Hey everyone. This is my first post, and let me start by saying thanks to Phoenix! I have done a lot of mattress research at this point, and your information has helped me make a selection that I’m hoping will be ideal for me. I had a fairly low budget for this mattress, but knew I wanted a few things… I wanted foam, and it had to be a king… Thank you fiance! :silly:
I wound up going with the Aerus 12" mattress from samsclub. I picked 12" because I wanted the height since it would be going directly on a metal “platform” style frame, no box spring. I was originally looking at the Night Therapy Elite 13" MyGel mattress. It looked all fancy and was at a good price, but in reading over your posts about foam density, and durability, and calling Night Therapy, learning their comfort layers are 3lb foam, I decided to go with the Aerus… It will be delivered Wednesday! Thanks!
Now for pillows… I have purchased 2 foam latex pillows from Sears, they were very well reviewed, and I really liked how they felt in store… But they just don’t have quiiiite enough loft for me. Is it ok to put them on top of a regular polyfill pillow? Maybe a firm one to try and better support the latex? I just want to elevate it a bit, but don’t want to have to buy another set of latex pillows to go under this one.
How can I elevate this pillow best and still reap the benefits of the support it provides?
Outside of some basic “needs” … pillows are much more about preferences and how they “feel” than a mattress where the “needs” are more important and a bigger part of your choice.
As long as a pillow (or a combination) keeps your head and neck in good alignment in all your sleeping positions (or are “scrunchable” if you sleep in different positions that need different thickness and support choices) then the choices between different types or combinations are strictly about preferences because the head and face is much more sensitive to differences in how a pillow feels than other parts of the body. There is more about pillows and some good links to more information and feedback about different choices and materials in the pillow thread here.
So the bottom line is that I don’t see any reason not to put a firmer probably flatter pillow under another one if it works for you in terms of loft, support, and alignment and the overall “feel” of the combination (and you would feel more of the top pillow or course than the bottom one so the feel or quality of the bottom one may not be as important). You could also put them in the same pillowcase to keep them together although then you could only use one side if you are a “pillow flipper” and you liked the “feel” on the latex more than the other side of the combination.
Thanks for the input. So it would seem for pillows, what’s comfortable is what’s most important, if it’s comfortable, it’s probably the way to go. I’ve just been trying to stay within a budget, but get us a better sleep experience than what my 7 year old inner spring mattress provides. It’s been a good bed, but it’s got some serious dips in it. Anyway, I’m just ready for a good night of deep sleep not interrupted by waking up with sore body parts.
I also often times wake up with an arm that’s fallen asleep to the point of being totally numb… like… beyond pins and needles, and I think it’s because I toss and turn so much I wind up on top of a limb, hopefully with the new bed, and new pillows, I’ll be able to just sleep without the need for toss and turn.
Thanks again for the reply, and for having such a broad spectrum of knowledge and information on this website. I’ll be sure to post my experience with the new bed and pillows after I get to try them out for a while to add to the information
Yes … beyond the basic “needs” of a pillow … the choice of the “best” pillow for each person is much more subjective than the choice of a mattress because individual preferences of “feel” and texture, temperature, and response play a larger role.
In most cases this is because of a comfort layer that is too thin or firm and doesn’t allow the shoulders and arms to sink in enough to relieve pressure and maintain good circulation to the nerves and muscles or that forces the shoulders and upper body to twist away from the pressure. It can also be because of the position of the arms as you mentioned which can also cut off circulation (which can also be related to the comfort or support of the mattress as your body tries to “compensate”). It can also be because a mattress doesn’t allow for free movement and sleeping too long in a single position (although this doesn’t sound like what is happening to you). Finally it can also be because of a pillow that doesn’t support the head and neck in good alignment which can affect the positioning and pressure on the shoulders and arms as well.
I think you hit the nail on the head with the comfort layer being too thin and firm and not allowing the parts of me to sink in that should, along with my tossing and turning, which often lands my body on top of an arm…
