Mattress Forum

One thing you could try is to pad up under the hip area, between the mattress and box spring.  Weird, I know, but a mattress maker told me this trick and it seems to work for awhile anyway.  You know how you have a firmer line down the middle of the bed?  That's where the two box springs meet and is a firmer support area.  Odd how you can feel that, isnt' it?  You can use a towel, blanket, piece of wood, foam, firm foam, whatever...to keep your hips from sinking so much.  Experiement and see how that feels.

Then you have mattress surgery.  No doubt in my mind that the foam has just softened too much under your hips and not enough under your shoulders.  If the bed was comfortable at one time, you might try cutting(electric knife works well) your foam into thirds across the bed...upper, middle, lower.  Mark first with a pen and a yardstick for accuracy, then cut(this is after you take the top off, leave that intact!!).

Then loosen whatever glue is there, and switch the thirds so the soft middle piece is under your shoulders, and the firmer top piece is under your hips.  Should feel better than new.  You then have the lower piece to rotate when the middle goes dead again.  And you also have a template piece to find some different foam when all three pieces are soft. 

Meanwhile, try the middle pad under the mattres trick. It will raise your hips out of the dent a bit, a little is a lot...don't go overboard with thickness or you'll put your hips out of alignment the opposite way!  Also, you might try a fiberfill fluffy bed pad underneath you for shoulder comfort.  I used one for nearly a year until my too firm bed softened up enough for my shoulders.  Now, a year and a half after getting my bed, it is comfortable with no additonal messing with...and its original foam(I have probably just jinxed myself, but it is okay because I will simply replace my foam when it dies).

BTW, save yourself money and don't bother with a memory foam topper.  It will not help this situation.  I know.  I have many laying around here because I went that route before figuring that out.  They come in handy when grandkids come to visit...nice, thick stuff that makes into spare sleeping areas, but takes up way too much room in the closets!!!

Good luck,

Kait

I would never get another S&F mattress - especially since they sell themselves as a premium priced brand.

not dire strats yet, been about 3 months, I am sure it will get worse, we did try out the latex beds, just were not comfortable the way they felt,

need getting used to for sure, I will keep everyone updated, when I get started here, no toppers, do not want to take up all the closet space. LOL

I have  heard that the S&F  have some of the best springs, I do not believe, not to many people are happy with there beds..

we had a sealy posturpedic for 15 years  and it was fine, that is why our first choice was one,, that bit the dust, then we had to trade it up

at the same store, and picked this one... oh well   maybe just stick to the couch... thanks for the tip about the dealers RJ

HUGE Rochester HUGE  hate that guy... LOL  and thanks for all the replys and help... hope I can contribute myself someday..

Rick

Kait, I couldn't agree more! I do use my 1" of Venus foam periodically but I am not sure why, it usually turns out to only "work" for a short time then it craps out. Our apartment is already too small for us and we have no leftover storage space so we have foam laying around in bags under the sleeper sofa, behind it, etc. etc. Foam everywhere! It's crazy. We should throw it out but hate to throw out "perfectly good foam". Like you say it does serve as an extra mattress on the floor should a friend stay over and not like the couch futon.

By the way, exactly what did you use under your mattress to beef it up in the hip area? What material and about how many inches or parts of an inch? I may try this. My mattress right now feels pretty good except that I feel my hips are sinking in too much.

Kappy you are welcome, I know how it is to not get a good night's sleep. I went two years with only 4-5 hours per night due to shoulder pain. I was grouchy and irritable all the time and it was terrible. Thank goodness now I get at least 6-7 hours and with less pain. Sometimes I get 8-9 hours with little or no pain.

Anyway, your "specs" on your S&F just shows how little the SCo's tell us about their mattresses. Look at it - it has NO real info there, just marketing fluff. It does not say what type of foam or what ILD or even how thick the foam "comfort layers" are!

However, from my Sealy experience and others' I can pretty much guarantee that 3 comfort layers means you have about 2-3 inches of cheap polyurethane foam and THAT is what is hurting you.

I would do this if I were you, especially if money is tight:

Get out your sharp knife and cut around the edges over the rib, on 3 sides of the mattress. Take out at least the top 2 "comfort layers" of cheap soft pu foam. That alone will probably make your mattress feel better.

I would maybe try Kait's idea first, of putting something in below the mattress to beef up the area where your hips tend to be.

As to zoning I tried it for a couple years and it didn't work out well for me. However I do still believe in it, in principle.  Maybe I just didn't do it right.

If money is an issue (I know it is for me right now), I would first try Kait's method and if that doesn't work, cut it open and try losing a layer or two - or even 3 of the top layers of foam. You can always put them back and restore it to the way it was though I am certain you will not want to do so. Remove one at a time, even and see what feels best.

You could try buying a couple of 1" layers of, say 24ILD Natural Talalay latex and play with those, on just one side, or both sides of the mattress. (Two twin toppers = one E. King size.)

Good luck. I know it sucks to buy a new bed and have to cut it open and fix it, but by doing so you will have much more control over the comfort and end up with much better materials. As Budgy says, a really GOOD mattress these days costs around $4-5k (I'm quoting from memory, but I think that's what he said), so if you have to add a grand in toppers to make your mattress good, you are probably still ahead of that figure, no?

Also, the good news is, (I think) those springs you have look pretty good. Again, I could be mis-remembering but I seem to recall someone endorsing those springs. I remember looking at a web page about them and they looked very impressive. Maybe Budgy will weigh in on that and either confirm or deny the above quote re cost...

Good luck and do keep us posted on your progress in finding a good night's sleep.

I ended up making it too thick and it kind of bothered me during the night. Am trying it tonight with thirds, and very flat, right next to the springs. Hopefully that will fare better. I have never had success with "zoning" but maybe this will work?