Choosing the Best Mattress for a Comfortable Pregnancy in 2024

Getting a good night’s sleep during pregnancy can be difficult due to hormonal and physical changes happening in the body. Research has even revealed that at least 76% of pregnant women encounter sleep disturbances across all terms.

Pregnant women are prone to experience insomnia, night sweats, heartburn or acid reflux, nausea, restless leg syndrome (RLS), and back pain, which can all impact sleep quality. Practising good sleep hygiene and investing in a supportive mattress can help minimise discomfort during pregnancy, allowing expectant mothers to get the rest they need for themselves and their babies.

To help improve sleep quality and promote the overall health of expectant mothers and their babies, we’ve outlined a guide on choosing the best mattress for a comfortable pregnancy in 2024.

What to Consider in a Mattress for Pregnancy

• Firmness
  

  The firmness of the mattress will determine its capacity to support your whole body. When choosing a mattress for pregnancy, you’d want to look into options that are neither too soft nor too firm. Medium to firm mattresses are most likely to provide the ideal balance of comfort for pressure points and support to prevent any part of the body from sagging.

  Since your desired comfort level may change throughout your pregnancy, you may want to consider a flippable and split mattress with a softer and firmer side. That way, you’ll always be able to rest easy, and your partner wouldn’t have to compromise their individual preference. You can also take advantage of mattress toppers if you simply want to add or remove the extra comfort layer.

• Sleeping Position
  

  As your baby bump gets bigger, you’ll need to adopt a sleeping position that will not put pressure on the midsection. Doctors generally advise pregnant women to sleep on their left side to improve the circulation in the body and to ensure the baby’s safety and full-term development.

  The best mattress for pregnancy will ideally provide pressure point relief, especially along the shoulders and hips, to help them stay comfortable in a left-side sleeping position. Additionally, they can use a combination of pillows to prevent their belly and lumbar area from sinking and their legs from overextending to one side.

• Conformity
  

  Conformity refers to the mattress's ability to adapt to the body’s natural curves and movements. It is how your mattress hugs and responds to your body, influencing its capacity to facilitate proper sleep posture, provide anatomical support, and prevent motion transfer.

  A comfortable mattress for pregnancy would have a certain degree of conformity to support your sleeping position and maintain spinal alignment. The type of filling will ideally minimise pressure points by closing or reducing the gap between your body and the mattress. Moreover, a mattress that adjusts to the contours of your body will have a greater deal of motion isolation. That way, neither you nor your partner would be jerked awake due to sudden movements.

• Cooling

  Hot sleepers and pregnant women alike will appreciate a mattress with cooling properties. These specialty mattresses help regulate body temperature, lessening the occurrence of night sweats or feeling overheated.

  Cooling mattresses are made with thermoregulating materials that absorb and/ or dissipate body heat. Look into features such as breathable and moisture-wicking fabric covers, as well as open-cell structures that can enhance airflow and skin microcirculation. If your existing mattress is still in good condition, you can boost comfort and instantly upgrade it with a cooling topper.

• Edge Support
  

  Edge support of mattresses will aid in mobility. A suitable mattress for pregnancy would have reinforced edges that make getting in and out of bed easier for them, which is especially helpful on nights when they need to make frequent trips to the bathroom.

  Strong edge support provides pregnant women more stability as they move around the bed or switch from sitting to standing postures. Moreover, a sturdy mattress perimeter will lessen the risk of them falling or sliding off the edge of your bed.

• Noise
  

  Pregnant women struggle with more than enough changes that impact their sleep patterns. The last thing they need is a noisy mattress to keep them up.

  We recommend choosing a memory foam or latex mattress for pregnancy. These mattresses tend to be quieter than varieties with coils or innerspring, so creaking or squeaking sounds will be at least one less thing that bothers them.

• Hypoallergenic and Antimicrobial
  

  One of the reasons pregnant women may have difficulty sleeping could be caused by anxiety or intrusive thoughts. They could worry less and have peace of mind knowing that it’s unlikely for them and their baby to be at risk of inhaling toxins that may be lurking in the mattress.

  To ensure your mattress is resistant to common allergens and bacteria growth, check if it’s hypoallergenic and/ or antimicrobial. Otherwise, we suggest you get a mattress protector. It is important to note that some people may have a latex allergy, and in those cases, latex mattresses are not advisable. Also, look into OEKO TEX certifications, which are labels for mattresses that have passed the screening for harmful substances.

• Mattress Type, Thickness, and Materials
  

  The mattress type and materials significantly depend on your needs, preferences, and budget. As a general rule of thumb, the mattress type and thickness should suit your body type and sleeping position. We’d also advise you to opt for mattresses with high-quality construction as they tend to have a longer lifespan and warranty.

  More often than not, you’re not just buying a mattress for pregnancy. You’d want a mattress that will last more than a few years without compromising comfort or hygiene. Select a mattress that is ergonomically engineered with dense foam, natural latex, or higher and thicker coils. These specifications vouch for even weight distribution and durability, postponing the development of permanent sagging or body indentations.

Why is the Mattress Important for Pregnant Women?

The right mattress type and design promotes the health, safety, and overall well-being of pregnant women and their babies. It will improve their sleep environment and quality, helping them cope with the physical and hormonal changes happening in their bodies.

How the Mattress Influences Sleep Quality During Pregnancy

A suitable mattress for pregnancy will provide the necessary comfort and support that can prevent expectant mothers from experiencing body aches, including hip, joint, or back pain. Moreover, it will grant them stability and mobility.

Tips from Sleep Experts to Improve Sleep Quality During Pregnancy

Here are simple lifestyle changes that may help improve sleep quality during pregnancy, according to sleep experts:

How to Enhance Your Sleep During the First Trimester

Women in their first trimester of pregnancy commonly feel fatigued and a frequent urge to pee. 

• Sleep and wake up at the same time to regulate your body clock
• Schedule regular naps in the afternoon
• Limit fluids leading up to bedtime

Sleep Quality During the Second Trimester: Our Tips

Aside from frequent urination, pregnant women in their second trimester are also prone to heartburn or acid reflux, and leg cramps or restless leg syndrome (RLS)

• Drink less at night and pee right before getting into bed
• Avoid spicy, fatty, caffeinated, carbonated, and citrus food or drinks late in the day
• For cramps, lengthen your leg and flex your foot muscles until it stops

Third-Trimester Sleep Quality: Dos and Don’ts

Do’s:

• Do sleep on your left side 
• Do use extra pillows to support your back, belly, hip and knee joints
• Do apply a heat pad to ease aches and pains

Dont’s:

• Don’t sleep on your stomach or right side
• Don’t eat heavy meals at night
• Don’t skip your vitamins

What Is the Ideal Mattress for Pregnant Women?

The best mattress for pregnancy will significantly depend on body type and needs, personal preferences, and budget. Ideally, these mattresses should be able to deliver balanced comfort and support to help expectant mothers achieve deep and restorative sleep. Here are some of the main features you’d expect from each type of mattress to help you make an informed decision.

Memory Foam Mattress

Memory foam mattresses are often recommended by sleep experts and preferred by consumers for their ability to conform to the body’s natural contour and distribute weight evenly across the sleeping surface. Made of multiple layers, memory foam can offer zoned comfort and body-hugging support.

• Targeted and customisable comfort and support 
• Pressure point relief suits most, if not all types of sleepers
• Generally hypoallergenic and antimicrobial

Latex Foam Mattress

Latex mattresses are made from all-natural material if they’re 100% sourced from the sap of a rubber tree. They are durable, cooling, and hypoallergenic. However, be cautious of variants made of synthetic latex that are derived from petroleum-based polyurethane, as they may have the opposite effect.

• Eco-friendly and biodegradable
• Pinholes in the foam enhance airflow
• Naturally bouncy and resistant to mould and allergens

Innerspring Mattress

Innerspring mattresses are one of the most common types of mattresses. They are constructed with coils for support, which are padded and surrounded by foam or natural fibres. The level of comfort depends on the type and thickness of the coils or the padding. The main drawback is that springs may begin to sag or creak over time.

• Available at multiple price points
• Space between springs makes these mattresses breathable
• Superior edge support 

Hybrid Mattress

Hybrid mattresses, as the name suggests, are a combination of foam and spring mattresses. They are the perfect midpoint for those who like the traditional coil support system and the plush comfort foam.

• Softer and quieter than conventional spring mattresses
• Bouncy with edge support
• Pocketed coil system and foam topper reduce motion transfer 

The Best Pregnancy Mattresses Chosen by Sleep Experts

At Magniflex, we are dedicated to improving everyone's sleep quality with a diverse selection of memory foam mattresses that offer premium comfort and support. Here are some options that tick all the right boxes for medium to firm pregnancy mattresses.

• MagniCool 10 Firm

Pregnant women can keep night sweats at bay with the MagniCool 10 Firm, offering cooling comfort and firm support. It is constructed with a breathable and moisture-wicking fabric cover and quilted Memoform that creates air pockets to effectively dissipate heat.

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• Dolce Vita Dual 10

The Dolce Vita Dual 10 is a flippable and split mattress that adapts to changing firmness preferences during different stages of pregnancy. Plus, the dual-core technology allows couples to sleep harmoniously since neither one has to compromise their desired comfort level.

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• Magnistretch 9

A growing belly bump can understandably get heavy and put stress on the spine. The Magnistretch 9 was endorsed by the American Chiropractic Association for its ability to gently stretch the back. This 9-inch medical orthopedic mattress may just be the relief pregnant women need to relieve their back pain.

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