Don't know what to do anymore

[Mama_Bear]

( Note: I have an adjustable bed. ) I’m 66 years old, large framed and overweight, with big hips. I have to sleep with a CPAP because of apnea.

I previously had an old Sealy Posturpedic mattress but it was super firm and I’m a side sleeper and it was causing pressure point problems and numbness.

So I fell for those ads for the memory foam mattresses, a few years ago, hoping that it could end the situation where my arm on top gets numb from sleeping on my side, and I have to keep turning over because of it.

So they talked us into memory foam at a Denver mattress store, a few years ago ( $2000 on the credit card for 2 queen beds ) , but it didn’t work. And yes, it’s hot for me to sleep on. So they exchanged it, supposedly for a better one that would work, and it cost another $1000 for that, and still didn’t work.

So the whole mattress selection process seems impossible. You go into a mattress place and lie down on a bed there. After walking around all day, just about anything feels great, so you buy it. Then you find out that the same thing happens - it causes pressure points when I sleep on my side and isn’t any better than the last one.

And with this economy since 2008, our standard of living has fallen anyway, where we’re barely getting by, I don’t even know if we can afford mattresses anymore.

[phoenix]

Hi Mama Bear,

So the whole mattress selection process seems impossible. You go into a mattress place and lie down on a bed there. After walking around all day, just about anything feels great, so you buy it. Then you find out that the same thing happens - it causes pressure points when I sleep on my side and isn’t any better than the last one.

And with this economy since 2008, our standard of living has fallen anyway, where we’re barely getting by, I don’t even know if we can afford mattresses anymore.

Have you read the tutorial post that I linked in my other reply here?

If you have had the chance to read it … which step are you stuck on?

Phoenix

[AnalogJ]

Of course, aside from reading the tutorials here, I’ll add this:

I don’t know exactly what your budget is. My guess will be that a tallalay latex over coils (less expensive than all-latex), or all coil will be the way to go. The least expensive way to find a mattress with this design will be to find a local manufacturer that has its own retail showroom. No middle man, lower cost. My experience is that somewhere about $1000 for a queen size will get you such a thing. Latex, which has lots of holes punched in it, will be MUCH less warm than memory foam (which is about as hot as you can get). Get some sort of breathable pad which can be washed such as a cotton or wool one (make sure it’s washable).

Given that a mattress essentially has two layers – the support layer (coils, latex or memory foam) and the comfort layer (cotton, polyfill, wool, etc.), you need to look at which has the best cost/performance for you. Coils are the least expensive material, but if you go with all coils, you REALLY need to pay attention to the quality of the toppers and pads (What’s going on top of the coils). You can always buy these things as add-ons to make the bed more comfy. You need to make sure that your spine is aligned and supported when you side sleep (or back sleep), but also need the comfort particularly due to your weight and that you sleep in the side. You can make a bed softer, but you can’t stiffen it up. Too soft in the support, and your back won’t be aligned and body won’t be at rest when you sleep. Tallalay latex is particularly cushy unto itself (and is made in different stiffnesses), so great for alleviating pressure points. It makes for a very popular and value-oriented comfort layer (though more expensive initially than polyfill).

Latex is more expensive than coils, however, so using it in JUST the comfort layer than using latex for the whole mattrress makes for a more economical option. If there are cheap quality (polyfil, for example) comfort materials on top of the coils, then you’ll quickly lose the comfort aspects of the mattress because they break down more quickly, and you’ll soon be sleeping on top of metal coils. For many, though, you can replace added on toppers and pads less expensively than buying a whole new mattress (Coils tend to last quite a long time – longer than the comfort layers).

Of course, if you can’t afford $1000, you may find yourself having a mattress that feels okay now, but not so much in a couple of years or so.

I wish you the best in finding a mattress which is comfortable and healthful.