Finally pulled the trigger on a D I Y latex mattress

[phoenix]

Hi ps99115,

On the flip side, I no longer have low back pain and it seems like my pelvis does not sink in as much as the other configurations. But I still have mid back pain fairly consistently which was present even before the last adjustment. Does this indicate that the support layers are appropriate and the comfort layer needs fine tuning? I unfortunately only have 3 inch toppers as you mentioned in your last post so If I really wanted to adjust the top 3 inches of comfort layer I would need to purchase either 1 or 2 inch toppers (which would be a last resort).

It’s good to hear that you no longer have lower back pain which would generally indicate that the support and transition layers are “firm enough” under your pelvis. As you can see in the previous links I posted there are several possible reasons for mid back pain but based on your feedback the ones that are probably most likely are either a pillow issue (the thickness/softness of your pillow) or you may need a little more thickness/softness on the top of your mattress. It would be somewhat unusual to have pressure points in your shoulders if you are an exclusive back sleeper because you wouldn’t be sleeping on your shoulders to put pressure on them when you are on your back so I would keep any additional thickness to the absolute minimum so that you have “just enough” in terms of thickness and softness so that you don’t end up with comfort layers that are too thick and soft and reintroduce lower back pain again.

Shredded latex toppers may also be worth considering because if they aren’t filled too much then the latex pieces can “flow around” the parts of the body that have a smaller surface area to some degree (such as the shoulder blades) and allow them to penetrate a little more deeply and relieve pressure while at the same time being more “supportive” for the parts of the body that have a larger surface area.

A zoning solution may also be worth considering that has a softer zone under the upper body and There is more about zoning in

Various zoning systems can also be very useful and worth considering for people who have more challenging circumstances or sensitivities, body types that are more difficult to “match” to a mattress, or who have a history of having more difficulty in finding a mattress that works well for them. This would allow you to have a softer zone under your upper body and a firmer zone under the lower back and pelvis. There is more about zoning in this article and in post #11 here.

Another question I had is does it matter if you place the small hole side or the bigger hole side up during mattress layering (ex. side that was cut at factory has smaller holes, side with larger holes was made in the mold). When I first assembled the mattress I placed all the toppers with the small holes up because I was told this (in theory) would provide a firmer mattress overall). Any thoughts?

If you split a 6" core into separate 3" layers then it’s certainly possible that there could be a slight firmness difference between each layer but this will be less noticeable with Talalay latex than with Dunlop. Again the only way to know whether you would be sensitive enough to notice any difference with these types of small differences would be based on your own personal experience.

Where to go from here: If I can tolerate it I was going to try the mattress for a few more nights to see what happens (although some nights I feel like I want to throw in the towel). But then at that point I have a few different options for adjustments and I just was not sure where to start. I suppose we can cross that bridge when it comes unless you have any thoughts currently?

Again your own trial and error will be the only way to know for certain with a DIY design but I would prioritize support alignment and then if you need some additional softness I would use the information in post #8 here and the topper guidelines it links to to try and add “just enough” additional softness and thickness to provide you with the additional comfort and pressure relief that you need and that would have the best chance of success.

If I need to make another adjustment I was thinking of leaving the dust cover off and cutting all the layers into split queens with an electric carving knife (which I have on hand). This would make adjustments much easier and perhaps I could fine tune the layers on her side as well. I know there are posts here on MU about splitting toppers so I think that should be fairly easy for me.

There are some great instructions for cutting or gluing foam layers (either for zoning or for side to side split layers) in post #3 here and some additional posts with more comments and pictures about cutting foam in post #19 here and post #1 here.

Phoenix