Mattress Forum

A brief history:

• Historically, I have always slept on rather cheap mattresses and rather cheap toppers. Maybe not luxurious sleep & not in love with these mattresses, but no pain.
• About two years ago, my husband and I purchased the Westin Heavenly Bed king. It was GREAT for about a year, and then it began sagging and leaving body impressions in the topper. And that's when the pain began.
• By about six months ago, it was so bad I was sleeping in the guest room.
• I did a great deal of research and decided that latex was about the best money could buy (good latex, that is).
• I really wanted the 8" latex bed from Sovn (Berkeley Ergonomics), but they are like $3,000+ for a king and we did not have that kind of budget.
• About a month ago, we finally decided on the 8" latex from SleepEZ. Top to bottom: 2" med talalay / 3" med dunlop / 3" firm dunlop / foundation. It has the thin cover- not the 1" wool b/c I didn't want any more body impressions.
• I am ~5'7" / 170lbs / stomach and side sleeper. My husband is ~6' / 220lbs / side and back sleeper. We are in our early 30's.
• The back pain is usually middle back area- the muscles on either side of my spine. When I first get up I can hardly breath. Then throughout the day it gets better.

Needless to say, based on all I'd read, I had high hopes for this mattress from SleepEZ. But, to date, we just can't seem to get it right and I am still waking up with back pain.

• Shawn's original recommendation of 2" med talalay / 3" med dunlop / 3" firm dunlop was hard as a rock!
• We shifted the middle layer up b/c for some reason, I seem to prefer the dunlop- it seems more conforming? So- 3" med dunlop / 2" med talalay / 3" firm dunlop was ok. Not so much back pain, but not super comfy either and felt like you were bottoming out. I felt like this combo was pretty good, but just needed something softer on top.
• Finally, my parents gave us a 2" soft dunlop topper to put on top and hopefully eliminate the bottoming out feel. Putting that on top was ok for me, but gave my husband back pain.
• A few nights ago, I tried this combo: 2" soft dunlop / 3" firm dunlop / 2" med talalay / 3" med dunlop. Good for my husband. Terrible pain for me. Too firm???
• Last night I went with: my side  2" soft dunlop / 3" med dunlop / 2" med talalay / 3" firm dunlop. And my husband's 2" soft dunlop / 3" firm dunlop / 2" med talalay / 3" med dunlop. Still pain for me.

So, I am running out of ideas and combinations. I was really hoping the latex would provide me with pain free sleep. I really have no idea what to do now! Now that I have been up a few hours, my back is fine, but when I first woke up today, my first breath in was so painful b/c the musles in my middle back were not happy at all.

Any comments, ideas, or recommendations would be much appreciated!

I've also read that elevating the top end of your bed might help. Any truth to that?