Best Mattress for Snoring

Snoring is a common problem— it affects over 90 million American adults. While snoring can happen in anyone, it most often affects males or overweight people. If you snore occasionally, it may not be much of a problem. But for those who snore on a nightly basis, it could be a sign of a more serious medical condition.

Your mattress could be causing you to snore— uneven support, sagging, and a too firm mattress can cause or worsen snoring. The best mattress for snoring can open up the airways if it provides an even, supportive sleep surface that won’t make the sleeper feel trapped or stuck.

5 Best Mattresses for Snoring

Mattress	Highlights	Price (queen)
Amerisleep AS3	Plant-based Bio-Pur® is more breathable and responsive than traditional memory foam.	$1399
Zoma Mattress	Zoned support of Triangulex™ and the latex-like feel of Reactiv® keeps the spine aligned.	$750
Nolah Original 10	AirFoam™ offers a plush, breathable sleep surface without risk of sagging.	$1019
Original Purple	The Purple Grid™ adjusts to any sleep position by cushioning pressure points on the body.	$1099
Original Tuft & Needle	T&N Adaptive® foam is infused with charcoal and gel to pull heat away from the body.	$595

1. Amerisleep AS3

The AS3 by Amerisleep is a 12-inch thick mattress. Its medium feel has near universal appeal among body types and sleep positions. Snorers will like this mattress because of its back support and pressure-relieving qualities. It has just the right amount of softness without sacrificing support.

The AS3 is encased in a soft, breathable cover to promote airflow and prevent heat build-up.

The top layer is Bio-Pur®, a plant-based memory foam which is more breathable and responsive than traditional memory foam. Bio-Pur® conforms to the body, relieving pressure points.

Next is the Affinity transition layer, which evenly supports your weight using HIVE® technology. Hundreds of hexagonal-shaped segments form a 5-zone system, with softer support for the shoulders and hips and firmer support for the head, back, and legs.

The Bio-Core® foam support layer assures the longevity of the mattress. Bio-Core® prevents sagging and evenly distributes body weight across the sleep surface.

Amerisleep offers a 100-night sleep trial with their mattresses as well as a 20-year warranty. While it’s not required, Amerisleep recommends customers try out the mattress for at least 30 nights. If you’re not happy, they’ll work with you to donate your mattress to a local charity and give you a full refund.

The first 10 years of the warranty covers repairs or a mattress replacement free of charge to the customer. During the last 10 years, Amerisleep will choose to either repair or replace the mattress at a prorated charge.

2. Zoma Mattress

The Zoma Mattress is designed to increase rejuvenation and recovery. The Zoma Mattress is 11 inches tall and contains three foam layers. The distinctive gray cover is a polyester and spandex blend crafted to wick away moisture for a cooler sleep.

The 2-inch top layer is Triangulex™—  a 5-zone support system made up of triangular-shaped segments which form different firmness levels for targeted pressure point relief.

The middle layer is made up of 2-inches of Reactiv™, a latex-like layer which contours to your body to decrease motion transfer.

The base layer of Support+ keeps you on top of the mattress without risk of sagging.

All layers of the Zoma Mattress are CertiPUR-US® certified, meaning it’s made without flame retardants, ozone depleters, or other hazardous chemicals with minimal off-gassing.

Zoma offers a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. If you’re not happy with the mattress after a month, Zoma will arrange a full refund. The company promises full repair or replacement for the entire 10-year warranty period.

3. Nolah Original 10

The Nolah Original is 10 inches thick and Certipur-US® certified. This medium mattress has been scientifically-proven to place four times less pressure on the shoulders, back, and hips than traditional memory foam.

The soft, natural viscose cover is custom-made. It’s designed to wick away moisture, helping you  stay cool and dry all night.

Beneath the cover are 2 inches of temperature-neutral AirFoam™. This layer contours to your body to provide pressure relief without trapping you inside the mattress. AirFoam™ is injected with large amounts of air for a breathable sleep surface.

A 1-inch layer of high-resilience foam, which is stronger and lasts longer than latex, acts as a transitional layer to keep the sleeper on the surface and prevent deep sinking.

A high-density foam makes up the 7-inch base layer. Guaranteed to last for years, it supports and reinforces the upper contouring layers.

Nolah offers a 120-night sleep trial and a 15-year warranty. Nolah requires its customers to sleep on the mattress for at least 30 nights to allow the body to adjust. If you’re not in love with it, they’ll send a driver to pick the bed up and donate it to a local charity or see that it’s recycled.

4. Tuft & Needle Original

The Tuft & Needle Original mattress is a 10-inch, all-foam mattress, designed based on customer feedback. It’s a great option for snorers looking for a better mattress on a tight budget.

Inside the ultra-soft breathable cover are two layers of CertiPUR-US® certified foam: T&N Adaptive® foam and high-density poly-foam.

T&N Adaptive® foam is a graphite and gel-infused layer to keep the sleeper cooler— graphite wicks away heat while the gel absorbs and disperses it away from your body.

The bottom poly-foam layer forms the base to add support and stability.

Tuft & Needle offers a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. Customers can return the mattress at any time during the sleep trial if not satisfied with it. The warranty covers any manufacturing defects and sagging greater than 0.75 inches.

5. Original Purple®

Non-toxic and hypoallergenic, the Original Purple® is a 9.5-inch mattress that’s great for snorers who need a lot of pressure point relief.

The cover is made out of polyester, viscose, and lycra blend. The top 2-inch layer of The Purple Grid™ is made of the Hyper-Elastic Polymer™ material. Temperature-neutral layers combine with open air channels to keep you sleeping cool. The Purple Grid™ is soft enough to cradle your shoulders and hips, yet firm enough to support your back.

The second layer is 3.5 inches thick and made of polyurethane foam. This layer prevents the body from sinking too deeply.

The base layer, 4 inches of high-density polyurethane foam, adds both support and longevity to the Original Purple® mattress.

Purple® offers a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. Purple® asks its customers to try the Original Purple® for a minimum of 21 nights. If not happy, the customer can simply give Purple® a call to arrange for a return. During the 10-year warranty, Purple® will replace the mattress in case of a manufacturing defect or sagging greater than 1 inch.

6. What Causes Snoring?

Snoring occurs when the muscles in the upper airway relax during sleep, shrinking the airway. Air passing through this narrow passage causes vibrations, creating the sound referred to as snoring. Sleep medications, obesity, allergies, and back sleeping can lead to or further exacerbate snoring.

Causes of snoring include:

• Nasal and throat conditions, like nasal congestion or large tonsils
• Poor diet
• Back sleeping
• Aging

Health Risks of Snoring

Snoring may seem harmless enough, but it can actually be a symptom of more serious medical conditions, like obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, stroke, and heart disease.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when gravity causes the soft tissue at the back of the throat to collapse, blocking airways. Those with OSA actually stop breathing periodically during the night, although they are usually unaware of this since their brain sends a signal for them to adjust their position and open the airways back up.

These pauses in breathing can happen about 30 times a night, with each pause lasting up to 10 seconds. While the breathing interruptions are short, over time they can lead to severe problems. Snoring, if left untreated, can lead to obstructive sleep apnea.

GERD

GERD, or gastroesophageal reflux disease, occurs when the esophageal sphincter weakens or relaxes, causing stomach acid to come back up into the esophagus. Snoring is a possible symptom of GERD— pauses in breathing from sleep apnea disrupts airflow, causing the contents of the stomach to come back up.

Stroke

A stroke can occur when the arteries become blocked or ruptured, disrupting the blood supply to the brain. If snoring is a symptom of sleep apnea, less air gets to the brain, causing the body to release more stress hormones, leading to higher blood pressure and heart fluctuations— the perfect setup for a stroke.

Heart Disease

There’s a risk of developing heart disease from snoring. Snoring may be a symptom of sleep apnea, and sleep apnea patients usually have high blood pressure, leading to heart disease and a greater risk of heart attack.

Tips to Reduce Snoring

Altering the way you sleep and making lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of snoring. Some of the easiest lifestyle changes you can make include side sleeping, buying a humidifier, healthy diet and exercise habits, using an oral mouthpiece, and elevating the upper body during sleep.

• Side Sleeping

Side sleeping is a healthier sleep position. It opens airways without risk of collapsing tissue or the tongue falling back, obstructing air.

• Humidifier

Dry air can lead to a dry throat and nose. Adding moisture to the air with a humidifier helps keep those air passageways moist and reduces the risk of snoring.

• Diet and Exercise

Fatty tissue can narrow airways in the neck, making breathing difficult. Altering your diet and incorporating exercise can reduce fatty tissue and expand airways.

• Oral Mouthpiece

Dentists may provide a custom-made oral mouthpiece which forces airways to stay open during sleep.

• Elevation

Elevating the body, whether through a wedge pillow or adjustable base, prevents gravity from collapsing the soft tissue and enables better breathing.

Mattress Considerations for Snorers

If you suffer from snoring, consider a few things before buying a mattress, like mattress type, your preferred sleep position, and available sleep trials, warranties, and return policies. These factors help you find the right mattress to improve your sleep quality.

Mattress Type

Mattresses are made of different materials, and each has their own pros and cons depending on your sleep preferences and needs. Some individuals want more bounce to their bed, like an innerspring or hybrid, while others prefer the hug-like sensation of memory foam or latex.

Memory Foam

Memory foam is a popular mattress choice because of its ability to contour to the body and relieve pressure points. A memory foam mattress is also known to isolate motion and produces little to no sound, so sleepers are less likely to wake in the middle of the night from movement.

Traditional memory foam mattresses retain heat; however, manufacturers have taken steps to fix this problem by using different types of memory foam (plant-based, and gel memory foam) or infusing the foam with other components, like gel beads, copper, and graphite.

Innerspring

An innerspring mattress is known for its bouncy feel and airflow thanks to the coils in the base. Innersprings offer little pressure relief compared to memory foam and latex because of their thin comfort layers. They also provide little to no motion isolation and have a higher noise potential than other mattress types.

Latex

Latex foam is created one of two ways— either through a chemical process (synthetic) or by taking rubber tree sap and whipping it (natural). Dunlop latex is the only known 100% natural latex available— while Talalay latex does use rubber tree sap, polyurethane fillers are added to give it its soft, sponge-like feel.

Latex mattresses sleep cooler and are more responsive than traditional memory foam. This material conforms to the body to relieve pressure points, but doesn’t conform as closely as memory foam.

Hybrid

A hybrid mattress combines the pressure relief of memory foam with the bounciness of an innerspring— essentially two mattresses in one perfect bed. Hybrid mattresses also reduce motion transfer because they contain individually-wrapped steel coils, which also cuts down on noise. Wrapping the coils in fabric increases the mattress’ pressure relief potential.

Hybrid mattresses may come with drawbacks, including less pressure relief, heat retention, some motion transfer, and noise potential.

Sleeping Position and Snoring

Snoring can happen in just about any sleep position, depending on the cause. The best mattress for snoring will depend on many factors. You’ll have a good idea by now of what may be contributing to your snoring problem. Maintaining spinal alignment is key for all sleep positions to minimize snoring.

Side Sleeping

Side sleeping is the most common sleep position. Side sleepers’  shoulders and hips press into the mattress, so they need e pressure relief to prevent waking up in pain. The best mattress for side sleepers should have gentle support to keep the spine in alignment with the head and neck. A soft to medium mattress is a great choice for side sleepers.

Back Sleeping

Back sleepers are most likely to suffer from snoring since soft tissue is more likely to collapse in this sleep position. If your snoring problem seems to be caused by sleeping on your back, you can train yourself to sleep on your side— a pillowcase filled with tennis balls pressed against your back can prevent you from rolling onto your back and force you to sleep on your side.

If you plan to remain a back sleeper, you’ll need a medium to firm mattress with some contouring and pressure relief to keep the spine in alignment.

Stomach Sleeping

We don’t recommend stomach sleeping because of the health risks created from excess pressure on the spine.

The best firmness for a stomach sleeper is a medium-firm to firm mattress to keep the body resting on the sleep surface without risk of sagging.

Sleep Trials, Warranties, and Return Policies

Assurances like sleep trials, warranties, and return policies show the level of confidence mattress manufacturers have for their products. Know what each entails before committing to a purchase.

Sleep Trial

Sleep trials are periods of time companies give customers to try a new mattress within the comfort of their own home. Most sleep trials last between 90 to 120 nights. If the customer isn’t happy with the mattress, many companies will offer a full refund.

Warranty

Warranties protect the mattress from manufacturer flaws that could cause the foam to crack as well as sagging or indentations in the top layers of foam. Most mattresses include a standard 10-year warranty, though some may extend to 20 years.

Return Policy

If a mattress doesn’t come with a sleep trial, take a look at the return policy. Most return policies last 30 days, about the same amount of time it takes most people to adjust to a new mattress. If the customer doesn’t like the mattress, they can return it for a full refund as long as it’s within the time period.

Other Things to Consider

Do adjustable beds help snoring?

Yes. Elevating the upper body widens airways, allowing for better oxygen intake. Everyone is different, so you’ll need to experiment with the settings to find the right elevation.

If an adjustable base is outside of your budget, another excellent way to elevate the upper body is by using a wedge pillow.

Can a soft mattress cause snoring?

Yes. A mattress which is too soft can throw off your spinal alignment because it can cause the body to sink too deeply into the mattress with little support. This, in turn, can cause compression and partially block your airways, leading to snoring.

Conclusion

We hope this article has given you a good idea of whether your mattress is contributing to a snoring problem. If you have an older bed with a visible sag, it might be contributing to snoring problems.

A quality memory foam bed of the right firmness can go a long way toward reducing your snoring. In turn, snoring less can improve sleep quality and increase your overall health. Better sleep leaves you better rested and ready to face the day.