6 Best Mattresses For Light Sleepers (Review) In 2021
Last Updated: January 8, 2021If you’re a light sleeper, it can feel impossible to get through the night without something going BUMP and tearing you away from your sweet if a little strange dreams. Light sleeping can have a severe impact on your mental health, energy, and overall happiness. But not enough people take light sleeping seriously, especially if they can nod off like a log and sleep through the night. Therefore, it’s so important to find the best mattress for light sleepers to avoid any disruptions and help you get from sunrise to sunset with no interruptions.
However, most people, especially light sleepers, merely accept that their current mattress is the best mattress for them. This is not the case, though, and upgrading your mattress to one that suits your sleeping position and style can transform and revolutionize each night for the rest of your life.
So what should a light sleeper look for in a mattress best suited for them? Motion isolation is a key feature, as is a cooling comfort layer to prevent overheating and feel you’re being suffocated by the mattress and blanket. Of course, these are just the start, and you will find a mattress that will get you through the night without waking up and wondering where you are.
The Best Mattress For Light Sleepers
1. The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress - Best Choice
HIGHLIGHTS:
Twin to California King sizes
365-night home trial
Forever Warranty
11-inch height with 5 premium comfort layers
Coolest sleep with maximum airflow
Minimal motion transfer
1.
The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress - Best Choice
If you’re looking for a memory foam mattress that offers everything you could want to improve your sleep experience, The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress is exactly what you need. It comes with a range of size options and a 365-night trial so you can get a thorough idea of how well it works for you. The Forever Warranty will also offer peace of mind, ensuring quality materials that you can rely on.
It measures 11-inches high with five premium comfort layers that prevent midnight disruptions. The mattress is one of the best for welcoming you to bed after a stressful day, and as far as foam beds go, this stands out among its competitors easily. The result is the coolest sleep while also achieving maximum airflow, keeping you at the optimal temperature throughout the night.
The minimal motion transfer makes any movement something you’ll hardly notice. If your partner or pet regularly gets out of bed during the night, this is a lifesaver, and it will ensure you sleep soundly. From this, you will wake up every day feeling like a brand new person.
Learn more about The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress
2. Layla Memory Foam Mattress
HIGHLIGHTS:
Twin to California King sizes
Copper construction provides cool experience
120-night money-back guarantee
Lifetime warranty
Antimicrobial fabric
Variable support for deep compression areas
If you’ve done your research, you already know how popular a Layla mattress is within the industry, and the Layla Memory Foam Mattress continues this fine tradition of providing exceptional results to ensure the best sleep you’ve ever had. Unlike most other options, it boasts a copper construction that ensures a cool, comfortable experience.
This copper-based design does more than keep you cool, though. It is also antimicrobial. Therefore, you eliminate the risk of germs and bacteria thriving within the mattress, keeping you healthy, and anyone else, too. The mattress also comes with a great comfort layer that provides variable support for deep compression areas, and this acts as an exceptional pain relief system to prevent those morning aches and stiffness.
There is a range of sizes to choose from, and the 120-night money-back guarantee is generous, even if it isn’t the longest around. However, the Layla mattress is confident enough that you’ll love it, and this is clear in the Lifetime Warranty. With this, you know it’s a mattress that you can trust from your first night and beyond.
Learn more about Layla Memory Foam Mattress
3. Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress - Premium Pick
HIGHLIGHTS:
Twin to California King sizes
Made from recycled materials
Hybrid design combines spring and foam for lift and airflow
3 layers of perforated breathable foam
Continuous ergonomic zones with gel pods
Fewer aches and more sleep
3.
Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress - Premium Pick
The Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress boasts a hybrid design that combines the sturdy springiness of coil mattresses with the wonderful support of foam to ensure lift, airflow, and pressure relief. This keeps your back, hips, neck, and shoulders in excellent shape, pushing any supposed aging pains far out of sight for now.
The motion isolation is superb, and the three layers of perforated breathable foam are excellent for summer nights where the air is thick and you can’t get comfortable. It also boasts continuous ergonomic zones with gel pods, and this means you won’t be awoken during the night from strange pains somewhere on your body.
For those who want to do a little more for the environment, this could be an eco-conscious sleepers' best friend. The mattress is made entirely from 121 bottles, to be precise, so you can go to bed feeling good about yourself. The shipping is fast and free and there’s also a 10-year warranty that gives you confidence in the construction, and the 100-night trial gives you plenty of time to get used to it.
Learn more about Casper Wave Hybrid Mattress
4. Saatva Loom & Leaf Memory Foam Mattress
HIGHLIGHTS:
Twin to California King with Split options
Ultra-premium 5 pound memory foam
Relaxed Firm or Firm feel
180-night home trial
Free White Glove delivery
15-year warranty
For an option consistently ranked by light sleepers to be up there as the best sleep of their life, the Saatva Loom & Leaf Memory Foam Mattress gives you plenty to get excited about. You can choose any size between Twin and California King or consider possible Split designs to give you and your partner a customized mattress you can both adore, while the Relaxed Firm or Firm feel choices help you get the spinal support you need.
It boasts ultra-premium 5-pound memory foam that ensures great breathability and consistent airflow all year-round, while the 180-night home trial gives you the opportunity to test it out for a few months before you decide that this is the best and only mattress you will ever need in your life.
For your safety, it comes with free White Glove delivery, while the 15-year warranty ensures absolute confidence in the overall quality. For back and side sleepers, it's one of the most impressive around, bringing the two together to finally add some friendliness to the enduring debate. You can also enjoy excellent pressure relief, which further results in a healthier sleep.
Learn more about Saatva Loom & Leaf Memory Foam Mattress
5. Muse Cooling Memory Foam Mattress - Best Value
HIGHLIGHTS:
Twin to California King sizes
Soft, Medium, Firm feel selection
Suitable for all body types and frames
Zip-off cover for easy care and maintenance
Cooling fabric and 4 comfort layers
120-night sleep trial
5.
Muse Cooling Memory Foam Mattress - Best Value
The Muse Cooling Memory Foam Mattress puts you in control over the size and style of the mattress you choose to help you find the best result when selecting your next mattress. You have options ranging from Twin to California King, while the firmnesses include Medium, Soft, and Firm feels that you can match to your sleeping position, including back and side sleepers. This approach makes it suitable for all body types and frames so that no one feels left out.
If you want to make sure your mattress lasts as long as you need it, the Muse could be the answer for you. It comes with a useful zip-off cover that you can wash whenever you need, and this means any spills or stains are easily removed without affecting the comfort layers. Speaking of comfort, there are four comfort layers and a cooling fabric that will make you feel you've ascended to some realm where a good night’s sleep is the norm.
The 120-night trial is another great highlight, while the superior edge support gives you a dense foundation that won’t dip, keeping that dreaded sinking feeling away.
Learn more about Muse Cooling Memory Foam Mattress
6. DreamFoam Copper Dreams Mattress - Budget Pick
HIGHLIGHTS:
Twin to California King with Split option
Firm or Medium feel
120-night sleep trial
Free shipping and returns
Copper-graphite infusion for superior conductivity
10-year warranty
6.
DreamFoam Copper Dreams Mattress - Budget Pick
The DreamFoam Copper Dreams Mattress has dual Feel choices with Firm or Medium ready for selection. When you've decided this, you can match it to a suitable size, which could be anywhere from Twin to California King. There is a 120-night trial to help you decide if this is the best mattress for you, as well.
It is infused with copper graphite that delivers superior conductivity. This means it will draw heat away from your body to maintain the optimal temperature throughout the night. For anyone who is a hot sleeper, this is likely the best news you've heard all day and means you don’t need to wake up during the night to remove or add a layer.
There are multiple foam layers that balance comfort and support, gently shifting towards something denser to ensure motion isolation, while also providing durability to ensure it lasts. When you combine this durability with the 10-year warranty, you've got a mattress designed with longevity in mind and means your days of light sleeping, continuous disruption, and weary eyes, bones, and muscles the next day are a thing of the past.
Learn more about DreamFoam Copper Dreams Mattress
Features To Consider WIth Mattresses For Light Sleepers
If you're finished browsing the best mattresses for light sleepers but are still a little unsure which mattress is best for you, we've compiled this useful little guide to help you decide which option is the right one for you. This will consider back sleepers, stomach sleepers, side sleepers, along with the relief for pressure points and cooling technology for hot sleepers.
Materials
There is a range of mattress materials, but if you're a light sleeper, you cannot choose any material. This is all down to which materials are best for motion isolation. Out of all materials, memory foam is better than the rest. This will ensure almost complete motion isolation, meaning won't feel any movement if someone else moves, and it also means you can rest your drink on the mattress without the risk of spilling it. A hybrid mattress is also useful but not as effective, while you should avoid innerspring mattresses entirely.
Mattress Thickness
Most foam mattresses will measure anywhere between 9 and 14 inches, and the overall thickness doesn't always matter as long as they are well built. However, a thicker mattress can improve the level of support, which can be beneficial for light sleepers. If you struggle to stay asleep because you can't get comfortable, a thicker mattress with several foam comfort layers is ideal, as it will offer a suitable amount of support to help you get comfortable and stay comfortable throughout the night. Thicker mattresses will also lessen the feel of the bed frame, which prevents any Princess and the Pea scenarios and ensures a cozy, lasting sleep that helps you wake up refreshed every day.
Firmness
The mattress firmness level can directly impact the quality of your sleep and affect the support. The support you need will depend on how you sleep. When looking at firm mattress options, you need to consider the possibility of motion transfer and motion isolation. A plush mattress is bouncier, even if it is memory foam. Therefore, soft mattresses will cause more movement in the bed, which could wake you up during the night. Conversely, a medium-firm or firm mattress will lessen how much movement each side of the bed feels. You might not appreciate the same firmness as your partner, though. If this is the case, consider Split mattresses that provide different firmness levels for each side, allowing both of you to be comfortable while offering a suitable firmness that can help you sleep through the night.
Preferred Sleeping Position
Knowing a sleepers’ best sleeping position will also help you make the right decision over which mattress is one of the best choices for your needs. There are three types of sleeping positions: Back sleepers, stomach sleepers, and side sleepers. Most people are back and side sleepers, with a small minority preferring to sleep on their front. Your mattress choice will depend on how you sleep, as it needs to relieve the impact on pressure points to prevent neck pain and also ensure proper spinal alignment. Firm memory foam mattresses are ideal for those who sleep on their back or stomach, whereas a soft mattress is better for side sleepers. Again, if you and your partner have different positions, consider a Split mattress. You can also add a pillow top if you find the mattress is a little on the firm side.
Construction
All the mattresses we have selected are constructed using high-quality materials and include a range of elements that will enhance your sleeping experience. You will need several layers to ensure the best sleep, including a comfort layer and support core. A hybrid mattress may offer several layers of memory foam that will increase support and comfort, and a single-material bed may use gel-infused memory foam. Some mattresses will also include targeted zones that will keep pressure points from giving you any trouble. The better the construction, the more durable your mattress will be, also, which will give you peace of mind to enjoy many nights with your mattress.
Other Factors to Consider
What Causes Light Sleeping?
There are many factors that can cause light sleeping. These are:
- Sleep disorders (whether diagnosed or not)
- Lifestyle
- Genetics
- Brain wave activity
Regardless of what causes light sleeping, it isn't something anybody wants. Light sleeping can severely impact your mental and physical health, making you too exhausted to do anything, increasing your stress and anxiety levels, and even leading to more significant problems later on such as illness because of a weakened immune system, among a range of other problems.
Knowing what causes light sleep can help you take steps towards fixing your problems. Of course, a genetic disposition to light sleep is not something you can do much about. But you can still check with the doctor about any sleep disorders, especially if you sleep alone and have no one to tell you if anything is wrong. This is useful if you experience sleep apnea, but there are other potential disorders.
The only reason you have complete control over is your lifestyle. If you enjoy a beer or two each night, this could be a reason for light sleep. The same goes for eating too many fatty foods, which can make breathing difficult and increase your weight to hazardous levels. This will impact your sleep quality and could be the reason you are a light sleeper. A sleep expert should be able to advise on how you can improve your sleep by adjusting your lifestyle.
As for pre-sleep brain wave activity, you might be too stressed with work or other aspects of your life, such as your finances or relationship. This can make it difficult to switch off at night, meaning it's difficult to get to sleep. You can overcome this by using calming exercises to put you at ease and prepare you to go to sleep and make it through the night without waking up.
Light Sleeper vs. Deep Sleeper
So, what is the difference between a light sleeper and a deep sleeper? Aside from the fact, a deep sleeper could happily snooze through the apocalypse while a light sleeper is disturbed at a baby pigeon taking its first flight the next town over, there is a scientific reason some people are deep sleepers and others are light sleepers.
The primary answer is called Spindles. It's okay to never have heard of them. Spindles are a type of brain wave produced when we're asleep. They will block sensory information, such as noise, from reaching the thalamus.
Wait, so what's the thalamus?
The thalamus is the area of the brain that grabs sensory information and transfers it to the body. Besides noise, the thalamus also reacts to pain, odors, and temperature, among other potential sensory happenings.
The more spindles you have, the more sensitive the sound part of your thalamus is. Therefore, a larger number of spindles means you are more likely to be a light sleeper. Those with a lower frequency of spindles will not be as sensitive to noise while we're sleeping, which is what makes them deep sleepers.
It is not as simple as this, though. In terms of light sleepers vs deep sleepers. A study into spindles showed that more people are light sleepers than expected. However, many of these light sleepers don't realize they are disturbed. Or if they do, they fall to sleep almost immediately and forget about it in the morning. So, even if you think you're a deep sleeper, you might actually be a light sleeper without realizing it.
Mattress For Light Sleepers FAQ
Q: Am I a light sleeper?
If you wake up several times during the night from the smallest disruption, you could be a light sleeper. However, you may not have noticed this before. Instead, you may just think you're not tired enough to stay asleep all night, or there was something loud that caused you to wake up.
This is not the case, though. Light sleepers will regularly struggle to stay asleep throughout the night from the smallest disturbances. These could include a car driving past outside the window or even your partner changing positions. Considering how minuscule these instances are, being awoken by them is a definite sign that you are a light sleeper, and means a mattress for light sleepers could be the answer.
It is especially noticeable if you and your partner have different schedules. If they wake up earlier than you or go to bed later than you do after you've already gone to sleep, they might wake up when climbing in and out of bed. If you have a soft mattress or one with an innerspring design and weak edge support, your chances of being disturbed are much greater.
For deep sleepers, this isn’t an issue, as they can usually sleep from anything to earthquakes to mobile raves going on down the street. Light sleepers, though, will not sleep through these instances, and this is a problem.
Q: What should I do if my partner is a light sleeper?
In an ideal world, everyone would sleep the same way. They would favor the same sleep position. They could get comfortable in any bed and sleep through the night without any problems. If this was the case, nobody would wake up multiple times during the night, but they would feel refreshed first thing in the morning.
The world is not ideal, though, which is a real shame. Everyone sleeps a little differently from each other, and this can cause some problems. When you were younger and had the bed all to yourself, it didn’t really matter if you were a back sleeper, stomach sleeper, or side sleeper because you didn’t need to worry about anyone else. However, now you're older, in love, and sharing the bed, your sleep habits and sleeping positions could clash with your partner.
If your partner is a light sleeper, there’s the risk that you will wake them up from even the smallest movement. Nobody enjoys getting woken up, so this can cause frustration and even a midnight argument or two!
So what can you do if your partner is a light sleeper? There are a few solutions. One is investing in a new mattress that provides good motion isolation so they don’t feel you move around. This mattress can also provide great pressure relief to prevent aches and pains that can also affect their sleep quality.
Going to bed at the same time is another way to prevent problems, but this is difficult if you have different schedules. You could also adjust your sleeping positions so you're immediately comfortable, rather than tossing and turning through the night.
In short, it's complicated to share a bed with a light sleeper, but it’s not impossible to be successful. You just need to work together to find a solution that works for both of you.
Q: Can light sleep cause snoring?
Not necessarily, although there is a definite link between light sleep and snoring. Usually, snoring occurs in the periods between light sleep and deeper sleep, as the muscles in your mouth and throat relax. This can block the airway and cause snoring. If the airway is too tight, it will cause a loud, bed-rattling snore, whereas a wider airway results in a lighter, cuter snore that is barely noticeable.
But, while snoring is not exactly caused by light sleep, it can cause you and your partner some problems. Snoring means you are not yet in the deep sleep stage. This means you are more prone to being woken up by disruptions, whether these disruptions are a party downstairs or your partner desperately slapping you away or shoving you onto your side to shut you up.
Because of the disruptions, you could technically consider yourself a light sleeper, especially in this stage. If you want to avoid snoring altogether, you need to roll onto your side, which prevents heavier snoring, and also consider other reasons that cause snoring, such as drinking alcohol, any colds or illnesses, and your weight. Like most other things in life, sleep health is directly linked to other elements of a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, the healthier you are when you are awake, the healthier you will be when you go to sleep, which will ensure deeper and more refreshing sleep.
Q: What type of mattresses is best for light sleepers?
If you are a light sleeper, you can improve your sleep experience by investing in a new mattress that can contribute to keeping you asleep throughout the night. However, not just any mattress will do. There are specific features you need to look for that separates a good mattress from a great mattress if you are a light sleeper.
One of the most prominent problems for light sleepers is the constant movement that happens during people’s sleep. Their partners might spend the night tossing and turning. They might get up to use the bathroom or get ready for work. When they move, the bed moves with them. If you have an innerspring or coil mattress, this can cause a bounce that transfers across the bed, shaking the light sleeper awake and making it difficult for them to get back to sleep.
Instead of a springy mattress, you need one of the best mattresses for motion isolation. This dampens any movement, which means the light sleeper won’t be disturbed on the other side of the bed.
The same goes for the firmness level. A soft, plush mattress causes too much movement, whereas medium-firm or firm mattresses keep the motion in one place. You can find a range of options that offer the right mattress style and type to ensure you can upgrade to a new mattress suitable for light sleepers, hot sleepers, side sleepers, and anyone else, really.