| Last spring I started experiencing back issues. Since hubby was too, we thought it was time for a new mattress. After it was ordered, but before it was delivered, I stopped sleeping through the night. That was May 27 - for the most part I get no more than 3-4 hours of sleep per night since then. I soon discovered I have a herniated disc - L/4-L/5 that I am trying to survive without surgery. Hope that the new bed - a Sealy Boheme Plush - would help me sleep didn't last long. It was waaay too soft. After a few months we traded it in for a Sealy Dorinda Plush Firm. Not to sound like Goldilocks, but it was too hard. I could barely eek out 3 hours of sleep on it at first. After a couple weeks we went to talk to the store we bought it from and they said sorry - no more exchanges - unless we want to trade it in for a $2500+ tempurpedic! I am so totally confused about what might work for me, there's no way I can drop that kind of cash on something that I won't be able to return or exchange. I'm thinking the best thing to try to do now is to put a topper on it. From internet research I'm pretty sure I want latex - a mix of natural with synthetic - probably talalay. I've read somewhere to be sure the latex is made in the USA for better quality. Anyone know about that? But what thickness...1", 2"? And what number IDL? (Are those the right initials?) I'm so tired. I can barely deal with this. I really don't want to hassle with ordering things and sending them back. I just want to sleep. I'm like an infant - I'm asleep and awake in 4 hour intervals and eat, go to the bathroom, and cry in between. I feel like the herniation is healing - I'm in a way better place physically than I was in May. But I do feel that if I was on the "just right" matress, I'd be sleeping through the night and well on my way to symptom free for the herniation. |
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Bedhater - my heart goes out to you! I know the overwhelming feeling of searching endlessly for the right solution. I found one, and later realized I had allergies to it (memory foam). So I'm searching again, too. A few of us are trying a "new" product we ran across...Oodles toppers & pillows. They seem to combine latex (in the form of pellets or "noodles") and a natural fiber spun from corn. I'm hoping it's the best of two worlds - fiber filled and latex... I like the puffy feeling if fiber and the springy feel of latex. Once they arrive and we try them, we'll report back to let you know if they are good or not. Meanwhile, I hope this is not too off topic or stepping out of the area this board is intended for, but I went through a long year of waking at 3 or 4 a.m. nearly every night. I also was sleeping SO LIGHTLY that anything would wake me up - including the soft paws of my cat's feet on the wood floor. It was maddening! I also had a couple other health issues going on (I'm overweight and had some hormonal issues) so I ended up seeing a Naturopath that my friend had raved about. The doc did some blood work on me and began tweaking my hormones with some supplements. After a couple months I had some marvellous health improvements. AND I BEGAN SLEEPING THRU THE NIGHT. I didn't realize they were connected, but apparently hormone imbalances can be a major cause of waking up in the wee hours. I thought my problem was my cat padding around at night - since that is what I noticed when I awoke. I tried locking him out (he only scratched and yowled so that didnt work) and earplugs... But as I progressed with the treatment, I started sleeping more soundly. I dropped the earplugs after a little while (since I hated sleeping in them), and as I got better - I didn't hear him at all! I know a herniated disc is WAAAY more intrusive to sleep than a noisy cat. But if your back is healing and you are still waking up, perhaps it is not the only cause of your waking... Maybe it's worth a try... Naturopaths are way more tuned in to women's issues than Western med docs. What have you got to lose? Best wishes for a succesful outcome in your quest for good nights rest. :) SK This message was modified Sep 24, 2009 by SKeeter
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