How you sleep is just as important to getting a good night's rest as how long you sleep. Each sleep position has its own benefits and drawbacks, so choosing a mattress suited to your favored position ensures optimal comfort and support.

Side sleepers

The preferred position of 47 percent of Americans, the fetal position, requires curving both your arms and legs inward. Curving one leg while leaving the other straight creates a variation called the sprinter. The yearner position, which puts you on your side with your arms straight out, remains the favorite position of 13 percent of American sleepers, while 6 percent select the log position, which keeps your arms by your sides. The need for spine support, pressure point relief and conformity make memory foam mattresses, such as the Serta iComfort, particularly attractive to side sleepers.

Back sleepers

Sleep experts suggest sleeping on your back when you have issues with pressure points as this position distributes your weight evenly across the mattress. Variations on this position include the soldier position where you lie with your arms and legs down and close to the body, which 11 percent of Americans prefer. The starfish position, which accounts for 7 percent, places you on your back with your legs loose and your arms upward near your head. Both these sleep positions require medium to firm mattresses, and to further add to your comfort, make sure you have an adjustable base support, which can be inclined slightly to help reduce acid reflux.

Stomach sleepers

Stomach sleepers most often rest in the free-fall position, which positions their hands on or above their pillows. If you favor this sleep position, as 17 percent of the population does, you need firmness and support plus a surface that conforms slightly to your body's shape. This puts memory foam, innerspring and hybrid mattresses like the Beautyrest Black Extra-Firm at the front of the pack for stomach sleepers.