I'm 6'2" and around 260 lbs, side sleeper. I've been waking up with sore hips on my current firm mattress. Someone told me I should go softer for pressure relief but I'm worried softer means less support for my weight. Would a softer mattress actually make the pressure on my hip bones worse? I don't want to sink so much that I'm misaligned, but the current pain is getting old.
pressure relief
Would a softer mattress make pressure on my hip bones worse
Softer doesn't automatically mean worse pressure. If you feel like you're lying on a sidewalk, a little give can help. The trick is not going full marshmallow.
I'm ~280 and went from firm to mediu hybrid and my hips thanked me. The soft top takes the edge off, but the coils underneath stop me from bottoming out. Pure soft foam was a disaster though.
I think it depends on whether it's soft support or just soft. A plush pillowtop over a firm core is different from a mushy all-foam bed. Have you tried adding a topper first? Cheaper experiment than a whole new mattress.
I haven't tried a topper yet, honestly didn't think of it. That might be the smart move before dropping real money. The current mattress isn't that old, I just didn't know if softer was the right direction or if I'd be making it worse.
Toppers are are hit and miss. If you go too soft you just create a new problem where your hips sink and your lower back starts complaining. I've been down that road.
The mattress industry has convinced everyone that "firm" equals "supportive." It doesn't. Support is about keeping your spine neutral, not about feeling like a board.
Also check your pillow height. If your mattress changes, your pillow needs might too. Side sleeping with with the wrong pillow can make hip pain feel worse because your whole alignment shifts.
I'm not heavy but side sleeping on a too-firm mattress made my hips ache. Softer helped me. I realize that's not the same as being a heavy sleeper, but the pressure point logic is similar.
The pillow angle is interesting. I do use a fairly flat pillow. Maybe I'm chasing the wrong fix entirely. I'll probably start with a medium topper and see if that takes enough pressure off before shopping for a new bed.
Medium topper is a reasonable first step. Just don't expect it to fix everything if the mattress underneath is already too hard for your body. Sometimes you're just delaying the inevitable