Dreamfoam mattress level 7 (24 ILD)-topper 19 or 24 ILD?

[phoenix]

Hi doxen,

Well, the 2 " 19 ILD topper on the 24 ILD Dreamfoam Ultimate Dreams mattress has helped with my shoulder pain. However, my butt sinks into the mattress more than the rest of my body and now I wake up with back pain.

Should I try a 24 ILD latex blend topper (same ILD of our mattress) which contributed to my shoulder pain? Would an additional 2" of the same ILD (24) do much for my shoulder? I am concerned that “more of the same” will not offer enough softness. Would this be a case where 3" should be considered?

The thickness of a layer and the ILD of a layer both affect softness and how far each part of your body sinks in. In the same way that 14 ILD is softer than 19 ILD which in turn is softer than 24 ILD (and softer means you will sink in more) … a 5" layer of 24 ILD would be softer than a 4" layer of 24 ILD which in turn will be softer than a 3" layer of 24 ILD. Thickness and softness are just two of the factors that can affect how deeply you sink into a layer.

Unfortunately there is no way for me to know with any certainty what will work best for you and it really is a matter of “odds” and trial and error. There is no formula that can take into account all the variations in body type and sleeping positions or how each person will interact with any specific combination.

In cases like yours where no topper causes pressure issues and a 2" topper causes alignment issues then the next step I would lean towards would be to try a 1" topper which is in between and which will put your pelvis closer to the support layer and “stop” it from sinking in more quickly and may still give you enough extra softness for the extra pressure relief that your shoulders need. I would also make sure you have eliminated any of the other possibilities in post #2 here that may be affecting how much your shoulders are sinking in. I would also make sure that you have tried any combination for at least several days to make sure that what you are experiencing isn’t just an anomaly.

A 2" 24 ILD topper will also provide extra softness for the shoulders to sink in compared to no topper and will hold up the pelvis a little more than a 19 ILD topper so it would also be another possibility worth trying.

Should I try a memory foam or egg crate topper? Maybe latex is not the way to go after all. I know this is very subjective and everyone is different but would appreciate your input on whether I can expect increased softness while still maintaining alignment w/ the firmer topper when it is the same ILD as the mattress.

Any increase in thickness or decrease in ILD will both create more softness. Increased thickness increases the odds of your pelvis sinking down too far relative to the shoulders before it is stopped so I would tend to stick with thinner layers. It may be well worth trying both memory foam or egg crate if you are able to order them from a source that has a good refund policy (such as a big box store) so you can experiment without risk. This isn’t so much because the material would be better (although it may work better for you) but because it allows you to experiment without building up a storehouse of toppers that haven’t worked.

It can be a challenge to find the topper that allows your shoulders to sink in enough without allowing your pelvis to sink in too far.

In some cases a shredded latex topper can help in these situations as well because the latex can “flow around” the more pointy shoulders and allow them to sink in more but still have good resilience and resistance under the greater surface area of the pelvis so it can provide some extra softness with less effect on alignment.

When you need to experiment then refund policies can be the most important part of the “value” of your purchase.

Phoenix