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I've been researching and reading posts on this forum for the past 2 months and finally decided to try the king size Sleepez 13,000 latex bed. I kept comparing this bed to the beds offered by Flobeds but decided to go with Sleepez due to the price difference, no sales tax and no shipping fees. I also took PLamarine's advice and ordered the organic cover for an extra $50.00. I'm 5'8", 210lbs and ordered the XF,XF,F, Med for my side. I told Shawn that I am a side/stomach sleeper and prefer a firm bed. Hopefully this is not too firm but just right. For my girlfriend's side, I ordered XF, F, Med, Soft as she is 5'5", 150lbs and is a side/back sleeper. I also ordered the foundation for this bed. I finally pulled the trigger and ordered this bed today because I was checking out the metal support frame under my current Serta bed when I noticed that one of the wooden support slats underneath the box spring on my side is cracked. Hopefully the new bed comes soon and solves all my sleep discomforts. I'm so excited and can't wait to get this bed. This message was modified May 13, 2010 by sidesleepin
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| Just got the new S and M layers in today. I set her side to F/M/S/S and she immediately thought it felt better. We'll see after she sleeps on it tonight. She likes the soft pillow top feel of inner spring mattresses so it might be just a matter of getting used to the new latex feel. For my side, I had been sleeping on XF/XF/M/M which was good for my lower back however, I was experiencing some shoulder pain and didn't feel like my shoulders were able to sink in enough. Using the new layers, I switched it to XF/F/M/M in order to see if this helps at all. Just hope it's firm enough that I won't start getting my lower back pain back again. |
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UPDATE So far, I like this bed and it has greatly reduced my normal, every day body aches that I used to experience after waking up on my old Serta. Right now, I have my side set to XF/F/M/M and her side is at F/M/S/S. She likes this the best but I'm not sure about my side yet. I've tried XF/F/M/S and XF/F/S/M by using one of her S layers but it made her side too firm for her using one of my M layers in place of one of her S layers. Using XF/F/M/S was a bit too soft for me so I tried XF/F/S/M and it felt better. The problem is, my lower back really likes XF/F/M/M but my shoulders felt better with XF/F/S/M. Am I even supposed to put a S layer under a M layer? Any suggestions on this? Does anyone know if they make/can make a dual firmness layer for the upper/lower body? I've already used my one free layer exchange and don't know yet if Shawn will even let me try another S layer. I suppose I will have to call soon but I want to make sure that I know what firmness layer I want before I ask for it. It's tough because when I try to use one of her S layers to compare, she is not comfortable so I have to give her S layer back which does not give me much time to really decide. |
| Sounds like a zoned mattress would be best for you. Have other fourm members had similar problems? I've been lurking on this board for a while, gathering some great info about latex mattresses, I thought that I was ready to order one up but this post makes me a little nervous. |
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Yes, a softer zone under your shoulders is the best solution. I cut out a portion of my 32 ILD latex and put in a piece of around 19 ILD under my shoulders. I have been happy with that. I custom ordered a piece to the right size, but the quality was not as good as 100% natural talalay. Still it works for me. I hate to suggest you buying one extra soft layer, cutting out about a 26" piece to put under your head and shoulders, but that would probably be your best solution. You don't want to go too soft under the hips and cause back problems. I would probably stick with what works best for your back. The latex can soften up a little over time, so maybe the shoulder area won't keep bothering you. If it does, a zone is your best solution. |
| I think sandman has a great idea. Why don't you see if Shawn will sell you just a piece of S instead of the whole layer piece. If you cut the medium layer in 2 pieces, and substitute the soft under the head and shoulders, and it doesn't help, you can always put back the medium piece. I doubt you would feel the cut line and latex sticks to itself quite well. |
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I've been lurking around this site for a couple of months now and I thank everyone for all the useful information. I've had a Flo Beds V Zone Blended for about a month. Generally am very happy with it but having a little trouble getting the zones just right. Right now I've got it M/F with the hip zones firm; the problem is the shoulder area since I have arthritis and mild degenerative discs in my neck. I need to have my cervical spine straight but without a lot of pressure on my shoulders. The soft V zone feels great but seems to put my neck out of aligment. Possibly my pillow is too thick for this configuration. So it might be just me, but it seems that having the zones go from firm to soft in critical areas could cause a problem for some people. I've experimented by switching my husbands firmer layers for the medium which results in more shoulder pressure. I've not seen very many posts concerning neck issues as it seems to be less common than lower back pain.
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| mcsweet, I would definitely re-examine the appropriate thickness of your pillow when you have the soft for your shoulders. Your shoulders will be sinking in quite a bit and your head not so much, so the space in the crook of your neck will be less and partially filled by the latex of the mattress. If your pillow is too thick, your head will be propped up. Conversely, when your shoulders don't sink in very much, too thin a pillow will make your head too low. Either situation will cause neck pain. I always travel with my own down pillow because invariably hotel pillows are too thick for me and I can scrunch my down pillow into whatever thickness I need depending on the firmness of the bed. |
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I agree with Diane. It is probably the pillow thickness. So, I would focus on that if everything else is fine. I like down pillows, and I have found a few ways to try to make to adjust the height. I start with a pillow that is slightly too thin. One method is too put a folded towel under the mattress pad. I can adjust the number of folds or type of towel to help get the right height. The second strategy, which I am now using, is I put the pillow in a pillow cover, and I use safety pins to make the pilllow cover 1-2" smaller (do this without the pillow in the cover). So, when I put the pillow inside the slighlty smaller pillow cover, that plumps up the pillow a little bit. So, by moving the safety pins in more (say 3" instead of 1"), the pillow becomes a little taller. Then the pillow and pillow cover go in the pillow case. I have played around with this until I have found the right height to sleep well without any neck pain. I have a slight fear of one of the pins becoming undone, but it has never happened so far. Plus the pins are on the end, not where my head goes.
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| I have to also mention the importance of your pillow in avoiding shoulder pain. If your neck is supported properly, your shoulder won't be pushing down as hard on the mattress. And, remember, it's your neck that needs to be supported by the pillow when you are sleeping on your side, as much as or more so than your head. |
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Thanks for all your input. I agree about the down--I have a collection of pillows, including Tempurpedic and latex, but I always go back to my down pillow. I should clarify, the neck pain is chronic; it didn't just start with the new bed. It gets better and then it gets worse. Oddly enough, it only hurts at night--as soon as I wake up and get vertical, it goes away. I think I'll try sleeping on the medium head and shoulder v zones and see if that helps. Good idea, Sandman, about the safety pins. I've actually done something similar, only I just sewed the pillow shut a couple of inches from the side seam. Much better than paying $$$ for a super firm down pillow. |