Hi mikes425,
[quote]I’m noticing now having slept on this since about late May this year, it is definitely firm enough but seems I get kinda hot on it. Now maybe it’s just my imagination but I don’t recall that being an issue with the old one. This has a pillow top and I wonder if that can make it warmer. I’m actually not sure I really necessarily like a pillow top or want it but it’s part of the design… In researching all this I originally was gonna put a latex topper on this but wanted to see how it went without that first. I must say I wrestle with getting truly comfortable in this mattress for awhile some nights before I can fall asleep. I considered maybe it’s stacking multiple pillows that could contribute to restlessness. I’m a back sleeper ideally bit some nights find myself resorting to side position to get sleep.
It is nicely firm with what seems better overall support than the old Matt…I can say that.
Well, I guess I wonder what to try. I don’t think returning it is an option. - and I don’t live close to Rogers showroom…bought it online on faith and trust from the bed expert that it seemed the perfect choice and was sort of a cant-go-wrong thing.[/quote]
The only real mistake that I can see in your comments is “trusting” anyone else to choose a mattress for you in terms of “comfort” and what I call PPP which is Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences although hopefully the outcome of your “mistake” can be corrected.
I would always keep in mind that the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress) or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more accurate than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).
I or some of the more knowledgeable members of the site or some other “experts” on different sites that are knowledgeable and experienced and that have your genuine best interests at heart can certainly help you to narrow down your options, help you focus on better quality/value choices that are available to you either locally or online, help you identify any lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you may be considering, act as a fact check, answer many of the specific questions you may have along the way that don’t involve what you will “feel” on a mattress, and help with “how” to choose but only you can decide which specific mattress or combination of materials is the best match for you based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you. I would be very skeptical of anyone who claims that they have some kind of crystal ball that can predict which specific mattress you will sleep best on with any certainty. It just doesn’t exist.
There is more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of comfort and PPP in post #2 here that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for once you actually sleep on your mattress in “real life”. When you can’t test a mattress in person … even if it was “recommended by an expert” … I would always make sure that you are comfortable with the options you have after a purchase to “fine tune” the comfort or support of the mattress or to exchange or return the mattress because there will always be cases where in spite of the “best efforts” of all concerned … purchasing a mattress that you haven’t tried in person is much more risky without having good options available to you after a purchase.
A softer pillowtop can certainly add to heat issues for some people because you will sink into the mattress more and the thicker layers of foam can be more insulating than a firmer mattress that you don’t sink into as deeply but there are also other reasons that some people may sleep hot on some mattresses.
While it’s not always possible to to track down temperature regulation issues for any particular person on a specific mattress because there are so many variables involved (including your room temperature and humidity, your sheets and bedding and bedclothes, your mattress protector or any mattress pads you are using, and where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range) and some people can sleep warmer on mattresses that most people are generally fine with … there is more about tracking down a potential cause or causes for temperature regulation issues (at least to the degree possible for a specific mattress) in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may be helpful.
Whether a topper would make your sleeping system warmer or not would depend on the type of topper.
A topper can be a good solution for a mattress that is too firm and that just needs some additional softness and pressure relief (as long as it doesn’t have any soft spots or sagging in the sleeping surface) but I would be cautious about using a topper to try and “fix” temperature regulation issues because if a mattress is already a good match for you in terms of PPP then a topper can add too much additional softness and you could end up exchanging a temperature regulation issue for a back ache that is the result of sleeping on a mattress that is too soft. If some of the suggestions in the previous link (such as choosing a different mattress protector or different sheets etc) aren’t enough to solve any temperature regulation issues you are experiencing then I would consider a thinner mattress pad or topper made from natural fibers such as wool that can help maintain a more neutral sleeping temperature and have the least possible effect on the overall comfort and support of the mattress.
There is more about the different types of support systems that generally work best with different types of mattresses in post #1 here. In general terms … a one sided innerspring mattress will generally work best on a support system (such as a foundation or a platform bed) that has minimal to no flex, has good center support to the floor to prevent sagging in the middle, has a large enough support surface area to minimize the risk of the mattress sagging into any gaps in the support surface over time, that allows some airflow under the mattress, and that raises the sleeping surface of your mattress to a height that would be suitable for you for getting in and out of bed and/or sitting on the edge of your mattress.
Using a box spring that flexes under a mattress that is designed to use a non flexing support surface can affect the comfort and support of the mattress and can also reduce the useful life of the mattress.
Phoenix
PS: You can see some of my thoughts about the Old Bed Guy in this topic