Best Mattress for Allergies – 2023 Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

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Hop down to our Buyer’s Guide for a crash course on finding the best mattress for sleepers with allergies.

Best Mattress for Allergies Buying Guide

Below, you’ll find our detailed mattress and bedding guide for people with allergies. We’ll begin by discussing how and why allergies occur.

What Are Allergies?

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, allergies affect approximately 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children in the United States. An allergy occurs when a person’s immune system reacts to a potentially harmful substance known as an allergen and produces an antibody known as immunoglobulin E (IgE), which in turn triggers an allergic reaction.

Allergens can take many forms. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common allergens include the following:

• Pet dander, pollen, dust mites, mold, and other airborne allergens that originate biologically and transmit through the air.
• Certain foods, including (but not limited to) nuts, wheat, soy, fish, eggs, and milk.
• Stings from bees, wasps, and other insects.
• Certain medications, especially penicillin and its derivatives.
• Substances that can cause skin reactions through touch, including latex.

Each type of allergen triggers different symptoms in people with allergies. Also known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever is a common allergic reaction to dust mites, pollen, pet dander, and other airborne allergens. Symptoms of hay fever typically include nasal congestion, watery eyes, and a mild cough, but these effects are rarely severe enough to warrant medical attention. Other allergens such as foods and insect stings can trigger anaphylaxis, a life-threatening condition characterized by difficulty breathing and swelling of the throat.

People with allergies should see a doctor and/or call 911 if life-threatening symptoms occur due to allergic reaction. Many people carry prescribed epinephrine injector pens that can be self-administered during severe reactions. However, those who use a pen on themselves should still see a doctor right away in case the symptoms return.

Common Cold vs. Hay Fever

According to the Mayo Clinic, perennial hay fever is a condition typically brought on by pet dander, dust mites, and other year-round allergens, while seasonal hay fever usually occurs in the spring to early fall and is often attributed to higher levels of tree, grass, and ragweed pollen.

Hay fever and the common cold, a viral infection, share many symptoms. As a result, it’s easy to mistake one condition for the other. These shared symptoms – as well as some distinctions between allergies and colds – are displayed in the diagram below.

The Mayo Clinic notes additional differences to help people distinguish hay fever from the common cold. For example, hay fever often causes the nose to discharge a thin, runny liquid, whereas the common cold produces more viscous nasal discharge. Additionally, most people with hay fever immediately feel symptoms after exposure to allergens. Those with the common cold may not feel symptoms for up to three days after being exposed to the virus.

People who frequently experience hay fever symptoms may want to consider a doctor’s visit if they take anti-allergy medication and still feel effects, as this can indicate the presence of a common cold. This is particularly true for people whose temperature exceeds 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius) and/or whose fever persists for five days or longer.

How Allergies Affect Sleep

Since most allergy symptoms can be unpleasant and persistent, people with allergies often face sleep-related issues. One study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology noted a survey in which sleep problems were reported by 48 percent of respondents with seasonal hay fever and 68 percent of respondents with perennial hay fever. Another survey found that 88 percent of children with perennial or seasonal hay fever experienced sleep disturbances due to their allergies.

Unfortunately, people with severe allergies are more likely to experience worse sleep quality. The table below demonstrates the relationship between allergic rhinitis (AR) severity and different sleep issues.

Below, we’ll discuss common sleep problems that can occur in tandem with seasonal or perennial allergies.

Insomnia and Allergies

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by chronic difficulty falling or remaining asleep. Per the Mayo Clinic, insomnia may be a short-term issue that last for days or weeks, or a chronic condition with symptoms lasting one month or longer. Insomnia is quite common for people with allergies. These individuals tend to experience nasal congestion that causes them to breathe through their mouths, which in turn can lead to discomfort and more frequent sleep disruptions during the night.

A number of studies have noted a link between allergies and insomnia. One survey published by the Archive of Internal Medicine found that people with severe AR were more likely to experience difficulty falling or remaining asleep than those with milder AR symptoms. Another study found that children and adults with atopic dermatitis (AD) – a chronic skin condition that leaves people more vulnerable to skin allergies – were at higher risk of sleep disruptions than those who do have AD.

Sleep Apnea and Allergies

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder where the individual’s breathing suspends momentarily repeatedly throughout the night, decreasing the level of oxygen in their blood. OSA is typically caused by an obstruction of the airways from nasal congestion or relaxing of the throat muscles.

The nasal congestion experienced by allergy sufferers increases their risk of OSA, but studies have shown that if allergy symptoms and accompanying nasal inflammation are reduced, their OSA symptoms can reduce as well – leading to better sleep and more restful lives.

Treating AR in childhood is especially important, because it prevents the face from elongating and increasing the child’s risk for sleep apnea. OSA in childhood impacts cognitive functioning to such an extent that it can limit them from reaching their full potential due to potential brain damage.

Anyone concerned their snoring is a sign of sleep apnea rather than a reaction to allergies should talk to their doctor about this issue. The doctor may order a polysomnography (an overnight sleep test performed in a lab) to monitor breathing. Those who are diagnosed with sleep apnea may receive a prescription for a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. Worn over the face during the night, these machines prevent airways from narrowing and closing in during sleep.

CPAP therapy is an extremely effective treatment for OSA. However, individuals with allergies may do better with a full face mask than a nasal or nasal pillows mask. A full face CPAP covers the full face, so individuals receive air whether they’re breathing through their mouth or their nose.

Daytime Fatigue

Allergy symptoms create uncomfortable conditions, like watery eyes and runny noses, that make it difficult to fall asleep at night. Nasal congestion often causes sleep-disordered breathing like snoring, which itself interrupts sleep. As a result, allergy sufferers have trouble getting sufficient, high-quality sleep on a regular basis and rarely wake up feeling well-rested. This impairs their daytime functioning and worsens their mood.

People with AR have experience higher levels of stress and are more prone to depression, especially when they don’t get enough sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation not only weakens the immune system, but it can alter immune defense for the long term, increasing one’s risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Sound sleep is essential for maintaining good health and managing allergy symptoms. During deep sleep, the body restores and refreshes, repairing muscles and strengthening the immune system. Without sufficient sleep, this process is interrupted, leaving people less equipped to fight their allergy symptoms the following day.

Tips for Sleepers with Allergies

People with allergies may be at higher risk of sleep problems, but there are measures they can take to ensure sufficient sleep quality and duration. These include the following.

Mattresses and Bedding for People with Allergies

Below, you’ll find our recommendations for sleep products that provide the best resistance to dust mites, mold, mildew, and other allergens.

Best Mattresses for Allergies

While most mattresses sold today are made from allergen-resistant materials and fabrics, some are more effective at preventing the buildup of dust mites, mold, and mildew.

Memory foam mattresses are all-foam models. The comfort layers – and sometimes the transitional layers – are made of viscoelastic polyurethane foam, or memory foam. This material softens when exposed to body heat, allowing it to conform closely to the body, and then it returns to its original shape when the heat is removed. This creates the characteristic “body hug” many associate with memory foam. The support layers of these beds are made from high-density polyfoam, which provides stability for the entire mattress.

All-latex mattresses feature comfort and support layers made of latex, a material derived from the sappy extract of rubber trees. Latex gently conforms to the body without sinking too much, making it a good alternative to memory foam for people who don’t enjoy the body hug sensation. Latex also retains less heat and typically sleeps cooler than memory foam.

Both memory foam and latex are resistant to dust mites, mold, and mildew. They contain layers of solid material where it is more difficult for allergens to accumulate. Those who enjoy a close, body-cradling feel from their mattress should opt for a memory foam bed. The same goes for people with latex allergies (more on that further down). People who sleep hot and/or want more moderate contouring may want to consider an all-latex model instead.

On the other hand, innerspring mattresses tend to attract more allergens. This can be attributed to their open coil systems, which feature nooks and crannies where dust mites, mold, and mildew can  thrive. Hybrids also feature coil systems but their memory foam and/or latex layers provide more resistance to allergens than the thin polyfoam layers found in most innersprings.

With innersprings and hybrids, regular vacuuming is more important. This ensures allergens don’t accumulate too much through the bed’s interior. Owners should also purchase a dust mite resistant zip-off cover for added protection. For those who use a box spring with any type of mattress, we recommend a washable cover for this component, as well.

Best Pillows for Allergies

As with mattresses, the best pillows for people with allergies include memory foam and latex models because these materials resist common allergens. Another option for allergy sufferers is a buckwheat pillow, which is filled with the hard hulls that encase buckwheat seeds. Some people have buckwheat allergies, but these cases are not very common.

People with allergies may want to avoid pillows with down and/or feathers from ducks and geese unless they’ve received antimicrobial treatments. Down and feathers may contain dander that triggers allergy symptoms, and these materials are also vulnerable to dust mite buildup.

Washable pillows are the easiest to keep clean, especially if the inner components can also be laundered in a machine. Owners may want to invest in a pillowcase in addition to the built-in cover for added protection against allergens.

Best Sheets for Allergies

Most fabrics used to construct sheets pose little allergy risk to sleepers, but some manufacturers treat their sheets with chemicals and dyes that can trigger allergy symptoms. Inquire about whether a sheet set is hypoallergenic before purchasing, since there’s no way to protect sheets with a cover as one might with their mattress or pillow.

Some hypoallergenic sheet options include:

• Rayon from bamboo, an exceptionally breathable and silky-soft material that also resists mold, mildew, and dust mites.
• Silk, which is both luxuriously soft and naturally hypoallergenic.
• Pure cotton, another natural, breathable material that resists allergens very well.
• Wool, a breathable and moisture-wicking material that provides excellent protection against dust mites.

A Word About Latex Allergies

Mattresses and pillows with latex can trigger allergies in people with latex allergies, but it’s worth noting this type of allergy is quite rare. The AAFA estimates fewer than 1 percent of adults and children in the U.S. have an allergy to latex. Furthermore, this allergy is most often found in niche populations, including children with spina bifida, young people who undergo frequent medical treatments or procedures, and healthcare workers who regularly use latex gloves.

As rare as latex allergies are, they should definitely preclude someone from considering a sleep product containing latex. People with latex allergies can experience moderate to severe symptoms when exposed to the material. These may include itchy or swollen skin or lips, hives, inflammation of the eyes, and – in serious cases – anaphylaxis. People who have latex allergies or suspect as much should avoid latex-based bedding items unless they’ve been told otherwise by a credentialed medical professional.