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Hi I ditched my problematic Kingsdown and bought a Shifman Renoir. It came yesterday and I slept on it last night. This morning I woke up with my left shoulder and arm completely numb, usually a sign for me that my mattress is too hard and aggravating the pressure point. Now, I know it has been one night, but I am nervous that it is too firm, despite this being their softest mattress. So, what do I do to soften this up if I continue to have shoulder pain? Do I get a latex topper or feather/fiber bed and which one, from what company? I am fairly small at 5'3 130 pounds. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, as I am upset that now I might have an uncomfortable mattress and hard time sleeping.
Thanks Amy |
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sandman wrote: Some people walk on their mattesses to help speed up the breakin process. I'm sort of doing that..but rather than walking, sitting heavily (dropping down) on areas I want to indent (shoulder area mostly). We shall see if it works. |
| I hope amysue reports back on the fiberbed. Never even heard of that one! |
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Hi everyone!
Thanks for the many replies and conversation about the problem I am having. I was waiting to see what happened with a few nights on the fiberbed. Now, when I say fiberbed I mean a fake fiberfill topper that I purchased from Bed Bath and Beyond. I have allergies so I decided to try this before a feather one or foam. So, I have slept on it for a few nights and would love to report significant progress, but....I like the feel of the cushy topper because the tight top of my mattress lacks softness. I was hoping that it would relieve the pressure points that I obviously have in my shoulders. Unfortunately, I woke up this morning with my entire left arm frozen and numb and my other shoulder bothering me. This has happened a couple of times while sleeping on the topper. My other defective mattresses from Kingsdown had latex tops and while it was part of the reason for them getting ditches, I think it was also helping my shoulders. The Shifman does not have a top layer of latex, as it is deeper down the mattress I think. I purchased the 3 in. Gel Foam topper from Costco and one from Kohls by sleep innovations. All of these products have been bought at places that I could easily return items to and for convenience. So, I am at a point of trying one of the foam toppers because I am in too much discomfort of the morning. Any thoughts on which one to try? I hope that the mattress does soften on its own, but they are made so tightly that I wonder about that. An adjustment period is fine, but I am concerned about doing damage in the process. I have the same question about the break in--will it soften at all if I have a layer of foam or other top on it? I'll keep you informed of my trials here, as I see that I am not the only one with the problem!
Amy |
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Amy, I had a Shiffman Chateau for several months and it was hard as a rock for the first month or so, to the point of giving me buyer's remorse. I too suffered from arms falling asleep and also painful shoulders/upper back from sleeping on it. BUT, the mattress softened noticeably within a month or two, and ended up being very good for my back -- many of my back problems went away and my arms no longer fell asleep. I ended up returning it for other reasons (discovered some of the fabric had been torn on underside and was also worried about potential chemical allergies due to flame retardants etc. so ended up trying an all natural latex bed). But had I kept it, I likely would have put some topper on it just to make it a tad more comfy, but nothing major bc it had already broken in to the point of being both comfortable (albeit not luxurious) and good for my back. So if the exchange/return policy permits, I would try sleeping on it for another month before investing too heavily in toppers, etc. It's a really great bed. Just wish they made an all natural version.
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Thanks CitySkies. Thing is though, with the flipping and turning that you have to do with the bed (which I do see as a plus and one of the reasons I bought it) how do you ever break it in fully and quickly? You keep changing the sides you sleep on every month or so and would then go back to a hard side again right? Also, tell me about your concerns regarding the flame retardants. I had the Kingsdown bed with a lot of latex and my allergies were horrible with it.
Amy |
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Hi Amy, sorry for the late reply -- no longer check/post regularly. I don't remember exactly, but think it took just a month or so to 'break in' the Shifman, and well worth. Don't tk you need to turn it more than that so you'd just have four sides to break in at one month each. Remember that breaking in is gradual so it gets progressively better during the 1-month period. You could try using a topper during the break-in period as I ended up doing. How is the bed working for you now? |
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Well, I like the feel of the fiberbed topper as it makes the bed softer. Unfortunately, I am still waking up with a frozen shoulder and pain. I am trying the Costco gel topper with the fiberbed and while it is comfortable, it has not helped my shoulder. At this point, I may try the Kohls topper, but after that I am at a loss. I have so much on the bed now that it would surprise me that the hardness of the bed is still causing the problem. Still, don't know. After trying a few more things I may have to actually go to a doctor and see if I have a shoulder issue per se that is beyond the bed.
Amy |