Mattress Forum

Before you buy another mattress, I would warn you that the new S brands (with the PU foam qulited into the cover) are probably hotter than latex.  I have a fairly new Sealy that slept hot before I did surgery.  After putting in latex and a wool mattress topper, it now sleeps cooler.  I have tried the Celsion, and my personal opinion is that it does not sleep cooler (after a couple of hours) than regular latex.

Wool / all cotton mattress pads (which I put over the wool topper) might help a little bit as well.

Diane

Kimberly, what kind of mattress protector is on the surface of the mattress? 

If you have a wool mattress pad and it is still a little too hot then you might actually want to look at the duvet next.  A light weight silk duvet makes just about anyone sleep at a comfortable temperature (even people on Tempur-Pedic mattresses).  And the price on them is actually very reasonable for a basic one.

Diane, that is good to know. I fell in love with that Natura one in a store and probably would have bought one.

A duvet?  I thought a duvet is a cover that goes over a comforter, not something that goes on top of the mattress.

I don't currently have any mattress protector on top of the mattress - just a bamboo sheet.

Natura does make a washable one as well.  I don't think it is as thick as the "plus" one, so may not regulate temperature as much.  I think matting down would be an issue with any wool topper and not unique to Natura?  Maybe the way they quilt it will make a difference?

If Kimberly is not using a fitted mattress pad, then a washable wool one might do the trick.  I think it needs to have enough wool to make a difference. 

Kimberly, I don't think budgy was suggesting the duvet go on top of the mattress (although I have used that trick to soften up our lake bed).  I think he meant if you already have a pad on the mattress that maybe re-evaluating what your daughter is sleeping under as a possible culprit for heat retention within the sleeping environment.

Back to the wool issue.  I am a 50+ woman with sleeping hot "issues", and sleeping between the Dormier washable mattress pad and under the Natura summer weight wool duvet has addressed those "issues"!

Diane

Currently, our local climate requires AC during the day, but the temp drops enough at night to not cause the AC to run after about 11pm -- however this means the humidity is not pulled out of the air and we get so hot/humid that we wake in the middle of the night and turn the AC down some more. We're not sleeping on a latex mattress. Could that be part of her heat problem?

Finally, did she want a latex bed, or was it your idea because it works so well for you?

And yes I was thinking a light silk filled duvet instead of a normal comforter, it can make a huge difference.  But before that I think you might have some success with the Dormeir mattress protector...there is about 7.5 oz per yd of wool flll in the pad, inside a very breathable cotton terry cover.  Probably a more breathable cover than what is on most mattresses. 

That said, I'm glad you are happy with your Sleepez, and hope you have the same experience with your next one.

What decorating forum?! Sounds interesting :)

I used to just go into the decorating forum until someone told me about the paint forum, the kitchen forum, the flooring forum and then I realized their are so many forums with so many helpful people sharing pictures of the changes they have made to their homes giving me ideas. The forums helped me pick out floors for my home office and family room, learn to use a gel stain to make my kitchen cabinets not look worn out, helped me pick out bedroom furniture, help me realize that Bone White is a warm color for the walls since I was so used to white walls that I was afraid to go much darker, helped me pick out lamps for my bedroom, and helped me pick out the tiles for my foyer.  One poster even privately wrote me to call and he would help me learn how to clean the tiles since the tile guy did not take the white film off of the porcelain tiles that I had him install with Spectalock grout.

Two of my clients told me about the FloBeds and the Decorating forum told me about this website and had a post on latex beds before I made a decision.  If my older posts are still there on the archived forums, other can read about my dilemma.

Kimberly, I think you would enjoy the forums. Let me know what you think. others can visit also. 

By the way the laundry forum helped me realize my dryer was not drying due to the long vent in the attic that was clogged.  So many nice people in the world to make up for the ones that are not so nice.

Natura has "toppers" and mattress "pads".  The one you are referring to is a mattress pad, which has the elastic siding to fit over the mattress.  Those have less wool (10 oz. /square yard).   The washable topper has 18 oz. / yd.  And the Classic plus topper (not washable) has 36 oz./yd.   I assume that more wool will provide more temperature moderation.  So, in general I would go with the topper over the mattress pad.   I actually use both.  I have a wool topper (1.5" from Wal-mart - can't remember who makes it but reasonably nice) and I cover that with the Natura washable wool mattress pad. 
 

I do see that the toppers have more wool than the protectors, but if I know my daughter, she'll be upset if the topper shifts around.  She tends to be sensitive that way >.<.  So, even if it is a little less wool, it's worth the tradeoff, I think, having it secure on the mattress.  My "local" (as in 50 miles away) Dormier dealer is selling the size I need for $175 . . .

The Natura Washable Wool Pad or Dormeir Mattress Protector are both machine washable and meant to protect the mattress and/or any topper being used on the mattress as well.  The Dormeir cover though is less stiff than the Natura and just seems to be more comfortable.   These are both quilted well enough that the fill will not shift, if you do want something washable these are the ones I would recommend.

All of these items should help with temperature regulation and night sweats.

Is your daughter picky like me with stitching from mattress pads and likes soft?  This is soft, and yes any wool will go flat after so many months of use.  Just my humble opinion.

I wanted washable just in case, so I am happy with it.  I will probably have to replace it in a year or two if it goes totally flat and I want it soft again.  It does make the mattress a bit firmer, but that is the case with any mattress pad as you well know.  The backing is a tiny bit stiff, but as I said I am pretty picky so I like it.

haha! warm water darn it!  warm!

leo3: the beauty of the Dormeir is it is the only pad I have tried that does not make the mattress feel firmer because it has no stiffness to it whatsoever and the stretchy sides do not put any downward pressure on the mattress.

I have had my Natura wool on top for 2 months or more and it has flattened some, but I don't think it would get stiffer.  Is that the one you had?  I believe the back is a polyester?  It isn't a problem for me yet.

Diane

Budgy, can you give me a brand name or link to one of the silk Duvets you recommend? I don't even know what a duvet is. (Yeah I could find out by doing an internet search but that would be too easy. Anyway I wouldn't know which one to get...) Oh, and you mean this is something one would use instead of a comforter or blanket? Sounds good. I usually just regulate my heat at night by using several layers of cotton sheets and thin blankets, but maybe this duvet thing might be better...
 

http://www.stgeneve.com/products/Silk%20Duvets/SilkDuvets.htm

A duvet basically is a light weight fabric outer shell (usually cotton) with a natural fibre fill in the middle for insulation.  they really should be used with a duvet cover.  out of the st.geneve ones I usually recommend the cotton cover duvet as it is more breathable and usually lighter. 

people can be hugely surprised at how much difference in temperature there is depending on what their duvet or comforter is filled with.  weight of a comforter has no direct comparison with warmth.  the warmest duvets around are really high quality down filled duvets and they are exceptionally light weight, a silk duvet by comparison is much heavier than down, but lighter than say sheeps wool, yet it is the coolest sleeping of all fills.

How funny I really do feel sheet pills too!  Any little thing drives me to insomnia.

I am happy with the Natura wool on top, no stitching.  I weigh 50 lbs more than you (I think) so I really do feel any stitching of any kind.  I tried every single mattress pad made, not kidding either.  Couldn't stand any of them.

I'm really glad to see all this discussion of the protectors/covers/and oh gosh the silk duvet looks amazing.

Thanks Budgy.

And pray tell, what will one of these babies cost a person? I see they sell them at Duxiana stores, so it's GOT to be expensive! (Not saying it isn't worth it, but I'm just preparing myself for sticker shock on one of these...)
 

Hey Budgy, thanks for the reply. You're right. That's not as bad as I thought. When I get back to work, I'll put one of those on my wish list.

Sounds like she just needs a nice thicker cover maybe. Cotton would be cooler, maybe a nice bamoo organic cotton. Wool I think is nicer for the winter.

other than the hot issue, does she like the comfort of it?. I heard kids need firmer mattresses to grow. I was thinking of getting my girls a medium topper in talalay, since I think the soft is just too soft. Their mattress seems a bit too firm right now, but it is only a year old, so I'm thinking just a two inch topper. if you could, tell me what firmness level does your daughter have on her bed?.

For someone like you who has back issues, I think the 3" soft top is too much softness.  As I replied in another thread, I have back issues and I have 32/36/36 ILD on one side of my own bed and 36/36/36 ILD on the other side of the bed.  Although I've been sleeping on the 32/36/36 side, I'll be switching to the 36/36/36.  Most of us with back issues find that we need out beds firm, with a little bit of cushion for pressure points.

In your case, the Flobeds might have been a better choice.  You'd have been able to order extra firm layers, and because the Flobeds comes with a 2" soft convoluted topper (which the Sleepez does not have), you could have had the firmness for your back, tempered by the soft topper for some pressure relief. 

Also, the Flobeds offers a V-Zone bed, where one of the layers actually has different firmnesses in different sleeping zones (e.g., the hip and shoulder area are softer than the bottom and mid section).  This has been a good solution for some people (I don't have this model).

The Flobed seems to offer more options, but at a higher price.

Does anyone know if Europe even produces Latex?, do they have the trees there to do that?. That is where Foambymail says their manufacturor is from.

Kind of hard to figure out what you like when you sleep on the couch.