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Hi all, Been doing my reading and caught the DIY bug. FBM seems like the best deal around. Here's what I had in mind for our new queen mattress.
Any advice would be much appreciated. I'm shooting for a relatively firm mattress that would be suitable for my gf and I (185lbs and 115lbs) and would last a few years. Thanks |
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Hey All,
So everything I ordered has been received and we've been sleeping on the setup for a few nights. First let me say that I'm very pleased with the quality of everything I received from FBM/FD. Granted, I'm not a latex mattress expert, but the components all seemed to be perfectly acceptable quality with few flaws. That aside, the bed is firm, no doubt about it. Surprisingly, the girlfriend is okay with it, but I think I need to sink in a bit more. Today I woke up with a lower back pain and knew I had to make an adjustment for the sake of comfort. In certain positions, i.e., on my back, I think my rear end is sinking well beyond the 1" soft layer and right into those medium layers. Probably the "best" solution would be to replace a 1" medium with something softer, but I'm already over budget with this project. I'm thinking of trying a mattress pad (cuddle bed, etc.) or egg crate. Any suggestions as to if those will help here?
Thanks! This message was modified Jan 16, 2011 by liquidskin
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A mattress that is too firm has poor support and can cause back issues just as much as a mattress that is too soft (just try sleeping on the floor lol). You actually "want" to go through the 1" layer and then you "want" to sink in enough to the layers under it so they can "fill in the gaps" in your profile enough (form a cradle) to support the recessed areas. The problem is that your shoulders also need to do this and they are lighter and (usually) wider in men. If the foam doesn't "fill in" the lumbar area on either your back or side enough ... there is only "air" supporting your lumbar. Someimes too, lighter bodies are not as likely to experience pressure issues ... expecially when they are younger or if they are more evenly "distributed" ... as their low weight and body distribution doesn't create enough pressure in the first place to cause discomfort which may be what is happening with your girlfriend even with the firmness of your mattress. I am going to assume that your 20 ILD latex layer is actually mid 20's to low 30's (probably safer than assuming it is actually soft) . This may mean that your whole comfort layer is too firm. When you are sleeping on your back and side ... have someone try to slide their hand under the gaps. This should not be possible (at least without real effort). Also have someone check to see if it looks like your spine is straight on your side and in it's natural "S" curve on your back. Check to make sure your shoulders are sinking in enough relative to your hips. A convoluted topper may help (or a non convoluted softer layer) but it would need to be thick enough to allow for a good cradle (in combination with your "unknown" 1" layer and possibly what is under it) and if it is thick enough to do this then the layers underneath could "turn into" part of your support layers and they may not be firm enough for this (even though they may be too firm for a comfort layer). If you do this you may need to remove some of the latex under it (either 1" or 2" depending on the topper) to get closer to the firmer foam for support and alignment. A cuddlebed will not help form a cradle even though it feels soft and as it compresses may actually make things worse in some cases. Overall I would be very careful what you do next without first validating what is happening. Phoenix This message was modified Jan 16, 2011 by Phoenix
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