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Hi all, I have been researching latex toppers and I can't seem to find any information on the best ILD for me: I have a firm innerspring mattress with good support but not completely rock hard. (I don't know what is on top of the springs, but I would geuss a thin layer of conventional foam and some cotton. It is not a pillowtop.) The firm mattress by itself does not support the curve in my back or my hips quite enough. I end up with pain in my lower back after lying down for more than half an hour. I am looking for a topper with support for my lower back, but also excellent pressure relief for my hips & shoulders. -- I have a firm traditional innerspring mattress (no pillowtop) -- I have lower back pain issues (bottom disc is degenerated) -- I primarily sleep on my side, occassionally on my back, never on my stomach -- I am under five foot tall and about 120 lbs, but I have fairly wide hips -- synthetic foam, including memory foam, make me wake up boiling hot in the middle of the night I am looking at a 2" natural talalay latex topper. Soft is uaually around 19-20 ILD for most of the manufacturers I have looked at. I was able to try one in a local store, but it was a "super-soft" 14 ILD. It felt pretty good, but I have read that 14-16 really doesn't have good support for your back. I am hesitant to order the 20 ILD without being able to try it out, but I can't find anyone locally that carries anything other than the 14. I don't know if soft would be best, or medium? Looking for some advice before I spend $200+ on something I cannot return! Thanks, ~Becky
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I realized after my last post that my back was in a general state of crankyness. I took the latex off the bed for a few days until my back felt better so I could properly judge the impact of the latex. I have slept on 2 inches of 20 ILD natural talalay latex (1 inch folded in half) for four nights now. It feels okay, but not great. I do not have any back pain while I am sleeping, but I wake up with considerable stiffness and ache in my lower back. This stiffness usually gets better as I walk around or take a hot shower. (My back never feels "normal" no matter what I do because of my disc problem.) My problem is that due to the unique qualities of latex (both soft and springy) I cannot for the life of me pinpoint whether the latex is slightly too firm or slightly too soft. I still do not feel like I have the pressure-point relief that I am looking for, so I am leaning toward the slightly too firm side. (Ignore my previous post!) The latex feels to me like someone is pushing against my backside. (I guess this is the support that the latex advertisements talk about.) Not sure if I should try something softer underneath? Or softer - like 14 ILD latex - on top? I would like to keep at least 1 inch of latex on top for the ventilation. Poly-foam makes me wake up boiling hot in the middle of the night. (I also like the fact that latex is a natural & sustainable product, but at this point I just want to sleep well without adding to my back issues.) Any advice?? I need to decide pretty soon if I am going to keep the 20 ILD latex or send it back. Thank you! |
| Have you tried different pillows? I am a combination side and back sleeper (a 5'5", 120 lb woman) and I know that when I sleep on my back and use a pillow that is too high, I wake up with a stiff, slightly strained lower back. You may need either a higher or lower pillow, depending on your body shape, in order to keep your spine aligned correctly. Something else you can try is putting an inch of memory foam under your latex layer. It's a lot cheaper than latex, so it's not an expensive experiment (and it won't be the top layer so it shouldn't make you hot). |
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"I cannot for the life of me pinpoint whether the latex is slightly too firm or slightly too soft."
Not saying this is the case for you, so keep trying, but some just don't prefer the feel of latex. I do like that springy pushback feel you describe, & it can be tamed, it's just not for everyone. But when you say synthetic foams make you hot, is that any MF at all (& what densities?), or an entirely synthetic, MF over polyurethane TP style mattress? If only the latter, maybe a not too thick/dense MF topper over an innerspring mattress won't sleep too hot for you. Even an inch does wonders for pressure relief, & it won't be so tall that you sink to uneven depths, causing potential alignment issues. Don't be afraid of lower density MF either. It's frowned upon around here, & might not last as long, but it will sleep cooler & is less expensive. But some very high end mattresses use layers as light as 3lbs for pressure relief. Or maybe even try an inch of it over an inch of your latex. |