Whether you’re an elite athlete, a weekend warrior, or simply live an active lifestyle, chances are you put considerable time and energy (not to mention money!) into optimizing your fitness. From carefully monitoring your protein intake to researching the latest advances in shoe technology, you’re committed to doing everything you can to be your best self. But have you ever stopped to consider how your mattress might be affecting your performance and recovery?
Sleep is the time when our bodies rejuvenate and repair, so it’s no surprise that the amount of restorative rest you get can impact athletic performance. This means the right mattress can help enhance recovery, while the wrong one can wreak havoc on your sleep and your ability to meet your fitness goals. Understanding what makes the best mattress for athletes can help you find the right choice for you.
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The Science Behind Athletic Sleep Recovery
There are four stages of sleep: the first two are lighter sleep, the third is deep sleep, and the fourth is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The deep sleep stage is of particular importance for athletes, since it’s when muscle recovery and growth occur, along with growth hormone release and immune system regulation.
Sports medicine experts say that athletes best repair muscle when they spend 50 percent or more of their time in deep sleep. If they don’t spend enough time in this sleep stage, they may not recover enough to perform optimally the next day.
For example, one study of basketball players found that not getting enough sleep cut the number of shots they made in half, while those who got 10+ hours of sleep nightly saw a 10 percent boost in accuracy. Another study found swimmers who slept for 10 hours saw significantly faster times right off the blocks, and were generally in a better mood.
You may not be able to get the deep sleep you need if you’re not comfortable. This is why the best mattress for athletes is one that allows the spine to naturally fall into alignment and prevents painful pressure from building up at the places where our bodies meet the bed. Proper support is crucial to achieving the level of sleep needed for growth and repair.
Essential Mattress Features for Quality Sleep and Athletic Performance
Since sleep is such a critical component to optimizing performance, it may be helpful for athletes to shop for a mattress the same way they do any other piece of fitness equipment. Here are some features that indicate a mattress is ideal for athletes.
Best Mattress for Athletes Essentials
- Pressure relief
- Spine-aligning support
- Cooling
- Motion isolation
- Edge support
Pressure Relief and Spine-Aligning Support
A mattress that ensures proper spinal alignment and pressure relief is important for all sleepers, but is essential for athletes who put a lot of stress on their bodies and need the optimized muscle recovery that deep, comfortable sleep provides.
What does proper spinal alignment look like? Your bed should promote spinal neutrality, meaning a straight line from the base of your neck down to your hips. That means that when you settle into your preferred sleep position, your mattress shouldn’t allow the heavier parts of your body to sink too far into the mattress. It needs to strike the right balance between contouring comfort and support, letting your muscles and joints relax without compromising posture.
While it depends on your sleep position and weight, many athletes find this balance with a hybrid mattress. Hybrids combine the spine-aligning support of contouring foam layers with the pressure-relieving power of coil support systems that evenly distribute body weight to prevent painful pressure from building up (and disrupting your sleep).
Pro Tip: For sleepers who struggle with back pain, extra lumbar support can provide much needed relief. Consider a mattress with zoned coils for extra strength in this critical area.
Temperature Regulation Systems
Your body temperature needs to drop in order for you to get the optimal amount of deep, rejuvenating REM sleep, making temperature regulation crucial for the quality rest you need to recover efficiently. That’s why the best mattress for athletes is one that features cooling technologies like moisture-wicking covers, breathable materials, and advanced foam infusions. For example, select Bear mattresses feature copper-infused foam, which actively draws heat away from your body due to copper’s high thermal conductivity.
Motion Isolation
There are few things worse than being kept from much-needed sleep by a partner’s tossing and turning—especially since these disturbances disrupt sleep cycles (and therefore recovery and performance). For athletes (and anyone who wants to sleep undisturbed), the best mattress features dense foams and individually wrapped coils that isolate motion, preventing it from traveling across the mattress.
Edge Support
Whether they’re stretching, sitting on the edge to lace up their sneakers, or fully unfurling for maximum relaxation, athletes tend to use every inch of their bed. If this sounds like you, seek out a mattress with reinforced edges. Typically, extra edge support is achieved with thicker and stronger coils or denser foam around the mattress perimeter.
Bear’s Sleep Recovery Technology™
At Bear, we offer additional sleep recovery features for athletes who want to get the most from their time in bed. Our Sleep Recovery Technology™ is powered by Celliant® fibers that absorb excess heat, convert it to infrared energy, and reflect it back to your body for a recovery boost. This process supports temperature regulation, and the recycled infrared energy also increases local circulation and cellular oxygenation. Ten clinical studies have shown the benefits of this technology, including improved sleep quality and efficacy.
Where to Find It: Bear currently offers our Celliant-infused cover with select mattresses, including the Elite Hybrid. For all eligible models, you’ll see an option to choose a cover before adding the mattress to your cart.
Sleep Optimization Strategies Beyond Your Mattress
While the right mattress is the biggest factor in optimizing your sleep (and performance), there are other steps you can take to ensure you’re getting the deep rest you need for recovery. Once you’ve chosen the best mattress for athletes, you can consider other ways to optimize your sleep, which will in turn boost your athletic performance. Some ways to improve sleep hygiene include:
- Bedtime Routine: Practicing the same relaxing rituals every night at bedtime helps signal your body it’s time for sleep. Consider taking a warm bath, doing gentle stretches or reading (not on a screen, since blue light from electronic devices may disrupt your sleep) before climbing into bed.
- Consistent Sleep Schedule: Try to go to bed and get up around the same time, even on weekends. While it may be tempting to sleep late in an effort to catch up on the sleep you miss when training or competing, doing so can interfere with your body’s natural circadian rhythms, making your sleep worse.
- Dark, Cool Room: To reach the sleep stages necessary for repair and recovery, your bedroom should be dark and the temperature should be between 60 and 67 degrees. Drawing your curtains and adjusting your thermostat before bed will provide you with the optimal bedroom sleep environment.
- Technology Integration: Utilizing sleep tracking technology may help you notice patterns in your sleep, so that you can identify things that may be interfering with your rest. For example, if you notice you don’t get much deep sleep on the days you have an afternoon cup of coffee, you can adjust your caffeine intake accordingly.
Your Competitive Edge in Recovery
With the key role it plays in recovery and strengthening, sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer and it deserves the same attention as training and nutrition. When you invest in the best mattress for athletes, you’re gaining a competitive edge every night while you sleep.
Disclaimer: Bear does not provide medical advice. All resources on the Bear blog, including this article, are informational only and do not replace professional medical counsel. Talk to your doctor about any health, mental health, or sleep-related issues.
