress review. See other budget-friendly beds in our roundup of the best affordable mattress .

Helix Midnight Luxe
Best Mattress for Hot Sleepers
Best for
- People prone to night sweats
- Pressure relief
- People with back pain
customer rating
our score
firmness
Medium firm: 6/10
trial period
100 days
✅ Helix Midnight Luxe is endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association.
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
The Helix Midnight Luxe is a solid option for people with shoulder pain, thanks in part to its performance in pressure relief (8.5/10 score). The mattress’s medium firmness (5/10) should allow your shoulder to sink in just far enough to relieve pressure without throwing off your upper body alignment.
A hybrid mattress, the Midnight Luxe also has a pocketed coil layer that offers zoned-lumbar support to help the mattress cradle and support your shoulders.
Pros:
- Above-average spine alignment: If you also suffer from neck or back pain, you’ll appreciate the Midnight Luxe’s 9/10 score for spine alignment. This suggests that your body will be held in a comfortable neutral position overnight, leading to fewer aches and cramps in the morning.
- Excellent cooling: With a 9.5/10 Mattress Advisor score for cooling, the Helix Midnight Luxe is one of the best mattresses for hot sleepers we’ve reviewed.
- Highly responsive: We also gave the mattress a high score for responsiveness, which suggests that it’s easy to change position or get in and out of this bed.
Cons:
- Won’t fully isolate motion: We gave the mattress a 7.5/10 for motion transfer, which indicates that it might now be the best bed for light sleepers who sleep with a restless partner.
Read our full Helix Midnight Luxe mattress review. You can see other cooling beds in our roundup of best mattresses for hot sleepers.

Nolah Signature 12''
Best Mattress for Side Sleepers
Best for
- Side sleeping position
- Pressure relief
- Restless sleepers
customer rating
our score
firmness
Medium-Soft
trial period
120 days
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
The main thing that makes the Nolah Signature 12″ our best mattress for side sleepers with shoulder pain is its outstanding pressure relief. The mattress earns a 9.25/10 pressure relief score in the Mattress Advisor sleep lab, making it one of the best pressure-relieving mattresses we’ve reviewed. The key feature is the dual layers of Nolah’s AirFoam, which is designed to provide more pressure relief than traditional memory foam.
The Nolah Signature’s medium-soft feel (4.5/10) matches up well with average-weight people, although side sleepers 230 lbs and up will likely need something firmer.
Pros:
- Good cooling: The Signature 12” uses cooling Airfoam, which makes it more breathable than your average memory foam bed.
- Highly durable: We found this mattress to be a long-lasting one, given its high-quality materials. Plus, Nolah provides a lifetime warranty.
- Very responsive: As you reposition at night, the bed adjusts to your movements. We gave it a 9.5/10 for responsiveness, which makes it a good fit for combination sleepers, or those who change sleep positions throughout the night.
Cons:
- Sub-par edge support: If you tend to sit at the edge of the bed to get ready, you might be disappointed with this mattress. We gave it a 6.6/10 in edge support, which suggests some sagging.
Read our full Nolah Signature 12″ mattress review. You can compare similar beds in our roundup of best mattresses for side sleepers.

WinkBeds Luxury Firm
Best Mattress for Back and Shoulder Pain
Best for
- Back sleepers and stomach sleepers
- Spine alignment and edge support
- Multiple firmness options
customer rating
our score
firmness
Medium firm: 6/10
trial period
120 days
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
As our best mattress for back and shoulder pain, the foam/coil hybrid WinkBed has key features aimed at both comfort and pain relief. It has a plush Euro-pillow top layer for pressure relief and uses enhanced foam for lumbar support. Also, the pocketed coil layer is designed to provide targeted support that pushes back in areas of high pressure and relaxes in areas of low pressure.
The WinkBed also has multiple firmness options. If you’re a side sleeper with shoulder pain, we recommend the soft option. For back sleepers, we recommend the luxury firm; stomach sleepers tend to proffer the firm. The “plus” option is designed specifically for people above 250 lbs.
Pros:
- Eco-friendly construction: The mattress is made with CertiPUR-US certified foam layers and other high-quality, organic materials.
- Good spine alignment: All pain sufferers will appreciate that the WinkBed does an above-average job of keeping your spine aligned while you sleep. We gave it an 8.75/10 in this category.
- Nice cooling: In our testing, the WinkBed felt comfortable and cool. We gave it an 8/10 for cooling.
Cons:
- No motion isolation: The mattress doesn’t do a good job of isolating motion, so if you sleep with a restless partner, you might be awakened by their movements.
Read our full WinkBed mattress review. Also, see our full roundup of best mattresses for back pain.

Bear Elite Hybrid
Best Mattress for Athletes
Best for
- Athletes with shoulder pain
- Side and back sleepers
- Eco-conscious shoppers
customer rating
our score
firmness
Soft, medium, and firm
trial period
120 days
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
From old injuries to recent impingements, shoulder pain can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep and perform at a peak level. One possible remedy is making the Elite Hybrid mattress from athlete-friendly brand Bear part of your gameplan.
With a 9/10 pressure relief score, the Bear Elite Hybrid has dual foam layers designed to provide gentle, cushioning support for the shoulders and hips. They act in concert with a layer of pocketed coils to respond to pressure and help keep the spine in a neutral alignment. Also, the cover includes Celliant fibers to promote muscle recovery.
Pros:
- Highly responsive: The Elite Hybrid responds quickly to your movements, which makes it easy to change positions throughout the night or get in and out of bed.
- Excellent spine alignment: We gave the mattress a 9.5/10 on this category—it kept our backs in a nice neutral position overnight.
Cons:
- Average edge support: Hybrid mattresses tend to excel in this category, but the Elite Hybrid only pulled off a 7.5/10. You might experience some sliding at the far edges of the bed.
Read our full Bear Elite Hybrid mattress review. You can also check out our roundup of best mattresses for athletes.

Birch Natural Mattress
Best Mattress for Back Sleepers
Best for
- Hot sleepers
- Back and stomach sleepers
- Eco-conscious shoppers
customer rating
our score
firmness
Firm: 8/10
trial period
100 days
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
Back sleepers with shoulder pain do best with a mattress that lifts the hips for proper spinal alignment yet still provides cushioning for sensitive joints. The Birch Natural by Helix should excel at this; its organic cotton cover and natural wool comfort layer cushion the shoulders, earning it a pressure relief score of 8.5/10. Its pocketed coils also give lots of support, resulting in an impressive 9/10 for spinal alignment.
For added comfort, the Birch Natural sleeps cool (it won a 8/10 cooling score during testing). This is thanks to its use of Talalay latex, a naturally cooling material, and breathable coils. A generous 100-night sleep trial and a 25-year warranty showcases Helix’s confidence in its product.
Pros:
- Good cooling: The Birch Natural sleeps cool (it won a 8/10 cooling score during testing) thanks to its use of Talalay latex, a naturally cooling material, and breathable coils.
- Amazing edge support: If you like to sleep at the edge of your mattress, you’ll be happy with the Birch—we gave it a 10/10 for edge support, which means it maintains its structure all the way to the far reaches of the bed.
- Generous terms: A 100-night sleep trial and a 25-year warranty showcases Helix’s confidence in its product.
Cons:
- Costlier than some: The Birch Natural is a luxury mattress, and its price reflects that.
Read our full Birch Natural mattress review. You can also check out our roundup of best mattresses for back sleepers.

Brooklyn Sedona Elite
Best Mattress for Couples
Best for
- Couples
- Hot sleepers
- Combination sleepers
customer rating
our score
firmness
Medium
trial period
120 days
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
Those sleeping with a partner and shoulder pain should consider the Brooklyn Sedona Elite hybrid, as it addresses these circumstances with its pressure relief and motion isolation.
The top layers of comfort foam on the Sedona Elite provide support and cushioning around your shoulder so that it doesn’t sink uncomfortably below the mattress surface. And due to the mattress’s 8.75/10 score for motion transfer, you and your partner likely won’t wake each other up at night.
Pros:
- Good cooling: With a 9/10 score for cooling, the Sedona Elite has been tested and proven to regulate temperature well and reduce the spread of body heat.
- Nice edge support: If you like to spread out at night, you won’t have to worry about falling off the edge—we gave the Sedona Elite an 8.5/10 in this category.
Cons:
- Heavy weight: You’re going to need help unboxing and setting up this mattress—its weight makes moving it around difficult.
Read our full Brooklyn Sedona Elite mattress review. You can see similar beds in our roundup of best mattresses for couples.

TEMPUR-breeze
Best Memory Foam Mattress
Best for:
- Fans of “hugging” memory foam
- Side sleepers
- Luxury mattress shoppers
customer rating
our score
firmness
Customizable
trial period
90 days
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
We gave the Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-breeze a 9.5/10 for pressure relief, which makes it a great option for sleepers with shoulder pain. The mattress comes in a few different models with different softness and firmness options—the PRObreeze and PRObreeze hybrid models have a medium-firm firmness; the LUXEbreeze allows you to choose between firm and soft options.
The TEMPUR-breeze is also a standout for spine alignment, earning a 9/10 in this category. This shows it can help alleviate back pain by maintaining your spine’s natural curve while you sleep, even while also offering some give at your pressure points.
Pros:
- Good cooling: As you might suspect from its name, the TEMPUR-breeze provides enhanced airflow and is designed to help you sleep cool.
- Beyond-easy setup: The mattress comes with free white-glove delivery, so the brand will set up your new mattress for you and haul off your old one.
- Good for couples: We found the mattress to be excellent at isolation motion, which suggests your partner’s movements won’t wake you up throughout the night.
Cons:
- Not very responsive: All that dense foam can make it hard to switch positions quickly.
- Not suited to every budget: This luxury model might be out of reach, depending on how much you want to spend on your next mattress.
Read our full Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-breeze mattress review. You can compare similar mattresses in our roundup of best memory foam mattresses.

Layla
Best Mattress for Neck/Shoulder Pain
Best for
- Pain in the shoulder and neck
- People with arthritis
- Pressure relief
customer rating
our score
firmness
Soft side: 4-5/10; Firm side: 7/10
trial period
120 days
Why this is a great mattress for shoulder pain:
Layla is a flippable, dual-sided mattress that gives you two firmness options. We recommend the soft side (4/10) for most average-weight sleepers, although you can always flip it to the 7/10 side if you prefer more firmness. Both sides feature a layer of memory foam infused with copper gel, which helps the mattress earn an excellent 9/10 pressure relief score.
Combined with solid spine alignment performance, the Layla’s pressure-relieving qualities make this mattress a good choice for people with shoulder pain and neck pain.
Pros:
- Good conditions: Layla backs its mattresses with a lifetime warranty and a 120-night sleep trial.
- Very responsive: The Layla scored a 9.5/10 for responsiveness, which indicates you’ll have an easy time changing positions throughout the night.
- Above-average edge support: If you like to use your whole mattress, the Layla is a good option. You can sleep or sit at the edge of the bed without feeling like you’ll sag off.
Cons:
- Not the best for heavier sleepers: If you’re over 230 lbs, you might not find it provides the support as you need. Consider an innerspring or hybrid mattress instead.
Read our full Layla mattress review. Also, see our roundup of best mattresses for neck pain.
Buyer’s Guide to Mattresses for Shoulder Pain
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons estimates that 4 million Americans every year seek medical treatment for shoulder pain. Any kind of discomfort can affect the quality of your sleep, and shoulder pain is certainly no exception.
The good news is that medical treatment can help address shoulder pain, and the right mattress can reduce the chances of flare-ups during the night. Our buyer’s guide has information to help you understand shoulder pain and find a mattress with the qualities you need.
- Sleep and Pain: How Sleep Helps the Body Heal
- How a Mattress Can Affect Shoulder Pain
- What Type of Mattress is Best for Shoulder Pain?
- How to Choose a Good Mattress for Shoulder Pain
- Tips for Sleeping with Shoulder Pain
Sleep and Pain: How Sleep Helps the Body Heal
We all know sleep is about rest, but it’s also about restoration. During sleep, the body devotes itself to processes that include the regeneration of muscle and tissue. Part of the repair process involves the production and release of human growth hormone by the pituitary gland so that this naturally occurring substance can help your body heal itself.
Research has shown that sleep deprivation impairs the body’s ability to produce HGH. With pain as a leading cause of irregular sleep, it’s easy to see the connection: Pain disrupts sleep. Poor sleep leads to less HGH production. Less HGH limits the body’s ability to repair what’s causing the pain. And on it goes.
Addressing the discomfort that makes it difficult for you to fall asleep and stay asleep is key to interrupting this sleep-pain cycle. Don’t overlook the importance of your sleep environment—temperature, lighting, and the mattress you sleep on—as you pursue your solution.
How a Mattress Can Affect Shoulder Pain
When you’re dealing with pain in your shoulders, the quality and design of your mattress could play a huge role in determining whether you sleep restfully or wake up with soreness and stiffness.
A typical adult sleeps 7 or 8 hours a night, with pressure-sensitive areas—shoulders, back, hips, neck, or some combination—bearing a good portion of their body weight. A mattress that provides the right amount of pressure relief and support while keeping your spine in a neutral alignment can greatly reduce the stress on these areas.
These qualities are even more important for people dealing with pain, including shoulder pain caused by an injury or a medical condition.
Causes of Shoulder Pain
Because shoulder pain is so common, it is clear to see that there are many causes that people of all ages can have.
Injury
A large number of shoulder pain cases are due to rotator cuff injuries that affect a group of muscles and joints that holds the shoulder together. True to its name, it allows you to reach overhead and rotate your arm around. Injuries to the rotator cuff are often sports-related. If you’re an athlete and having shoulder pain, make sure to check out our best mattress for athletes.
Another common shoulder injury is dislocation. When your shoulder is dislocated you will feel pain when you attempt to raise your arm or constantly feel as if your shoulder will slip out of place.
Aging
After years of putting wear and tear on your body, it’s not wonder that people become so sore with age. Your sleep is supposed to be a time of restoration and healing. That’s why it’s so important to find a mattress for seniors that takes these factors into account and support pain points.
Fractures
Sometimes, shoulder pain can be caused from a break or a fracture of the bone. Because the shoulder is a ball and socket joint, the shoulder pain can come when either bone is broken. Occasionally, a broken clavicle bone can cause shoulder pain as well. Broken shoulder bones often require surgery, followed by a recovery period.
Frozen Shoulder
A frozen shoulder is simply just stiffness in the shoulder joint. This is caused by the thickening of your shoulder tissue capsules. When your shoulder is frozen any movement can cause pain and range of motion becomes difficult. This pain can last anywhere from 1-3 years.
Tendinitis
Tendinitis is when your tendons become irritated or inflamed, causing pain. When you have tendinitis of the shoulder, it is often from sports, such as pitcher’s shoulder and swimmer’s shoulder. This pain of tendinitis is more of an ache than a sharp pain, but it can last for a few weeks.
Bursitis
When the fluid in your bursae sac swell, you get bursitis. These sacs usually pad you tendons, so when they swell, it causes painful rubbing or inflammation. Bursitis should go away in a few weeks.

Sleeping Positions and Shoulder Pain
Certain sleeping positions put more pressure on the shoulder than others. Here’s a look at how they work and how you can address the challenges of each position.
Side Sleepers
Side sleeping puts the most pressure on the shoulder and hip joints of any sleeping position. The shoulder and hip that face down are bearing a significant portion of your body’s weight as they press into the mattress. If the shoulder you’re having trouble with is the one that faces down, the first thing you should try is sleeping on your other side—or try becoming a back sleeper.
If changing sides or positions doesn’t work for you, your best bet is a mattress for side sleepers that provides excellent pressure relief and a firmness level ranging from medium-soft to medium-firm. Memory foam and latex provide the best pressure relief.
Back Sleepers
Good news—sleeping on your back is the ideal position for people with shoulder pain. The back sleeping position puts very little weight or pressure on the shoulder joints.
A medium-firm or firm mattress for back sleepers with shoulder pain can help you maintain the natural curve of your spine during sleep. You’ll also need a mattress that provides solid spine alignment, especially through the upper back and shoulders.
Stomach Sleepers
Sleeping on your stomach doesn’t create as much pressure as side sleeping, but it certainly isn’t great for your shoulders or neck. Since neck pain can radiate outward to the shoulders, a mattress with good pressure relief and spine alignment is essential.
The ideal mattress for stomach sleepers with shoulder pain is typically a firm hybrid with layers of memory foam or latex on top anchored by a coil-spring core. You’ll need adequate support to keep your midsection from sinking too far into the mattress.
Combination Sleepers
Changing sleep positions during the night can be a challenge if you have a sore shoulder, especially if you’re a side/back combination sleeper. Rotating your body in a quarter-turn or half-turn means putting pressure on whichever shoulder faces down.
The best mattresses for combination sleepers with shoulder pain should have excellent responsiveness, which makes it easier to shift positions. Outstanding pressure relief from foam or latex layers is a must, along with a medium or medium-firm feel that can support multiple sleeping positions.
What Type of Mattress is Best for Shoulder Pain?
How a mattress is constructed will determine how it affects your shoulder pain. Here are the best mattress types for shoulder pain:
- Memory Foam: A memory foam mattress contours to your body and cradles your pressure points (in this case, your shoulders).
- Latex: Latex mattresses are like memory foam, except they’re naturally cool. Memory foam and latex mattresses both offer pressure relief, but latex can be natural, if you are into organic mattresses.
- Hybrid: A hybrid mattress combines aspects of innerspring, memory foam, and latex to add the support layer of springs or latex and the comfort layer of foam.
Innerspring mattresses don’t make our list here, for one reason. Spring systems tend to fall short in the critical category of pressure relief compared with memory foam and latex. The term “innerspring mattress” is something of a misnomer anyway, since many hybrids use innersprings in their core layers as opposed to an all-coil design.
How to Choose a Good Mattress for Shoulder Pain
People with shoulder pain should focus on a few key features and characteristics as they shop for a mattress. These factors include:
Pressure Relief
Pressure relief is one of the most important things to look for in a mattress when you have shoulder pain. This quality will help relieve pressure on the joints in the shoulder area, especially for side sleepers who sleep with the affected shoulder facing down.
Spine Alignment
A mattress with good spine alignment qualities helps keep your spine in a neutral alignment as you sleep. Although it might seem like strictly a back or neck concern, remember that neck pain sometimes radiates along nerve pathways to the shoulder and causes discomfort in that area as well.
Mattress Firmness
People with shoulder pain should shoot for a medium or medium-firm mattress, usually between 5/10 and 7/10 on the mattress firmness scale. This firmness range should allow your shoulder to sink into the mattress comfortably, but not so much that it throws off your alignment or causes excess joint pressure.
Materials
Of all the various building blocks of mattresses, memory foam and latex tend to do the best job of providing pressure relief and spine alignment. The best mattress to address your shoulder pain will probably be memory foam or latex, or a hybrid that includes memory foam or latex layers.
Temperature
Applying some heat to sore muscles feels great, but it doesn’t mean the ideal mattress for shoulder pain would be a giant heating pad. Mattresses that don’t do a good job of letting heat escape can lead to overheating and night sweats that disrupt the sleeping hours, your body’s prime time for healing. A mattress that uses breathable materials such as latex or gel-infused memory foam can help you maintain a comfortable sleep temperature.
Related: Thermoregulation During Sleep
Contouring
A mattress with a healthy amount of “give” that gently responds to your body’s curvature can be a great help with muscle and joint pain. The material that provides the most contouring is memory foam, followed by latex. Contouring also touches on the matter of firmness, since firmer mattresses aren’t as easy to sink into and tend to provide less contouring effect.

Tips for Sleeping with Shoulder Pain
While a good mattress will do you a world of good when you’re trying to sleep with shoulder pain, it isn’t the only thing you should consider.
Use a Mattress Topper or Pad
If it doesn’t look like buying a new mattress is in your budget, you can always utilize mattress extras such as a mattress topper or mattress pad. A good memory foam or latex mattress topper will go a long way in adding pressure relief to your mattress.
Try Combinations of Pillows
Make sure you are using a pillow that promotes alignment. If you sleep on your stomach, pick a flat pillow, and use an additional pillow under your hips. If you sleep on your side make sure the loft isn’t too high or too low. If you sleep on your back your pillow should also be a little flatter and another should be propped under your knees.
Become a Back Sleeper
The ideal sleep position for shoulder pain, and the healthiest position in general, is back sleeping. Switching to back sleeping could be easier than you think. If you decide to sleep on your side, sleep on the side of your good shoulder with a pillow between your knees.
Maintain a Healthy Sleep Routine
Good sleep hygiene is its own reward, but it can be especially beneficial for people with shoulder pain and similar problems. Among the many benefits of healthy sleep is that it helps with muscle repair, which is great news for anyone who has a sore shoulder. So you have a compelling reason to go to sleep at the same time every night, turn off your electronics early, and so on.
Stretch Before Bedtime
Some gentle stretching before you turn in can help you unwind and relieve pain so that you go to sleep in a good place, both physically and mentally. You don’t have to be a yoga master, either. You can start with some simple shoulder rolls and neck stretches and go from there.
Talk to Your Doctor
We would like to reiterate that, though we are sleep experts, we’re not physicians. If your shoulder pain persists at night or worsens, make sure you contact your doctor for further instructions or sleep tips.
Recap: Best Mattresses for Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain can make for a rough night—and cause discomfort the following day. Getting a good night’s sleep means having more energy, being more productive, and becoming healthier overall. If your current mattress isn’t giving you any relief, try out one of the featured mattresses on our list:
Mattress | Award | Mattress Advisor Score (out of 10) |
Saatva Classic | Editor’s Pick | 9.0 |
Nectar | Best Value Mattress | 8.7 |
Helix Midnight Luxe | Best Mattress for Hot Sleepers | 8.7 |
Nolah Signature 12” | Best for Side Sleepers | 8.6 |
The WinkBed | Best for Back/Shoulder Pain | 8.6 |
Bear Elite Hybrid | Best for Athletes | 8.9 |
Birch Natural | Best for Back Sleepers | 9.2 |
Brooklyn Sedona Elite | Best for Couples | 9.0 |
TEMPUR-breeze | Best Memory Foam Mattress | 8.6 |
Layla | Best for Neck/Shoulder Pain | 8.8 |
Mattresses for Shoulder Pain FAQ
What mattress firmness is best for shoulder pain?
A medium-firm or firm mattress is best for those with shoulder pain. With the right amount of firmness, the shoulders and upper back can sink into the mattress slightly but not so much that it throws off your natural alignment. Contouring and pressure relief properties also help support the shoulder area without aggravating any existing pain.
Can a mattress cause shoulder pain?
If your mattress is applying pressure to your shoulder throughout the night, it may be contributing to some of your shoulder pain.
There are other factors to consider as well, such as your sleeping position. For example, if you’re a side sleeper, you may be exposing your shoulder to additional pressure during the night.
What is the best mattress topper for shoulder pain?
A memory foam or latex mattress topper can provide additional pressure relief and cushioning. You might also consider a pillow-top mattress that includes a top layer of semi-soft foam.

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