Hello there! I have been having problems with a shikifuton I purchased 5 months ago, compressing under my pressure points, despite rotating, fluffing etc. I am hoping to add some sort of other padding to address this problem. Here’s some basic info about my mattress set up first:
5 inch thick shikifuton, stuffed with cotton, plus a layer of wool batting.
Placed on a coir mat on top of a slatted bed frame.
The shikifuton was amazingly comfortable for the first couple of months, until it started to compress. It’s now to the point that under my hips, it’s compressed to only about 2 inches thick. I can very easily feel the hard wood of the slats through, and it’s causing me bruising. I’ve tried putting a sheepskin under my hips, but that still did not provide enough padding. Even a folded up comforter wasn’t quite enough. The only thing that seems thick enough is adding a pillow that’s a few inches thick. So I think I’m going to need some significant addition in padding. (FYI, I am mostly a side sleeper, but sometimes sleep on my back as well.)
I have a few ideas of what might work to add more padding, but there seem to be potential pitfalls with each, so I would like to hear other people’s opinions.
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Latex- this seems to be a great option because it’s supposed to cradle pressure points, but I am worried about the lack of air flow this would create if I put it over or under my cotton mattress. It seems that airflow is really important to keep cotton mattresses from molding- would this be a legitimate concern with adding a latex layer?
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Sticking old polyester and/or foam pillows under my cotton mattress. This would be nice and cheap, and I tried it out and it seemed pretty comfortable. But I have the same concern as with the latex. Would these more unbreathable materials be a problem for good airflow for my cotton shikifuton?
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3 inch Wool topper- I love that this is natural and would have good airflow. But I’m worried that the wool will compress to a point that I will have the same problem all over again. I’ve also thought about getting a second cotton mattress to put on top, but am worried about the same thing.
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Kapok mattress- I’ve heard that this resists compression more than other natural fibers. I’ve found these only in a couple of places and have some concern about each. One mattress is from Leewadee, but the reviews often mention the seems coming out, and I really would like something durable- plus I’m concerned that these mattresses are stuffed so full that they could be too firm. Anyone have experience with sleeping on Thai kapok mattresses? They also sell kapok mattresses at Carolina morning, which seem less full of stuffing and more easily “fluffable” but it’s quite expensive, so I’d want to be really sure that this option would work for me and hold out for the long term.
Any thoughts on what could work for me? Or would you suggest trying to resell this mattress and start all over? I have a limited budget, so I don’t want to pour too much into trying to fix this problem if it’s not going to work. But I so love the feel of the natural material, and the lack of bounce, that I hesitate to get rid of it.
I don’t know if you’ve ever had a shikifuton on a slatted bedframe before, but if so, have you had to be careful with it to prevent mold? Or has it been just fine to treat it basically like a normal bed?