Hi Cally95,
There are several possibilities here so I’ll try to take them one by one.
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Somehow the temperature or humidity is affecting the topper. This may not be the case here given your feedback but it’s a possibility and can be tested in a different environment to confirm it. Your indication that it is “rock hard” may point to this. Different types of memory foam have different temperature ranges that they respond to (some are more sensitive to heat and cold than others).
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For some reason the topper is taking a long time to break in and soften. This could be the result of many factors including your weight but it’s not as likely because you’ve had it for 6 months. This can be tested by walking on the topper evenly across the surface for a period of time to see if this makes a difference in its softness.
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The topper could be on top of different types of layers in your mom’s mattress than are in the mattress you are using it on. What is under a topper can have a significant effect on how it feels.
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There could be something on top of the topper such as a mattress protector, mattress pad, or sheets that are affecting how easily your body heat softens the topper and allows it to conform to your body shape.
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The speed of movement has a lot to do with how memory foam feels in the same way that slapping honey can make the honey feel very firm but if you press into it slowly then it feels soft. You may be more sensitive to the response speed of the particular topper material that you have. This is also related to the density of memory foam.
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It could also be that the topper is a different density than the memory foam that is on top of your mom’s mattress or the pillows that you liked. The density of a memory foam topper is connected to its firmness level and response and your topper may just be the wrong density or type for your needs and preferences. You could test this by purchasing a softer and lower density memory foam topper that is refundable to see if that makes a difference.
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While it may not be part of the firmness you are perceiving … the heat you are feeling is a part of sleeping on memory foam for some people but doesn’t necessarily indicate that the topper is warm enough to conform to your body. There are also other factors that can be involved in sleeping temperature as well (see post #2 here) besides just the type of foam you are sleeping on.
A heating blanket or mattress pad could be a good idea for a little while to pre-warm the topper before you go to bed but I wouldn’t suggest it in direct contact with the memory foam over extended periods of time. It may also increase your sleeping temperature. If you do decide to try a heating pad then I would check the foam to make sure it is not getting more than “slightly warm” and insulate the heat from direct contact with the topper using towels or a blanket because longer term exposure to higher heat can damage or degrade the memory foam.
Hopefully one of these suggestions will help and solve the issue and it doesn’t just turn out to be the wrong density or type of memory foam for your needs and preferences.
Phoenix