I just bought Talalay Bliss Nature. Despite soft top layer I sink into it during hrs of sleep and awaken with hip and or shoulder pain. Body goes beyond upper layer into hard foundation layer. I chose this vs Pamper model since it’s ?supposedly? firmer,even though I liked Pamper initially and it reminded me of latex bed I owned 30 yrs ago. How does foundation layer of these differ. I sleep sideways mostly,and on back,am 66 yrs old with history of bursitis to hips. I’m concerned that choosing bed in store vs sleeping on one is a different matter…so much money spent here.
Hi Olgarenee,
While it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or any “symptoms” they experience … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.
While it’s not possible for me to know for sure … based on your feedback it “sound like” your mattress may be too firm for your specific needs and preferences.
The Pamper is firmer than the Nature and is their firmest mattress (outside of their custom choice single base layer). You can see the current specs of all the Pure Talalay Bliss mattresses in post #2 here. The base layer in the Pamper is 40 ILD and in the Nature is 36 ILD and the Nature also has thicker layers of softer latex on top of the base layer than the Pamper.
While nothing has a 100% success rate … with a local purchase for the majority of people … careful testing using the guidelines in the tutorial rather than just testing for the more subjective “comfort” of a mattress (which often won’t predict how well you will sleep on a mattress or how it will “feel” when you sleep on it at home) and some good guidance from a knowledgeable and experienced retailer or manufacturer will usually result in a mattress choice that is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and will generally be “close enough” so that if any fine tuning is necessary it would be relatively minor and involve different mattress pads, sheets, mattress protectors, or perhaps even a topper if a mattress is too firm (see post #4 here and post #10 here).
I don’t know how long you’ve had your mattress but I would keep in mind that there will be a break in and adjustment period for any new mattress or sleeping system as the mattress loses any of it’s “false firmness” and the cover stretches and loosens a little and the materials settle and your body gets used to a sleeping surface that is different from what it is used to (see post #3 here). This would typically be a few weeks but it can be shorter or longer depending on the specifics of the person and the mattress (higher density materials like latex can take longer) and it can be surprising to many people how much their sleeping experience can change over the course of the first month or so. If your mattress is too firm then some of the suggestions in post #2 here may be helpful as well.
Assuming that you are confident that your mattress is too firm after you have slept on it for a few weeks then if the store you purchased from has an exchange policy you could either exchange the mattress for a softer mattress or you could add a softer topper.
If the only issue with a mattress is that it is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system but the only way to know for certain whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there will always be always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.
There is more information about choosing a topper and a link to the better online sources I’m aware of in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to which along with a conversation with a reliable and knowledgeable supplier (that can provide you with good information about how their toppers compare to each other or to other toppers they are familiar with that are available on the market) can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. A good exchange/return policy can also reduce the risk of an online topper purchase so I would make sure you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
Phoenix