Finding the best mattress for stomach sleeping comes down to a variety of factors including your weight, type of stomach sleeping position, anatomy, and budget. Generally, we recommend a firmer mattress for heavier sleepers and a softer mattress for light sleepers, however, buying a new mattress with ideal firmness doesn’t solve all issues for stomach sleepers. It’s much more than your mattress. Stomach sleeping leaves many areas of your body vulnerable and it's important that you address each of these areas to give you the best chance of a good night’s rest if you’re dead set on sleeping on your stomach. Our top pick is the Nectar mattress available on the Nectar Sleep Site.

Regardless of sleeping position, all sleepers should be trying to sleep in a neutral spinal alignment, where all areas of your spine are in a natural position, with minimum tension, twisting, or flexion. This is particularly challenging for a stomach sleeper, but here’s what you can do to address the common issues:

• Lower Back - The key issue with stomach sleeping is lack of support in your lower back. Stomach sleepers should pay attention to their lower back and pelvis and experiment with putting a thin pillow between the mattress and their abdomen to improve spinal alignment. This issue can vary a lot depending on your anatomy. Overweight people may have extra mass in their stomach and women have breast tissue to contend with, which can cause even more flexion in your lower back.
• Neck - In order to breathe properly, many stomach sleepers are forced to twist their head and neck 45 to 90 degrees left or right. This puts a lot of strain not only on your neck but on your shoulders as well. We recommend trying a thin pillow, and sleeping on the very edge of the pillow to minimize how much you have to turn your head. You may want to forget the pillow altogether. Many stomach sleepers are also guilty of using a pillow that is too thick. This can throw your spine out of alignment.
• Shoulders and Arms - Many side sleepers have a tendency to bring their arms up to their pillows as they sleep. It’s important to bend your elbows and keep your hands near your head to minimize shoulder and arm pain. Avoid sleeping on your arms.
• Combination Sleeping - Stomach sleepers can often be combination sleepers, meaning they may start out on their stomach and then change to a different position (often due to discomfort). This means your mattress needs to be versatile enough to support you regardless of the position you’re in. We recommend getting a medium firmness memory foam mattress that provides contouring for side sleeping and firmness for back and stomach sleeping.

Ultimately, it’s best to try and transition to another sleep position, such as sleeping on your back or side. Both of these positions make it much easier to obtain a neutral spinal alignment.

Many stomach sleepers wonder about the best mattress firmness for their sleeping posture. Since stomach and back sleeping require less contouring (the mattress' ability to adapt to the shape of your body), usually a firm mattress is a good match. However, firmness needs vary based on your weight and preferences. It may be something you need to experiment with. Many of our top-pick mattresses come with two sides and/or risk-free trials and the ability to return the mattress if the firmness isn't right.

We’ve invested around 32 hours of research on creating this guide on stomach sleeping and supplemented it with our own research plus an in-depth interview with a chiropractor who frequently helps patients with their sleeping positions and sleep-related back and neck pain. We have also considered 23 of the best mattresses around for our top picks. You can learn more about our review process here.

Best Value
Best Budget
Best Organic Mattress
Best for Light Sleepers
Best for Combination Sleepers

• The Nectar mattress is an excellent medium-firm mattress that is suited for stomach sleeping for most people.
• Great combination of quality, cooling abilities, and price point.
• Currently, the best trial and warranty in the business.
• Includes free pillow(s) depending on what size you order.

Read our full review of the Nectar mattress.

• Extremely budget-friendly mattress with a medium firm hybrid two-layer design that pairs well with stomach sleeping and is also a good match for combination sleeping due to the innerspring and memory foam hybrid construction.
• The most popular mattress on Amazon, with nearly 10,000 reviews.
• 10-year warranty.
• Available in different firmness/thickness options.

• The Sweetnight mattress is a medium and medium firm mattress(double-sided) that gives you two firmness options, both suitable for stomach sleeping but taking the guesswork out of firmness selection when buying online.
• Gel-infused memory foam outer layer has been proven to keep you cooler than traditional memory foam mattresses.
• Solid 10-year “no risk” warranty.

• A high-end organic and natural approach to mattress manufacturing that uses certified organic latex, wool, and cotton.
• Construction is hand-tufted without glue or toxic adhesives.
• The organic cotton and wool combine for a naturally cool feel.
• American-made.

Read our full review of the Avocado Green mattress.

• The soft side of the Layla mattress is great for lightweight stomach sleepers but who may not appreciate the firm side.
• Known for its innovative use of a copper-infused gel that helps you sleep cool.
• Significant air pockets in the mattress help circulate air within the mattress.
• 120-night trial and lifetime warranty.

Read our full review of the Layla Foam mattress.

• Tuft and Needles Original mattress provide versatility in contouring that makes it great for combination sleepers. It acts firm for stomach or back sleeping, then contours for side sleeping.
• It uses gel and graphite in its proprietary T&N Foam.
• 100-day trial and a 10-year warranty.
• American-made.

Read our full review of the Tuft & Needle Original mattress.

If you haven't tried to transition to a different sleeping position, you should. Here's how:

• If you're someone that changes positions in your sleep you can try attaching a marble to your chest. This creates discomfort whenever you unconsciously return to the stomach sleeping position and can help you stay on your back or side while you're trying to break the habit.
• Get a pillow designed for back or side sleeping. Most contoured or cervical pillows are not suitable or comfortable for stomach sleeping, therefore (in theory) making it more comfortable and likely for you to sleep on your back or side, even when unconscious.
• Use a body pillow. Making use of a body pillow while side sleeping can give you a similar feeling on your abdomen and make it easier to transition to side sleeping full-time.
• If you find side or back sleeping uncomfortable, make sure you have a properly fitting pillow and an adequate mattress. Stomach sleepers tend to use thin pillows that are particularly unsuited for side sleeping.
• Exercise. Exercise is proven to improve your sleep and help you fall asleep faster. Being extra tired is a great time to try a new sleep position.

While there are many bad narratives associated with stomach sleeping, there are some positives:

• Snoring - Stomach sleeping is known to reduce snoring
• Sleep Apnea - Stomach sleeping is known to reduce sleep apnea occurrences and can be a safer sleep position.
• Digestion - Extra pressure from sleeping on your stomach is reported to aid in digestion.
• Warmth - Stomach sleeping can help you retain body heat better than back or side sleeping, as your internal organs are less exposed.