All-latex mattress okay for heavier stomach sleeper?

I’m new to this website, and am searching for a new mattress, given that my five-month-old Tempur-pedic Pro Breeze medium hybrid is causing me to wake with lower back pain. I’m a 5’10 255 pound stomach sleeper (I sleep on my stomach with one leg bent, with some side sleeping), and it appears that my lower back is out of alignment and not getting enough support.

Recently I visited a friend’s house and spent a night on his mattress. To my surprise, I woke up with zero back pain. I found out that the mattress is a 9-inch all-latex mattress with 3 3-inch Dunlop layers arranged in a Firm-Medium-Soft stack, manufactured by Foam Sweet Foam. Though this mattress is probably too soft for me, I slept like a baby.

So many commentators and “experts” insist that a mattress suitable for a stomach sleeper of my weight and BMI must contain coils. But when I reached out to Rodger at Sleep EZ, he said that I was too heavy for all of their hybrid coil mattresses, and would get much more support from all latex. So I’m confused—for good support, do I need a latex-over-coils hybrid, or an all-latex mattress?

Your help is much appreciated! Thank you!

celansleeping:

The answer is: it depends.

Sleeping prone (or semi-prone, as in your case) presents some specific challenges for a sleeper and the mattress must be aligned (pun semi-intended) to meet those challenges.

The key concern would be to make sure that the mattress doesn’t allow for too much of a “comfort cradle” or dip, allowing the lower back to sink in too deeply and negatively impact alignment.

There are combinations of certain innerspring units with latex that can work with some stomach sleepers. There are different versions of pocketed innerspring units manufactured, some being less point-elastic than others. Also, there are other styles of innerspring units upon which latex can be placed (although using pocketed innerspring units is the most common).

The “hardness” of the innerspring unit, combined with the type, amount, and density/hardness of the latex used, will determine the overall comfort and amount of conformation/sink. While there certainly can be a design made to feel “harder” overall, the most common latex/pocketed innerspring designs will be more conforming, as this would be the most common and appropriate use of these specific components.

A product using firmer/higher density latex for a support core (as opposed to innersprings) will compress and “push back” at a different rate than one using a typical pocketed innerspring unit, and there certainly are various all-latex combinations that can be appropriate for larger stomach sleepers without feeling “too hard” on top.

The best advice you can receive will tend to be from the actual people manufacturing their own product. For (your) example, the people at Sleep EZ, based upon years of experience, will have more knowledge about how their specific products react and respond to different body types and sleeping styles than anyone else, and they’ll be in the best position to make an accurate and educated recommendation as to what product(s) they offer than might be the best fit for your specific situation. I tend to put more stock in that advice versus general comments, although learning the basics about the characteristics and quality of different mattress componentry is still quite useful and can help you to formulate specific questions when you speak with various manufacturers.

If you’re specifically looking for a mattress containing latex as the plurality of the comfort materials, most innerspring designs out there will tend to use pocketed innerspring units, and will primarily skew towards a bit more contouring and plushness (which tends to be less appropriate for larger stomach sleepers). There will tend to be more variation in all-latex mattress designs (especially configurable component systems), and it is there where you’ll most likely find better choices for a latex style product best suited for a larger stomach sleeper.

And one final note: follow the advice of physical therapists and orthopedic physicians and do your best to train yourself to no longer sleep upon your stomach. I know, this is easier said than done, but your body will thank you for it in the long run.

Thank you so much, Jeff, for that thoughtful and informative reply.

celansleeping:

You’re welcome. Good luck in your search.