
Best sleeping positions during pregnancy
Interrupted sleep every night because you have to pee? Shortness of breath because you accidentally rolled over to your back? Hip pain when you sleep
A Japanese futon (or a shikibuton / shiki futon) is a quilted cushion that is often 3-4 inch thick.
The Japanese put it on a grass woven mat (called tatami mat) and sleep on the futon mattress.
You may find this too hard to sleep on if you’re used to soft and sink-in mattresses.
But it is good for your spinal alignment, which helps you avoid having back pains.
And trust me, once you get used to it, you will love sleeping on a Japanese mattress – just like me .
Indeed, many pregnant women have said they prefer to sleep on the floor
This is because when pregnant, their belly is the heaviest part of their body.
And it sinks into the mattress the most, making the spine curve in an unnatural way.
Sleeping on a hard surface prevents that.
However, sleeping on the floor alone places too much pressure on your hips and shoulders.
What you can do is placing a thin cushion underneath – in this case, a Japanese futon.
A Japanese shiki futon is 3-4 inch thick, which gives you enough cushioning to relieve the pressure at your hips and shoulders.
Most, if not all, Japanese futons are not washable.
Therefore, you should use a mattress cover to protect your shiki futon, especially if you are going to put it on the ground.
With most japanese mattresses, you will have to hang it in the sunlight and beat it up every 2 weeks.
This is to prevent mold and bacteria from growing in the shikibuton and to fluff it up.
Without further ado, let’s dive into the best Japanese futon mattresses!
Best Value
Best comfort
Best for camping
This futon set is the best for value.
This authentic Japanese set comes with a futon (shikifuton), a comforter (kakebuton), and a pillow.
Therefore, if you want to feel like you are in Japan, this is a must-have.
In terms of comfiness, lots of people including pregnant women have said laying on the floor helps with their back pain. However, other people who are used to the Western thick and soft mattress find this quite thin and hurt their pressure points.
So, imagine a Japanese futon as a sleeping bag that’s a bit thicker than a normal sleeping bag. You probably will not enjoy sleeping in only a sleeping bag on the hard ground. You need to have a sleeping pad to make sleeping on the ground more comfortable.
Similarly, if you want to make sleeping on a Japanese futon (shikibuton) more comfortable, consider a layer of sleeping pad. It could be tatami mats to go with the Japanese theme, a sleeping pad, or some cheap foam you can buy from Walmart.
This Japanese shikifuton is the most comfortable futon mattress for sleeping on the floor. Thanks to its special sandwich quilting technique, the high density foam pad can cushion better.
If it’s still too firm for you, you can use some more cushion. You can consider tatami mats to go with the Japanese theme, a sleeping pad, or some cheap foam you can buy from Walmart.
This futon is best for camping with its dense filling, dust proof cover, and other accessories. Lightweight and portable, you can easily roll it up and store away when not using, or bring it with you on road trips.
If you are not a fan of camping, no worries. This can be used to “camp” in your yard, for a sleepover at your friend’ place, or a guest bed when you have visitors.
With the dust proof cover, you can extend the durability of the mattress.
Regarding its comfiness, this mattress is highly dense, which will give you cushioning and is still firm enough for your back to not hurt. Before quilting, the thickness is 17cm. Then they quilt to compress the foam to 10cm (about 4 inches).
This shiki futon set is the most portable as it only weighs 7 lbs in total. It comes with a japanese futon mattress (shikibuton), a thin comforter (kakebuton), and a storage case.
The comforter is thin, as it was designed for indoor use or for the summer. So, if you’re planning to have a sleepover in the winter, maybe turn up the heat.
I would say this is the best for a sleepover.
This Japanese futon is also very good for comfort. It is a thin layer of cushion, meant to be placed on a hard surface (a tatami mat or even the floor). Sleeping on hard surface is actually good for you spinal alignment, and in the long run, keeps you a way from back pains.
The cushion is still soft to relieve some pressure at contact points such as your hips and shoulders. But as other futons, many of us in the West may find it’s incredibly hard to sleep on the futon placed on the floor. So you can consider placing a tatami mat, a sleeping pad, or a layer of foam below the futon for more cushioning.
If you want to sleep on the floor at home, go for the EMOOR Japanese futon set or the EMOOR Classe Japanese futon mattress (option 1 and 2). They are both comfortable. The difference is the set comes with a pillow and a comforter while the mattress only is better quilted.
If you want a camping trip, go for the 3rd mattress – Maxyoyo roll up mattress. You will sleep higher from the ground than the other options. The mattress is also high density, which gives you plenty of support.
The 4th option – the ultra compact japanese futon set – is good for a sleepover. The whole set weighs only 7 lbs. The comforter is thin, suitable for indoor temperature or the summer.
If the floor is too hard for you, place the futon mattress on a tatami mat. It will give you a bit more softness.
If it’s still too hard, you can place one layer or more of waffle foam underneath your Japanese futon mattress. Waffle foam is very cheap and can be found in Walmart.
First of all, most Japanese futon mattress are not washable. Therefore, you should always have a mattress cover on your futon.
Every now and then, hang the shiki futon under the sun where there is a good air flow. This prevents mold and bacteria from growing inside the mattress. And it will also fluff the japanese futon up.
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