| We recently transitioned from springs to a $2,500 latex matress. While I never had this problem with springs, I find that I sometimes wake up (I'm a side sleeper) with numbness in my fingers, which quickly goes away. My neighbor recently bought a latex and both report the same thing. My wife, however, has no problems with numbness. While my neighbors are slightly overweight, I'm 6-1 and 210 pounds. Anybody else out there with this problem? |
|
The first thing that came to mind is a latex allergy. Contact with latex can cause numbness if you're at all sensitive to it. Allergies are kind of funny in that it's possible to develop an allergy to any substance at any time, particularly if you weren't exposed to it regularly before. You may be breathing in latex dust while sleeping, or getting it on your skin, since it's a fragile substance and will shed microscopic particles whenever it rubs up against something. Another possibility is that a nerve is getting pinched while in a side-sleeping position for an extended period of time. I think that would be more likely to happen with an innerspring mattress, but if you used to toss and turn frequently before and are pretty much staying in one position now, that could be the cause of the pinched nerve. In which case, you may want to try sleeping on your back for a night or two just to see if you still experience numbness in the morning. Perhaps your mattress is too firm and you require more give. I would think that a latex topper with a lower ILD will conform more to your body and ease the pressure that's causing uncomfortable nerve compression, if that's what your problem is. If an allergy test rules out a latex allergy, and if you experience numbness regardless of what position you sleep in, the next thing I would do is schedule a doctor's appointment to rule out vascular and nervous system issues. I know it seems like more than a coincidence that both you and your neighbor have developed this problem after sleeping on latex, but stranger things have happened. Good luck! |
| You may want to check your pillow height. What you need may change with a newer mattress. You can fold a bath towel under your current pillow to raise it, of course with a softer mattress, you may need a smaller pillow. |
| If you are talking about numbness in your fingers/hands, it could be you are sleeping with your hands over your head. That happens to me. Try sleeping on your back with hands below your heart. You have a cover over your latex and sheets right? So I don't think latex allergies are it, but I could be wrong :-) |
|
<BR> Leo3 wrote: You have a cover over your latex and sheets right? So I don't think latex allergies are it, but I could be wrong :-) <BR>Only an allergy mattress cover that is made to be impenetrable to microscopic nasties would prevent you from ever coming into contact with latex particulates. However, after looking into this a bit, it seems that latex bedding from a reputable manufacturer shouldn't cause a reaction because most of the proteins (which are the source of the problem) are washed away during processing. So it most likely isn't an allergic reaction. Still not a bad idea to get tested for a latex allergy if nothing else remedies the numbness issue (and if you tested positive, a special mattress cover should do the trick).<BR><BR> This message was modified Jun 2, 2009 by Zzzzzzzspleaze
|
|
I'm a side sleeper too, and I find I wake up with some numbness if I sleep with my arm under the pillow. If with your latex mattress you're not tossing and turning and changing position as much as you did before, it could be you're staying longer in a bad position in which you're laying on your arm. Try to modify your position . If you're like me, take your arm out from under your pillow. I found it helpful to have a separate pillow to "hug". For example, a body pillow is made for that purpose. I, however, found that a standard size latex pillow that I find too soft to sleep on is great to hug and it keeps me from putting my arm under my head or my body. It's also possible that you don't have the correct firmness on your side of the bed. Maybe you're sleeping in a hole made by your body in too soft a layer of latex. That would prevent you from unconsciously changing position as you sleep. However, many would say that creating a hole is more of a problem with the tempur-pedic type beds. Or maybe the latex is too firm and is not conforming enough to your body. In either case that could affect your arm. You could try changing the firmness if you have switchable layers. However, if the firmness of the mattress is wrong, I'd expect you'd have more complaints, e.g., a sore back or hips or neck too. I think that changing your pillow and arm position is the easiest thing to try first. Philly888 This message was modified Jun 2, 2009 by Philly888
|
|
Philly888 wrote: I, however, found that a standard size latex pillow that I find too soft to sleep on is great to hug and it keeps me from putting my arm under my head or my body. Mind if I ask what kind of latex pillow you're referring to? I'm having a hard time finding one that's soft enough :-\ |
|
Zzzzzzzspleaze wrote: Mind if I ask what kind of latex pillow you're referring to? I'm having a hard time finding one that's soft enough :-\
As I said, I got it free with my purchase of a mattress. I believe that back then it was listed as a $39 value. I'm not even sure if it's the soft or the medium; I'd have to check my receipt. To me it seems very soft, too soft for my head. I use it as a body pillow to hug, a between-the-knees pillow, or as a back cushion when watching TV from a La-Z-Boy chair. I'm really getting my money's worth! :) Philly888 This message was modified Jun 3, 2009 by Philly888
|
|
Philly888 wrote: It's the latex pincore pillow that came free with my Flobeds purchase in early 2008. I don't know if what they're offering now is exactly the same, but see http://www.flobeds.com/linens/index.htm?Size=STD/Double. </p><p>As I said, I got it free with my purchase of a mattress. I believe that back then it was listed as a $39 value. I'm not even sure if it's the soft or the medium; I'd have to check my receipt. To me it seems very soft, too soft for my head. I use it as a body pillow to hug, a between-the-knees pillow, or as a back cushion when watching TV from a La-Z-Boy chair. I'm really getting my money's worth! :)</p><p>Philly888 I know what you mean! I can't use my ErgoSoft latex pillow because it's just a little too firm, so I've been using it as a backrest. :-) Though you've really been getting your money's worth since yours was free. ;-) Thanks for mentioning the Flobed pillow...the soft sounds perfect to me (CS said it was 20 ILD), but it's blended latex and I really wanted natural. I'm probably being paranoid, but I never know what's going to cause a reaction and what isn't. The only other pincore pillow I could find is a Dunlopillo 10 ILD Talalay latex, which sounds like something you'd sink right through. So, on with the pillow search! |
|
Zzzzzzzspleaze wrote: I know what you mean! I can't use my ErgoSoft latex pillow because it's just a little too firm, so I've been using it as a backrest. :-) Though you've really been getting your money's worth since yours was free. ;-) Thanks for mentioning the Flobed pillow...the soft sounds perfect to me (CS said it was 20 ILD), but it's blended latex and I really wanted natural. I'm probably being paranoid, but I never know what's going to cause a reaction and what isn't. The only other pincore pillow I could find is a Dunlopillo 10 ILD Talalay latex, which sounds like something you'd sink right through. So, on with the pillow search! Flobeds sells a natural latex version of its pillow. It looks exactly the same, i.e., pincore, but instead of being called Latex Pincore it's called 100% Natural Latex, You wouldn't have seen it following the link I posted because it gets filtered out when looking at standard size pillows. Try this link for queen size pillows and you'll see a natural latex that sells for $59: http://www.flobeds.com/linens/index.htm?Size=Queen (Or is this the "Dunlopillo 10 ILD Talalay latex" that's too soft?) Philly888 This message was modified Jun 3, 2009 by Philly888
|
|
Philly888 wrote: Flobeds sells a natural latex version of its pillow. It looks exactly the same, i.e., pincore, but instead of being called Latex Pincore it's called 100% Natural Latex, You wouldn't have seen it following the link I posted because it gets filtered out when looking at standard size pillows. Try this link for queen size pillows and you'll see a natural latex that sells for $59: http://www.flobeds.com/linens/index.htm?Size=Queen (Or is this the "Dunlopillo 10 ILD Talalay latex" that's too soft?)</p><p>Philly888 Hmm, I emailed customer service about that very pillow and they told me it was blended talalay. In fact, they said that all of their pincore pillows are blended talalay. Maybe the person who answered my question was confused...or maybe they recently stopped selling the 100% version. |
|
Zzzzzzzspleaze wrote: Hmm, I emailed customer service about that very pillow and they told me it was blended talalay. In fact, they said that all of their pincore pillows are blended talalay. Maybe the person who answered my question was confused...or maybe they recently stopped selling the 100% version. Flobeds' customer service must have heeded you and updated their website: today that "100% Natural Latex" pillow that in its pic looked just like the "Latex Pincore" is no longer listed. It's gone. Philly888 |