Mattress Forum

About 27 months ago, I bought a Sealy Posturepedic Gray Haven Cushion Firm (twin XL set with box spring) from Art Van. I slept okay for a year or so, but since, I've been waking up after about 5-6 hours from low and middle back pain, and my arms some times fall asleep. Matress does not show visible impressions, but my hips drop when I lay on this matress, and it's killing me.

I purchased a 1½" thick Dunlop latex topper from Overstock, and placed it on top of this matress. Overall, I liked the feel, springy and supportive. I kept the topper for about a month, and returned it - still having back trouble. I then tried a 1" thick Latex International 24 ILD Talatech topper from Sleep Like a Bear (great service). I bottomed this out, so I returned this as well.

I visited a matress store recently after visiting this forum, and it finally hit me. I was placing denser foam toppers on top of the less dense foam in my matress.

This evening, I cut open the Sealy matress (thank you forum for the idea). I took photos, but am having trouble inserting them into this post.

Matress construction (if you can call it that) is as follows, from top to bottom:

1. Quilted foam top, foam is fairly dense, overall height is about 1½"

2. 1/2" thick piece of poly foam, very soft

3. 1½" to 2" thick piece of poly foam, egg crate style, very soft

4. 1/2" thick piece of soft memory foam

5. Paper thin piece of fabric on top of innerspring unit

6. 6" thick innerspring unit, appears to have four (4) turns

Overall height of matress is about 10½" to 11" high.

Me: 42 years old, very fit, 5" - 11", 165-170 lbs. Sleep on my back most of the time, some times on my stomach, but not on my side.

I can either purchase another matress from a local matress company (probably innerspring again, but higher quality which can be flipped, with thin, but dense 32-36 ILD, 2.8# PU top layer, and add a latex topper (2" latex @ about 20-24 ILD plus wool). This may work, but will cost about a grand (new matress 600, new box spring 155, new latex/wool topper overlay 240). I like this idea because I can try different toppers, and hopefully fine tune the overall feel of the matress without being stuck. Wife loves me, but says a grand is too much, so I am thinking I'll pull a Colonel Steve Austin, and rebuild this Sealy matress (if it makes sense).

I'd like the finished height of the matress to be in the 10" to 11" range, and would prefer to spend less than $ 400. The matress can be covered by an existing king size matress pad (wife's twin XL Sealy sits next to mine).

Lots of options to consider. I could:

1. Purchase a 2" thick piece of LI Talalay latex, 32 to 36 ILD, and place on top of my innerspring

2. Place a 1½" thick piece of Overstock dunlop latex or 2" LI latex (24 ILD) on top of the 32-36 ILD piece

3. Cover it with a basic matress cover to hold it together

Forum members, I value your input. Could you please share your thoughts? I've purchased about eight (8) new matresses in the last 12 years, and just can seem to find the "one."

I have purchased:

1. Air bed (expensive back killer), similar to Select Comfort

2. All Talalay latex bed, another expensive back killer. This bed was not zoned latex, hips dropped, arms fell asleep. Felt like a brick.

3. Kingsdown, looked like a tuffet, I slept well on this, wife did not. Thank God we went to a king bed, (2) twin XL's. My wife is happy with her Sealy.

4. Various other innerspring matresses.