Extra lumbar support for apple-shaped side sleeper

I am a fit female (5’ 6", 137lbs) side sleeper, and with my past mattress experiences, I feel as if I’ve suffered on two extremes: On the one hand, if I get something with a plush top that relieves pressure points, I wake up in the morning with a very sore back. On the other hand, when I sleep on something fairly hard, my back feels great, but my hip and shoulder are miserable.

After reading all the really helpful information on the TMU website, I understand that I need a good comfort layer to relieve pressure points and to fill in and support the lumbar gap. However, I’m one of those “apple shaped people” (as opposed to “pear shaped people”). Unlike many woman who have large hips and butts, my hips are about as wide as my shoulders, and any excess body fat I accumulate goes straight to my belly. So, my lumbar area has a belly attached to the front of it, and in terms of weight distribution, this will make the lumbar area want to sink down along with my hips and shoulders. It’s just that the weight is on the front and not sticking out to the sides, so there’s still a side gap that needs to be filled when I’m sleeping on my side. Does this make any sense?

Any tips on the right type of mattress for this situation?

(Based on past experiences and what I’ve read on your site, I am most probably interested in a latex or latex/innerspring mattress. No memory foam or polyfoam for me…unless your response gives me a really good reason to reconsider.)

@Arizona_Premium
@Sleep_EZ
@TheCleanBedroom
@CST
@FloBeds

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Do not reconsider, memory foam is what causes lack of support in the lumbar because it does not push back like latex will. Based on your info I think our Eco Sleep model - Eco Sleep Hybrid Latex / Pocket Coil Mattress, Latex Mattresses-Talalay and Dunlop, All Products, with the Bolsa Coil upgrade and the 3" of Medium Talalay would serve you well. This will contour well to you body curves and still provide good lumbar support with the upgraded coil system. Let me know if you have any questions and thanks for reaching out.

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Hi morangm and thanks for reaching out on this! If you have a hard time finding your ideal mattress, you might want to consider the 10" organic latex mattress from Sleep EZ. The organic and natural mattresses are our flagship products because they’re fully customizable, meaning you can order the mattress to be as soft or as firm as you’d like. They’re also fully adjustable, meaning you can change the softness, firmness, back support, pressure relief, etc. AFTER you get the mattress in your home. To be more specific, the 10” is our most popular, and these mattresses normally go out with three 3" layers of different firmnesses - normally the softest layer (or the cushion & contour layer) is on top and the supportive layers are on the bottom. This helps ensure our customers get the right balance of contour for their hips and shoulders but also support for their lower back. If you start with a certain setup and find that it’s too soft, you can unzip the cover and rearrange the layers to get a firmer feel out of the mattress, or you can exchange a layer to make it softer. Additionally, latex mattresses typically last 20 years. If, in 5 or 10 or 15 years you decide you want a softer or firmer mattress you would only have to buy a new layer instead of an entirely new mattress. Lastly, if the mattress starts to break down in 15 – 20 years, it’s normally the top layer that breaks down first, and at that point you can likely just buy a new top layer of latex instead of a whole new mattress and get an additional 8-10 years out of the mattress.

Furthermore, queen, king, and cal king mattresses are available with what we call “split layers,” which means you can have us cut the layers down the middle (from head to foot) so that you can have a different feel / firmness on your side versus your partner’s side, and you can adjust each side independently over the 20 year lifetime of the mattress. About 95% of our mattresses go out with all split layers from top to bottom, and we get zero complaints on being able to feel the split and we get zero complaints about the layers shifting or anything like that, even if you sleep right on the middle of the mattress.

If you’re wondering how to pick the layers for this mattress, you can go to the natural or organic mattress page, click the green button that says “Build Your Mattress Now,” then click the gray oval that says “Personalized,” and you’ll be able to enter your information. The website will then make a personalized recommendation based on your information (the layers in the mattress diagram will reflect the recommendation after you click the “Apply” button. Please note that our initial recommendations have a 90% success rate (we only have a 10% layer exchange rate) so there’s a 90% chance that the recommendation turns out to be your perfect setup!

Although it’s not likely that you’ll need to rearrange layers or exchange layers, you certainly have the option to adjust the mattress according to you and your partner’s specific needs and preferences, both in the short-term and long-term. We have a 90 day exchange and return period, so you can exchange a layer within the first 90 days for a flat-rate $30 fee for the first exchange and the full cost of shipping for any subsequent exchanges. We will ship your layers first, and we will ship them with extra plastic that you can use to package your current layers, and we will ship it with a pre-paid Fed Ex return label. Also, if you will please call us when you are ready to ship your layers back we will schedule a free Fed Ex pick up for you. You will have 30 days after its arrival to return a layer of your choosing, so you’ll have plenty of time to try a few different combinations with the layers you have and the layer we will be sending you so that you can get your comfort and support levels just right.

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Hello morangm, welcome to the Mattress Underground!

You may be happy with a zoned mattress that has more give in the shoulder area and more support around the mid-zone of the body. An all-latex mattress could provide this option, as long as it is a good quality latex - Dunlop or Talalay will usually be more durable than a blended type. I personally love my zoned Obasan mattress - and I am one that needs support in my mid-section as well.

Proper support and cushioning makes for less motion transfer and less tossing and turning as well.

Alternatively, a hybrid, or even an innerspring may provide the support you need. One of the keys will be the number and quality of coils. If you have a good number coils in a hybrid, it will be able to contour to your body and provide support for you where you need it. The fewer the coils, the less flexibility, of course, and the quality of the coil matters as well, in a hybrid.

We offer all types of mattresses - latex, hybrid, and innerspring. Some of the latex models are zoned.

Finally, when shopping, the key is for your spine to be neutral, in a straight line. When a mattress is too soft or too firm, your spine curves and often back pain will result.

Best of luck with your search and let us know if we can help!

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