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? |
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> 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
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<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.
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
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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
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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
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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 |