Mattress Forum

I am finding out that some nights, I need a firmer mattress and others nights I need a little cushion. Hence since I have a latex kit, I am going to put the 44 ILD higher up closer to me on one side and lower under the 36 ILD's on the other side of my bed. I love having two sides of my bed. But of course if I was married, I would only have one side.  <BR><BR>For you BeddyBye, maybe like you said, some exercise and weight loss would help but also maybe you can cut the topper in half so one side of the bed has a firmer topper than the other side of the bed?<BR><BR>That reminds me I need to start exercising again since I have lot most of my muscles in my back that had prevented me from every needing a back brace due to my scoliosis. I still have muscles but I will after the pain from my car accident heals, do my best to strengthen my back again. I wish I had a rower like my old gym had since that really gave me strong back and stomach and arm muscles.

BeddyBye,<BR><BR>I forgot you have a zipped up cover also. I guess our backs feel differently on different days and the muscles need different layers of support.<BR><BR>One day, I will have someone in my life and not have both sides of my bed to myself. Right now it is good for my sleep but I know it is not forever since I really do not want to be alone forever.<BR><BR>Good luck on making your bed's comfort level just right for your back as best as you can since our comfort level seems to fluctuate daily.

Sometimes I'm not sure if my aches and pains, and particularly lower back issues aren't related to other factors. I'm always ready to blame my mattress, it seems. The reason I say this is because my back is terribly fickle these days. One day my mattress (latex and coils) will feel just great the way it is. Then the next day my lower back hurts. I tweak the layers a bit or add a softer topper. But no matter what I do, it never seems to feel perfect. I'm talking about my back and sometimes other body parts. I'm beginning to think if I made a point of 1.) Exercising and stretching more 2.) Losing about 20 lbs.  3.) Going to bed earlier....my back might feel better all the way around. Then, hopefully, I can stop trying to configure my mattress to "cure" the aches and pains. Maybe I shouldn't give it so much responsibility! I'm realizing that we need some teamwork here for this 'perfect match' to work the way it should. <BR><BR>Off to the gym....I guess....:-)

<BR><BR>BeddyBye,I know exactly what you are talking about-Some days I wake up and couldn't be happier with my mattress but other days I am thinking about sleeping elsewhere.I have two small children that love to wandering in sometime in the middle of the night and sleep with my Wife and I and that is when I typically wake up feeling anything but rested.I finish my sleep in one of the kids twin beds and wake up feeling fine.Now, this could be due to the fact that I have a the whole bed to myself (my guess) or it could be their beds are quite firm compared to mine.Just this past week I was on vacation and installed a paver walkway in my backyard.After 8 hours on my knees my back wasn't feeling all that great and woke up feeling a little sore.Was this due to mattress?Certainly not,but somehow I wanted my mattress to make everything normal again but that was not going to happen.But, that is the benefit of having mattresses such as ours-you can customize your mattress exactly as you see fit and are not locked in to what Sealy/Serta/Simmons/ect. had in mind.Just tonite I wanted to try my bed a little firmer so I switched my top medium layer for a firm layer.If I am not happy I'll switch it back to it's original set-up.That's what I like about a latex kit!Jeff

You probably are expecting too much. No mattress is going to cure degenerating, herniated or arthritic discs, although it would be nice if one could!  Maybe you should see your doctor to determine if something else isn't going on there that could improve with therapy. If you do have some kind of lumbar spine issue the wrong kind of exercise could actually make it worse, so it's a good idea to check it out first.<BR><BR>Unfortunately aches and pains are part of ageing. I had a compressed disc injury when I was a teenager and I've had a weak back ever since. Now that I'm older it just seems to hurt all of the time. Part of the problem is arthritis, so too much back strain or environmental issues like cold or damp just makes it worse. <BR><BR>I've resigned myself to the fact that I often have to tweak my bed to sleep comfortably. Sometimes this means more padding, sometimes it means less. I always keep a flat feather travel pillow handy to slip under my waist if I feel the need for more lumbar support. Other times I use a 1/2" piece of HR foam that I can fold over and tuck under my waist. I like these two materials since they are firm to varying degrees and provide more support than my memory foam topper alone. Right now I have a 1" memory foam topper on my bed. But sometimes when I really feel achey all over I pull out my 2" memory foam topper. And sometimes I have a good day--or night rather, when I don't need to tweak anything at all--but they are becoming the exception rather than the rule.

A little info about my setup-Bed:SleepEZ 13000 (4 layers) in 100% Natural Talalay latex.After two night on my firm top latex layer (38-40ILD) my body was craving something soft.So, I decided to go back to my original top comfort layer, a medium latex layer(30-32ILD) but, instead of the second layer of firm latex I put my X-tra firm layer (44ILD).I figure this would give me the comfort I want with the extra support my body is craving as of late.I'll post after a couple of days of this setup.Jeff

Have you ever thought about an adjustable base?  There is no miracle bed (as one member mentioned), but maybe the closest thing to one, is one your able to adjust.  The reason I mention this, is everything medical draws a conclusion that an adjustable bed (not an airbed) can alleviate a lot of aches and pains.  I haven't seen any flat beds in hospitals that I can remember.  Any time your able to articulate your body position, (elevating your head and foot area) it can greatly relieve a lot of common problems people experience when lying flat.  If you get a chance to look at these types of sleep systems, you should.  Unfortunately, a lot of mattress sales people don't have the proper training to demonstrate such beds.  It may take some foot work, but they're out there.  Call around first and ask questions about adjustable systems.  A knowledgeable salesperson will answer your questions with confidence.  They aren't cheap, but if your in pain, they are well worth it.<BR>Good luck