Best Mattress for Sleep Apnea + Adjustable Base Recommendations

Key Takeaways

• A medium-firm mattress that supports side sleeping, spinal alignment, open airways, and pressure points is best for sleep apnea. 
• Pairing a mattress with an adjustable base for slight head elevation can help reduce snoring and other sleep apnea symptoms. 

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes your breathing to stop and start throughout the night. Loud snoring, insomnia, and other sleep apnea symptoms may leave you and your partner exhausted and irritable the next day. The best mattress for sleep apnea paired with an adjustable base may help.

Unfortunately, a new mattress won’t cure sleep apnea. Your first step should always be to visit your doctor and come up with a treatment plan. But a high-quality mattress may help manage your symptoms and lead to calmer nights by improving your comfort, sleep posture, breathing quality, and temperature regulation.

Below, we explore what to look for in a mattress and offer some tips for sleeping with sleep apnea.

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Best Mattress for Pressure and Pain Relief: RestorePremier® Hybrid Mattress

Alternative to: Helix Midnight Luxe

For superior pressure and pain relief, we recommend the RestorePremier® Hybrid Mattress. If you’re trying to manage sleep apnea by sleeping on your side, your mattress must provide the necessary pressure relief for key areas such as the shoulders and hips, as well as enough support to ensure proper spinal and airway alignment. 

This mattress provides our most immersive feel, thanks to the GelFlex Grid®. Tyler Wright, Senior Product Manager of Mattresses at Purple, explains, “The 3-inch GelFlex Grid® combined with the CoolFlex™ coils provides precise pressure relief, which is important for all sleep positions, but especially for side sleepers.”

The RestorePremier® Hybrid Mattress has earned awards from various publications, including:

• Popsugar: Best Mattress for Side Sleepers¹
• Forbes: Best Mattress for Pressure Relief for Fibromyalgia²

Plus, it’s top of the game when it comes to temperature regulation. With CoolFlex™ coils, this bed sleeps up to four times cooler than the competition.* Choosing a mattress that helps you sleep cooler can result in fewer awakenings during the night. 

*Thermal test and heat flux Study conducted by Purple on Purple Hybrid mattresses in 2023.

• Key Features: 3” GelFlex Grid®, individually responsive CoolFlex™ coils, advanced edge support system, ultra comfort layer, antimicrobial finish, moisture-wicking cover
• Materials: GelFlex Grid®, Ultra Comfort Foam, CoolFlex™ Coils, Antimicrobial Cover
• Sizes: Twin XL, queen, king, Cal king, split king
• Price: $3,499-$6,998

Reviewers love the pressure relief and feel of this mattress.

“We've been eyeing the bed for 2 years and finally bit the bullet and got it! It is the greatest investment we've made to date. We look forward to our naps and sleeping at night lol! The [RestorePremier® Hybrid] is just perfect! It's soft and firm at the same time! We sleep very well and wish we bought it sooner. No more body aches and pains.” — Janel A., RestorePremier® Hybrid review

Ease restless nights by cushioning your hips and shoulders and staying cool until morning. 

Best Mattress for Back Sleepers: RestorePlus® Hybrid Mattress + Purple Premium Smart Base

Alternative to: DreamCloud Premier

The RestorePlus® Hybrid Mattress’s 3-zone coil system provides cradling support and deep relief for the lower back. Its SoftFlex cover is made of stretchy, breathable material that keeps it feeling fresh and airy. 

The RestorePlus® has earned the following awards:

• Forbes: Best Mattress For Side Sleepers With Neck and Shoulder Pain³
• Good Housekeeping: Best Mattress for Heavy People Who Sleep Hot⁴

The motion isolation provided by the GelFex Grid® will ensure you don’t wake your partner by tossing and turning. As Wright notes, “Because those being treated for sleep apnea can sometimes experience discomfort during the night, making them more prone to restlessness and tossing and turning, it’s important to choose a mattress that helps reduce/eliminate partner disturbances.” 

• Key Features: Advanced edge support, 3” GelFlex Grid®, 3-Zone Edge-to-Edge Coils, ultra comfort layer, moisture-wicking cover and antimicrobial finish
• Materials: GelFlex Grid®, Edge-to-Edge Coils, Ultra Comfort Foam, Antimicrobial Cover
• Sizes: Twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king, split king
• Price: $2,799-$5,598

Back sleeping may exacerbate sleep apnea symptoms.⁵ But with the Purple Premium Smart Base, you can elevate your head and open your airways to relieve symptoms. 

On its own, the RestorePlus® is a comfortable option for many sleepers. Paired with an adjustable base, it’s unstoppable.

Reviewers testify to this mattress’s contouring and cushioning capabilities.

“Great mattress, keeps cool on those hot nights. Very soft and comfortable, reducing back pain as it conforms to your body. Pairs extremely well with the adjustable base. Highly recommended quality mattress, well worth the money.” — Brandon W., RestorePlus® review

Experience the difference for yourself. 

Best Value Bed for Adjustable Bases: Purple Plus® Mattress

Alternative to: Nectar Classic

Since adjustable bases may help with sleep apnea symptoms, you’ll want to know your best value option to pair with one. While you don’t need a special mattress for an adjustable bed, you do need a compatible one, and the Purple Plus® Mattress will do just the trick.  

The Purple Plus® was recently named:

• Tom’s Guide: Best Mattress for Back and Joint Pain⁶
• Esquire: Best Mattress for Side Sleepers⁷

With 2 inches of the GelFlex Grid® for instant relief and three layers of foam with motion absorption, the Purple Plus® offers cradling support that doesn’t trap heat and isolates motion to avoid nightly disruptions from a partner. 

• Key Features: 2” GelFlex Grid®, durable support base foam, ultra comfort layer
• Materials: GelFlex Grid®, Ultra Comfort Foam, Durable Base Foam, SoftFlex cover
• Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, Cal king, split king
• Price: $1,499-$3,198

Reviewers love the mattress’s responsiveness and comfort.

“Really love this mattress. It provides support without any pain. It is like you are floating on the bed. Also feels cooler than a regular or memory foam mattress. Love that the material instantly goes back to the regular shape as you move unlike memory foam which takes time to puff back up. Overall I am a fan and when the time comes I will go to Purple first again!” — Jaron, Purple Plus® review

So, if you’re looking for the best bed for snoring and sleep apnea, this could be it.

Best Luxury Mattress for Side Sleepers: RejuvenatePremier® Mattress

Alternative to: Nolah Natural + WinkBed Plus

For side sleepers wanting a high-end mattress to reduce their sleep apnea symptoms, check out the RejuvenatePremier® Mattress. This luxury mattress offers full-body pressure relief and support where you need it more.

The RejuvenatePremier®’s DreamLayer technology promotes a cool, breathable surface. Multiple two-inch GelFlex Grid® layers offer next-level support and deep joint cradling.

“The layered GelFlex Grid® is great for full-body pressure relief, especially for those who want or need more depth for the hips and shoulders,” says Wright.

• Key Features: DreamLayer technology, layered GelFlex Grid® technology, Soft Adaptive Foam, Responsive Coil System

• Materials: GelFlex Grid®, Adaptive Foam Layer, DreamLayer (Plush, MicroGrid™ top layer + MicroAir™ foam), Responsive Coil System
• Sizes: Twin XL, queen, king, Cal king, split king
• Price: $6,499-$12,998

If you’re looking for a luxury option to help ease your symptoms, consider this Sleep Number alternative. 

What To Consider When Shopping for a Sleep Apnea Mattress

While no bed can cure sleep apnea, choosing the right mattress can help ease your symptoms. Accounting for things like sleep position, weight, materials, and adjustable base compatibility is important. We’ll cover everything to keep in mind while shopping below. 

1. Account for Your Sleep Position

Different types of sleepers have different mattress needs. While personal preference comes first, this quick guide can help you find the right fit:

• Side sleepers: Side sleepers typically need softer mattresses to cradle their hips and shoulders. 
• Back sleepers: Back sleepers usually find medium-soft to medium-firm mattresses spine-supporting and comfy. Back sleepers with sleep apnea may find that an adjustable base helps ease symptoms best. 
• Stomach sleepers: Stomach sleepers often prefer firm to extra-firm mattresses to keep their neck and spine aligned. 

Combination sleepers: Combination sleepers tend to like the sweet spot of an adaptive medium-soft to medium-firm mattress that can support multiple sleep positions throughout the night. 

2. Get Enough Support for Your Weight

Your weight (and the weight of a partner and/or pets that sleep with you) impacts how well a mattress supports you. Heavier sleepers often find firmer mattresses more comfortable, while lighter sleepers tend to prefer softer mattresses. 

Also, consider mattress weight limits when buying. Standard queen and king size beds support at least 500 pounds, and most twin and full size beds support at least 250 pounds. Purple mattresses are tested to support at least 700 pounds of total weight.

3. Choose Quality Mattress Materials

Some mattress materials may feel better for those with sleep apnea than others. Here’s what to consider:

• Memory foam: Provides a contoured feel and good motion isolation, which can help prevent disruptions to a partner’s sleep if you’re tossing and turning due to sleep apnea
• Latex: Responsive, durable, and breathable; can help support spinal alignment
• GelFlex Grid®: Full-body support, gentle pressure relief for those with sleep apnea who need to sleep on their sides, cooling, and motion isolation
• Hybrid: Combines pressure relief for side sleepers and coil support for more comfort 

4. Prioritize Pressure Relief and Spinal Alignment

Doctors may recommend sleeping on your side to help manage sleep apnea symptoms. For side sleepers, a mattress that provides pressure relief is essential. Maintaining your spinal alignment can also help keep your airways open. Find a mattress with adequate pressure relief to make side sleeping as peaceful as possible. 

5. Look Into Breathable Options

Better airflow may help relieve some snoring and other breathing issues. Research the best mattresses for allergies to find beds that are mold-, mite-, and dust-resistant. You can also try placing an air purifier in your bedroom.

6. Research Adjustable Base Compatibility

Wright notes, “Because sleep posture is key in helping to manage some of the symptoms of sleep apnea, pairing a mattress with an adjustable base is an option to consider. If this is something of interest (now or in the future), be sure the mattress considered for purchase is compatible with an adjustable base.”

Here are some qualities of the best mattresses for adjustable bases:

• Flexibility: A mattress must be flexible to accommodate the movement of the base. Latex, memory foam, and hybrid mattresses are usually flexible enough to bend when using an adjustable base.
• Durability: Durability is especially crucial since the bed will experience movement. Materials like GelFlex Grid (also called hyper-elastic polymer), dense memory foam, latex, and pocketed coils work best.
• Responsiveness: The ability to bounce back is essential when the bed is adjusted to different positions. 

All of the beds on our list are compatible with adjustable bases.

Tips for Sleeping With Sleep Apnea

Next, we’ll touch on some tips for managing sleep apnea symptoms and sleeping more comfortably at night. 

Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. Please see a doctor to discuss a treatment plan for sleep apnea.

Follow Your Doctor’s Treatment Plan

Listening to your doctor is the first step. Your healthcare provider may first have you do a sleep study to diagnose your type of sleep apnea. 

Obstructive sleep apnea happens when your airway becomes blocked at night, while central sleep apnea occurs because your brain doesn’t send the signals to tell your body to breathe. Once you identify the problem, your doctor can help you come up with a treatment plan. 

Treatments vary, but common treatments include continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machines, lifestyle changes, and even surgery.⁸

Switch Up Your Sleep Position

Side sleeping has been shown to reduce snoring and help with sleep apnea symptoms.⁹ Doctors usually also recommend side sleeping when on CPAP therapy. So if you’re a back or stomach sleeper, you may need to transition to side sleeping to manage your symptoms.

Use an Adjustable Base

Studies show that mild head elevation helps with obstructive sleep apnea symptoms.¹⁰ This makes elevating your head slightly the best adjustable bed position for sleep apnea.

An adjustable base can help manage sleep apnea symptoms by promoting better airway alignment and support. By using gravity to allow easier airflow to the lungs, adjustable beds may help reduce airway blockage and snoring. While not a cure, an adjustable bed can help ease symptoms and lead to more restful sleep.

Experience the feel of a zero-gravity bed with Purple’s adjustable bases. 

Choose the Correct Pillows

You can make side sleeping more comfortable by using a mid to high loft pillow for your head and placing a low loft pillow between your legs to keep your hips aligned. Choose a pillow built for breathability and bounce, like the Purple Harmony™ Pillow. 

What Is the Best Adjustable Bed for Sleep Apnea?

An adjustable base can be a game-changer for sleep apnea symptoms like snoring. The best adjustable bed for sleep apnea helps open up the airways through head elevation and reduces pressure on the body with zero-gravity features.

Purple’s adjustable bases are a top choice. They offer head elevation, soothing vibrations, and sleep-enhancing sound technology to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Here’s what each variation brings to the table:

• Purple Adjustable Base: Provides customizable head elevation via a wired remote and works with most bed frames and headboards 
• Purple Premium Smart Base: Controlled with a wireless remote or smartphone, provides head and foot elevation, One Touch Flat, Zero-Gravity®, and Anti-Snore presets
• Purple Premium Plus Smart Base: All of the benefits of the Premium Smart Base plus pillow tilt and lumber support to reduce tension, and multiple massage settings

What Is the Best Mattress for Sleep Apnea?

Ultimately, it depends on your preferences and needs. Typically, though, the best mattress for sleep apnea will be a flexible, breathable mattress with ample pressure relief and support for your spine, paired with an adjustable bed for head elevation.

Purple mattresses and adjustable bases are best in class regarding comfort and breathability. Try them out today to see if we can help you achieve more restful nights. 

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