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First off, I should reveal that I prefer sleeping on my back or on my stomach. I'm about 5'6", in the 130 pound range. I slept on a Sealy Posturepedic mattress for about 19 years that never gave me a problem (I added a foam topper to it), but I let the mattress delivery men take it away when my new Simmons Beautyrest Exceptionale plush mattress was delivered a year or so ago. If I had known then what I know now about the mattressses of today, I would have happily kept my old mattress. The Beautyrest was uncomfortable and didn't provide enough back support...when I slept on my stomach, my back was arching forward too much. I tried a Simmons Westin Heavenly Bed which is a pillowtop mattress that receives rave reviews...I would wake up every morning with lower back pain, but as soon as I got out of bed, the back pain disappeared. When I would wake up on that mattress, I couldn't just lay in bed and fall back asleep because the lower back pain would keep me awake. I only experienced the lower back pain when I woke up on that mattress. Then I started sleeping on a raised Aerobed mattress (inflates with air), and I have been sleeping comfortably on it for the past 6 months as a temporary solution. I never woke up with lower back pain and slept soundly through the night on my back. So now I just received my new mattress this week, a Sealy "Sedona Springs Ultra Plush" mattress from Costco, and the first night sleeping on it was hell. I woke up about 10 times during the night with tingling in my hands, I was tossing and turning all night, and I woke up with lower back pain! But when I got out of bed, the lower back pain disappeared. The mattress feels too firm for me and it doesn't have a springy feel to it (hard to describe in words), and the plush layers feel somewhat firm. I thought that this mattress would be good since it has 1-1/2" x 1/2" convoluted memory foam, but the mattress doesn't seem like it provides good pressure relief on pressure points. I'm disappointed that I was not able to get a good night's rest. I understand that every mattress takes getting used to, but being woken up by tingling in my hands and not being able to sleep in one position for long annoys me. I REALLY want this mattress to work, but I can't force it to be comfortable for me. I'm really tired of looking for a mattress by now...I never knew mattress shopping would be like this. I have to once and for all find a mattress that works for me...I just can't believe I'm having problems with mattresses. I don't understand what it is that I cannot find a comfortable mattress. Why is it so hard to find a mattress that won't cause discomfort? I received samples of latex from Flobeds kit, but I've never slept on a latex mattress and don't know if it will give proper back support. It would be a gamble for me to order a Flobed by mail, and it's not cheap to return the latex cores. There is a Stearns & Foster "Jasmine Dreams" Ultra Plush Latex mattress at Macy's which felt comfortable in the store, but again, I don't know what a latex mattress is like to sleep on and I'm unsure whether a S&F latex is good quality. Does anyone know about the quality of S&F latex mattresses? So what does a synthetic talalay latex mattress feel like to sleep on compared to an innerspring mattress? I realize latex has different ILD's. Here are the specifications for my current Sealy "Sedona Springs Ultra Plush" mattress to give you an idea of how it's made...in full size: |
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cloud9 wrote: Sorry you are having such an awful time finding a comfortable mattress. Unfortunately that seems to be a huge problem in this day and age of over-padded mattresses. Your back hurts because all that foam, particularly the low density convoluted PU foam most S-Brand manufacturers use in today's mattresses, just doesn't provide enough back support. To make matters worse it rapidly starts to compress-- the manufacturers call this "imprinting" or "body impressions" rather than sagging, which is what it is--and the mattress becomes even more uncomfortable. The average useful life of a mattress stuffed with PU foam is about three years! Outrageous considering what they cost. I couldn't agree more with mccldwll. Try to find an old fashion double sided mattress. Avoid pillowtops--they are notorious for quickly hammocking and causing back pain. You mention that you sleep on your stomach at times, so you should stick with a firm to medium firm mattress to avoid arching your spine into a too-soft surface. Once you find the correct level of support in a mattress you can always add a topper to give it a little cushiness. Using toppers also allows you to replace them when they start to sag without replacing the entire mattress. Something you can't do when the foam is built in. Cloud9 & mccldwll, thanks so much for the helpful information! I would never buy another pillowtop mattress...I've read so many complaints about them, and I think it's much better to just add your own topper so that when the topper breaks down you can replace it. But when the pillowtop develops indentations and lumps, you're literally stuck with it because it's sewn into the mattress. I, too, am concerned about the PU foam used as a comfort layer in latex mattresses such as those made by the S brands. I wouldn't want to end up paying close to $2,000 for a latex mattress and then have the PU foam break down. Many warranties state that the indentations must be 1-1/2", but by the time the indentations are half that deep, a mattress can't be all that comfortable. Maybe latex isn't suitable for me, I just don't know. What I do know is that I don't want a memory foam mattress or a pillowtop, boxtop, or eurotop mattress, so I can rule those out. Do you know of any manufacturers of decent innerspring mattresses that don't have lots of PU foam that are reasonably priced? I'd jump at buying a Hastens or other high quality mattress, but for now, I can't spend that money. I live 1-1/2 to 2 hours from Gardner Mattress...I'm uncertain whether it's worth the drive (I'd have to ask someone to drive me because I injured my foot). Oh, my Aerobed...well, it's not made to sleep on every day for months, and so it started developing tiny leaks along a seam on the top of the mattress that receives the most of my weight. I would seal one leak, then another leak would pop up along the same seam. So every other day I was sealing a new leak. The Aerobed was only comfortable for back sleeping, which is fine! I just can't believe something so inexpensive allowed me to sleep through the whole night and then some. At first, the bed took some getting used to, but I never woke up with lower back pain like with the new S-brand mattresses on the market. This message was modified Feb 1, 2008 by centralpark
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I guess that puts you in the Northeast. There is nothing magical about mattresses. There are different coil systems, and most small manufacturers have access to same coils. Then they add foam/etc, cover, AND advertising. It's not that the S brands are that terrible per se, it's just that they are no better, and are much more $$$. There should be small mattress manufacturers in your area. You shouldn't need to spend that much at all. Research the advantages of the different coils (here and Consumer Reports) and know what you want. Don't worry about whistles and bells. [Minimal PU padding. LI even makes some sheet latex which manufacturers have access to, but small manufacturers may not use it.] I recently put a doubled up king size 1" Brylane latex topper (effective depth 2") on a very firm cheap kids bed, and it's very comfortable now. They're around $65, while available. You might want to buy 2 or 3 to have for top layering, or can always toss on other beds. I will disagree somewhat with what was said about spending at least 20 minutes on a latex mattress. While that MAY work, some have discovered that they go to sleep in total comfort and wake up with lower back pain. My theory is that muscles relax fully during sleep, and more support from the mattress is then needed. But non-sidesleepers in general have a much easier time finding nirvana, since what generally works best is a cushioned firm surface. There are advantages to all latex, but you still may want to construct one in the same way you would build up a coil/latex topper mattress. |
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Besides Gardner Mattress, there is a local mattress manufacturer about 15 minutes from me that said they could make me a full size plush mattress for, if I remember correctly, less than $400. I don't know anything about this manufacturer and the quality of their mattresses, but the rep told me they make mattresses for some hotels. I'm interested in visiting their showroom just to see what kind of mattresses they offer. Shifman mattresses are sold in my area (most of the mattresses are above my price range), and they make an entry level mattress, but it has the bonnell springs...I'd have to add a topper because there's not much padding above the coils. I've read a little about bonnell springs, and I think there was something written about how bonnell springs get firmer with time as they compress more. I've thought of the possibility of the combination of coils and latex. If I was to get all latex, I would opt for a kit because of the ability to configure the bed the best way for me, and if one core fails for some reason, I can always order a new core. So I like the idea of a kit. There's so many types of mattresses out there that it can make shopping for one overwhelming. Regarding the Sealy Sedona Springs mattress that I currently own, the third night sleeping on it wasn't too bad as I slept through the night on my back without tossing and turning and I didn't wake up with much lower back pain, so that's good. Hopefully this mattress will work out for me...keeping my fingers crossed. I like the fact that with this mattress, I can sit up in bed without my butt sinking into the foam layers (I'm not overweight). Some of the S brand mattresses I looked at had very soft foam for the comfort layers which caused my butt to sink in too much so that my spine was out of alignment. Anyway, I'm sure there are many people who would find the Sedona Springs very comfortable from the get-go, so I don't want to sound like I'm totally dissing this mattress. Well, at least now I've got other options to choose from for mattresses, just in case. Thanks again for the responses and advice! This message was modified Feb 2, 2008 by centralpark
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mccldwll, Is the Brylane latex topper natural or blended? Is it Dunlap Processing or Talalay Processing or neither? Does it have a smell? Is it the right size for the bed or a litle bit small like Overstock? I love my Overstock topper but it has ripped in a few spots from moving it to sleep on the floor before I got the bed and from taking it off and on and for it being so thin. It is the perfect softness. What ILD do you think the Brylane Latex Topper is? The sale ends on Feb. 4th. I still think I need a 1.25" topper and 1" is not enough and 2" is too much for me. This message was modified Feb 2, 2008 by Lynn2006
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Lucky that you bought it at CostCo - they will take it back. Tell them you are bringing it back because it's CRAP. See my new thread on "Dissecting my Sealy Mattress" and you will see why. |
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jimsocal wrote: Lucky that you bought it at CostCo - they will take it back. Tell them you are bringing it back because it's CRAP. See my new thread on "Dissecting my Sealy Mattress" and you will see why. Hi Jim, I read your thread on how you dissected your Sealy mattress (very interesting)...I left you a reply on your thread. I'm not too surprised at the cheap foams found in your mattress...I've read so many complaints about cheap PU foams forming deep body impressions and lumps and even a hill in the center of a mattress where a couple sleeps. I bought my Sealy from Costco out of desperation, since my Aerobed was forming new leaks every other day (the Aerobed was to be a temporary solution while looking for a mattress). Well, since Costco has a great return policy, and the bed was very reasonably priced and seemed like it would be comfortable, I bought it hoping it would end up working out...still praying it works out for me. Last night I had the best night's sleep...I didn't wake up with any lower back pain and there was no tossing and turning. I am worried about the durability of this mattress, though, because I am well aware that it has PU foam, and I understand the problems associated with it. If there is an issue, Costco will take the mattress back, but I'd rather have the mattress work out for me! I want to mention that I've slept on this full-sized mattress for 6 nights so far, and I've slept in the middle of the bed for all 6 nights. So last night I attempted to sleep in a different area of the bed--along the right side of the mattress--to even out any compression that may be happening with the foams. When I lay down on the right side on my back, my body tilted a bit towards the middle of the bed where I had been sleeping for 6 nights. I couldn't fall asleep with part of my body tilting towards the center, so I moved to the center of the mattress and fell asleep on my back right away. Obviously there is now some compression of the foam running down the center of the mattress. But tonight I will try to sleep on my stomach (instead of on my back) on the right side of the bed. With my mattress that lasted 19 years, I never went through this. Is it normal for some foam compression to occur in only 6 nights? I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this mattress doesn't loose support for my lower back/butt or I won't be able to comfortably sleep on it. This message was modified Feb 5, 2008 by centralpark
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| My god, impressions after 6 night!? I was thinking of giving up on my Sleepez, but your experience is why I so don't want to go back to a spring mattress! :) |
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mccldwll wrote: I will disagree somewhat with what was said about spending at least 20 minutes on a latex mattress. While that MAY work, some have discovered that they go to sleep in total comfort and wake up with lower back pain. My theory is that muscles relax fully during sleep, and more support from the mattress is then needed. But non-sidesleepers in general have a much easier time finding nirvana, since what generally works best is a cushioned firm surface. There are advantages to all latex, but you still may want to construct one in the same way you would build up a coil/latex topper mattress.
Lying on the tripled up Brylane topper for about a half hour today I was reminded how wonderful that Talalay latex bed always felt when I first got into it at night, and how awful it felt a few hours later. I really think it has something to do with the way Talalay jiggles. My back muscles tense up trying to get a secure hold on the thing, which translates to major back fatigue a few hours later. I guess that's why I really like memory foam as a topper. It feels very stable and cradles the body where Talalay just seems to push against it and wiggle under it. |
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It will be dependent on weight/sq in (or even cu. in. since thickness makes a difference). Think of a spring in equilibrium with a given weight. A little extra weight will cause sinking, and if removed, rising. A heavier weight will not be in equilibrium, and addition or subtraction of increments won't have as much effect. And it can be a fine line--too high an ILD, and you may experience a "pushing back" feeling. Latex beds offer longevity and a unique feeling. Everyone benefits from the longevity, but not everyone likes the "latex experience." For those who don't like the "latex experience", you can have the best of both worlds if you simulate the traditional bed feeling using latex as the comfort layer, and either springs or latex (or HR) for the support layer(s). If you use latex for support, and are shooting for the traditional bed feel, that support latex will have to be firm (comparable to a spring system) and MAY need extra support in hip area (as better quality coil beds provide). With kingsize latex running roughly $150/in, or more, it's roughly $1K for an all latex support system, which for most people really isn't any better than a coil support system, UNLESS you value latex's other attributes (flexibility, possibly increased durability, ability to adjust and/or customize, allergen resistance, chemical sensitivities, and I'm sure there are more). So, if you like the feel of a new traditional bed, and don't value latex's extra attributes, get a good coil system for support and build your own comfort system. If you like the feel of traditional beds, but want all latex, you'll have to work harder to replicate that feel. |