Mattress Forum

I just got my current mattress about 2-3 weeks ago. It's a beautyrest shakespeare collection plush globe. (I know, I know, the names don't mean much, but thought it might possibly help you get an idea). It does not have a pillowtop. It says plush but oww, it's not plush. As usual, lying around on it at the store it felt fine but get it home and try to sleep on it, hard as a board. I'm on a latex topper now but that makes me hot so the saga continues..

My point is that previously I had an older BR mattress that also started out hard but eventually became a really great mattress.  That was around 15 years old so it was a good one, it was 2 sided, shiny cool damask cover material, no pillow top, (it was also a "plush" model and had a tiny 1-2" soft top built in). It was a long time ago and I can't remember how long it took to get comfortable (it was gradual anyhow, I'm guessing). Anywho, my question is. Will my new cheaper mattress conform like my old better mattress did?  Will it conform even though I'm on a topper? 

The problem too is that inbetween the good old mattress and the new BRmattress, for 18 months I had a disastrous Comfortaire that pinched my arm and shoulder every night so badly that I really think I have some lasting damage. So I don't know if its that or what, but now on the new BR mattress my arm (I'm a side, stomach, and back sleeper, but usually fall asleep on my side) goes asleep or gets painful really fast (w/out the latex, I mean. Like just on the mattress with a regular 1-2" PU eggcrate, which is all I used on the old BR). I do'nt remember that happening with the old BR.  Maybe it's old age, maybe its that the new mattress really is harder than the old BR. 

But anyway, sorry for rambling (i do that a lot, I type fast lol)...how long for a new mattress to soften up, to conform or whatever?  Since this is a $699 BR el-cheapo my feeling is that rather than conforming to my body like the old BR did, this one will just sag and I'm out another $699. My goal is really to do away with the hot latex (see my other posts, I am having a hard time just like a lot of folks, dealing with the heat issues). I want my new mattress to conform so I won't need toppers.

Thanks.

Holy cow - it would have taken me a week to write that much!!!

I was always taught that a mattress set should break in fairly well by six weeks of use.  THIS IS NOT A HARD AND FAST RULE!  It is a statement of my experence after more than 35 years of manufacturing mattresses.  NOW - to be perfectly honest, My wife & I bought a really nice Aireloom Mattress about fifteen months ago.  For the first four months we both hated it!  I thoufgt we really screwed up.  Then my wife found she was sleeping really well on it - and maybe it's not so bad - now we both love it and would not give it up for any reason!  The lesson is it takes time to get unuse to the old mattress, and maybe a little time to get use to the new mattress - give it some time, everyone's body is different, and adjusts to new mattresses at different rates.  I truly wish I could say wait 3 weeks but it doesn't work that way...

Hope this helps,

By the way, I liked the damask ticking (cover) better also!

Do you mind my asking what it was about your new mattress that you and your wife hated for 4 months?

After the first few nites we both felt it was harder than the floor model.  But as we slept on it we had to honestly say it began to break in (took about 4 mths).  Now she liked it about two weeks sooner than I did.  That said we have totaly different body types.  She is 5'10" tall and weighs in around 120 soaking wet.  I am 6'3" tall and am heading toward 260.  But like I said - niether of us would give our mattress up for anything, we love it.

I'm sort of doing that..but rather than walking, sitting heavily (dropping down) on areas I want to indent (shoulder area mostly).  We shall see if it works.

Thanks for the many replies and conversation about the problem I am having.  I was waiting to see what happened with a few nights on the fiberbed.  Now, when I say fiberbed I mean a fake fiberfill topper that I purchased from Bed Bath and Beyond.  I have allergies so I decided to try this before a feather one or foam.  So, I have slept on it for a few nights and would love to report significant progress, but....I like the feel of the cushy topper because the tight top of my mattress lacks softness.  I was hoping that it would relieve the pressure points that I obviously have in my shoulders.  Unfortunately, I woke up this morning with my entire left arm frozen and numb and my other shoulder bothering me. This has happened a couple of times while sleeping on the topper.  My other defective mattresses from Kingsdown had latex tops and while it was part of the reason for them getting ditches, I think it was also helping my shoulders.  The Shifman does not have a top layer of latex, as it is deeper down the mattress I think.

I purchased the 3 in. Gel Foam topper from Costco and one from Kohls by sleep innovations.  All of these products have been bought at places that I could easily return items to and for convenience. So, I am at a point of trying one of the foam toppers because I am in too much discomfort of the morning.  Any thoughts on which one to try?

I hope that the mattress does soften on its own, but they are made so tightly that I wonder about that.  An adjustment period is fine, but I am concerned about doing damage in the process.  I have the same question about the break in--will it soften at all if I have a layer of foam or other top on it?

I'll keep you informed of my trials here, as I see that I am not the only one with the problem!  

Amy

BUT, the mattress softened noticeably within a month or two, and ended up being very good for my back -- many of my back problems went away and my arms no longer fell asleep. I ended up returning it for other reasons (discovered some of the fabric had been torn on underside and was also worried about potential chemical allergies due to flame retardants etc. so ended up trying an all natural latex bed). But had I kept it, I likely would have put some topper on it just to make it a tad more comfy, but nothing major bc it had already broken in to the point of being both comfortable (albeit not luxurious) and good for my back.

So if the exchange/return policy permits, I would try sleeping on it for another month before investing too heavily in toppers, etc. It's a really great bed. Just wish they made an all natural version.

Amy