You are telling yourself the right thing and it can take a few weeks for the mattress to break in and for your body to get used to a different sleeping surface that is different from the one you are used to (see post #3 here).
Using a pillow under your knees (in the way you are using it) can also help to decompress the spine and improve alignment for back sleepers (see post #45 here). The pillow under the knees doesnāt need to be āthinā and a thicker pillow will raise the knees a little more and would also be fine (and may even work better). Itās not necessary to use a pillow under your feet.
OK thanks again for the input, Phoenix. Iām thinking also that my Tempurpedic pillow needs to go. Iāll search the forum for advice on picking the right pillow, and then see what they have at the NMS near me.
Last night I placed a single plush pillow under my knees, and what a difference it made. The uncomfortable arch sensation in my lower back was significantly reduced. It was certainly reduced to the point where it was no longer uncomfortable and I slept like a baby. I can not remember how long it has been since I closed my eyes, didnāt awaken once until the sun was shining the next morning, and was in the same position in the morning where I feel asleep the night before.
Now, on the downside, I decided to switch pillows. Iāve got a few spares lying around for a spare bedroom and guests, etc. Mistake. Theyāre extremely cheap and unsupportive compared to my Tempurpedic. I currently own this pillow. And it works well for me. It supports my neck, and itās comfortable. But my complaint is the excessive perspiration it causes.
So Iāve been thinking that a firmer, low loft latex pillow might work just as well. Iām aware of the Z pillow by Malouf, but the pricing is just silly. So now Iām thinking this pillow might be a good compromise. Itās Dunlop as opposed to Talalay which I tend to think might be what I want for a pillow. However, the Simmons Beautyrest latex (blended Talalay) is very tempting as well. Some people refer to it as the poor manās Malouf. And Iād be curious if anyone here has compared the two. The Malouf has a soft and firm version, where the Sealy does not and some reviews seem to indicate it has changed in the last couple of years to a less firm design. Other complaints with it include the odor.
OK Iām at the one week mark today. The mattress has definitely broken in since day 1. I feel a bit more sunken in than I did at first. And in fact time will tell if I need to firm it up, but Iām sticking with it for now. The lower back / lumbar support no longer feels unnatural. Iām almost used to it. I am however still allowing my body to adjust. Though I try to stay off my side, I do find the need to roll over to my side about once a night to help stretch out my back. And Iām hoping this subsides over time too.
So far, no major problems. And I can definitely attest to the:
Breakin time required for latex.
Personal adjustment period required for a new mattress.
Iām going to assess my posture this evening. Rig a mirror in the right way, or whatever. I just want to make sure Iām not sinking in too much, starting to form a V shape, etc.
Still happy with the purchase overall. Still need more time to adjust.
EDIT: Iāve assessed my posture this evening and itās āpicture perfectā. So itās comforting (so to speak) to know that at least for now the mattress is just right!
Thanks for updates on your experience with Flexus Comfort. Keep it coming.
I ended up ordering my mattress from Sleep EZ due to comparable pricing and the shredded latex pillows they included. I really like the pillows! The latex āshredsā are fine (approximately gravel-sized) and you can move it around in the pillow to mold/shape it like damp sand at the beach to get the contours you want before you lay down on it. Also, Nest Beddingās pillows are a mix of batting and foam shreds/pebbles that you might like.
Iāll post separately about my Sleep EZ mattress soon. Due to travel, Iāve only been able to sleep on it 2 nights so far, but so far so good!
[quote=āhapa_dudeā post=50974]Thanks for updates on your experience with Flexus Comfort. Keep it coming.
I ended up ordering my mattress from Sleep EZ due to comparable pricing and the shredded latex pillows they included. I really like the pillows! The latex āshredsā are fine (approximately gravel-sized) and you can move it around in the pillow to mold/shape it like damp sand at the beach to get the contours you want before you lay down on it. Also, Nest Beddingās pillows are a mix of batting and foam shreds/pebbles that you might like.
Iāll post separately about my Sleep EZ mattress soon. Due to travel, Iāve only been able to sleep on it 2 nights so far, but so far so good!
[/quote]
You did good. Iād be interested to know what you got from SleepEZ.
I ended up purchasing a Z pillow knockoff from Linen Spa and it was still a ripoff at $75 but I can return it for a full refund if I donāt like it. Itās not here yet.
Great thread. I also bought my new mattress from Flexus Comfort and was impressed with the place, information, and delivery (I live in LA).
I had a bit of a disagreement with my sleeping partner: firm versus medium. Firm won out (and it wasnāt my choice). The first several nights felt as if we were sleeping on a conrete ledge. I was sore, mostly in the lower back. After a couple of weeks, I felt I was run over by a truck and opted for a 4" wool topper (at a family-run place in Wisconsin mentioned here). It felt far better immediately and itās a surprisingly substantial topper. However, I have to really shake it and flip it every week, no doubt about that. Itās behaving as promised in that you do wind up with a custom-made indentation where you sleep, but Iām not sure this is going to work out either.
Flexus Comfort also offers latex toppers, and I was thinking of talking it over with Henry or James. Iāve tried hastening the break-in process of the mattress by walking on it, although admittedly just started doing that. Itās been two months now so Iām not sure itās going to soften much more. Whether or not a softer Talalay topper might help isnāt exactly clear to me.
I switched your post to a new topic of its own so your questions and my replies wouldnāt end up taking the original topic in a different direction.
The impressions will tend to even out to some degree over time if you make a point of sleeping on different parts of the topper but a wool topper wonāt have the same āfeelā as a softer latex topper (see post #8 here and the posts it links to for more about wool toppers). For those that prefer the feel of sleeping on a thicker layer of wool nothing else will do but of course each person will have their own preferences about how different materials āfeelā and perform and which materials they prefer to sleep on. Natural fibers like wool are certainly different (and generally feel firmer) than softer latex toppers.
[quote]Flexus Comfort also offers latex toppers, and I was thinking of talking it over with Henry or James. Iāve tried hastening the break-in process of the mattress by walking on it, although admittedly just started doing that. Itās been two months now so Iām not sure itās going to soften much more. Whether or not a softer Talalay topper might help isnāt exactly clear to me.
Any thoughts?[/quote]
There are some suggestions in post #2 here that may be helpful (including a link to some topper guidelines that can help you choose a topper if you do decide to go in that direction) but after two months itās quite likely that you are past the normal break in and adjustment period and if the other ānon mattressā suggestions arenāt enough then it would certainly be worthwhile talking with Henry or James about either exchanging a layer in your mattress or adding a softer topper to your sleeping system. They are certainly knowledgeable and experienced with helping their customers with these types of issues and would be able to give you good guidance about the options they have available that would help you customize the mattress so that itās a better match for you in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences).
Now that you are more familiar with how your original choices work for you in terms of PPP in āreal lifeā and since you are local to them you are in a good position to be able to test any new layer combinations or a topper you are considering in person and assess whether they would be a better āmatchā for you than the layers that you chose originally.
I donāt want to hijack your thread but since you asked, I got a split queen 10" mattress with all Talalay blended layers. Both sides are, from top to bottom, soft/med/firm since Iām a side sleeper. Iām going to play around with the layers to see what works best for me as I feel some slight lower back pain but my bottom arm is no longer falling asleep like with my previous mattress. I ordered last Tuesday evening and they shipped it Wednesday, and UPS delivered on Monday.
What do you think about these toppers? āAll Naturalā Latex Toppers for dirt cheap. (Compared to the ones offered by RoalPedics). Thinking about getting a topper if my mattress is too firm also.
I switched your post to a new topic of its own so it doesnāt get mixed up with another posterās questions.
[quote]What do you think about these toppers? āAll Naturalā Latex Toppers for dirt cheap. (Compared to the ones offered by RoalPedics). Thinking about getting a topper if my mattress is too firm also.
SleepOnLatex-latex-mattress-toppers
Almost anything is ādirt cheapā compared to Royal-Pedic
You can see my thoughts about Karl and Sleeponlatex in post #4 here and post #3 here and a forum search on āSleepOnLatexā will bring up more information and feedback about them as well. They are certainly a reliable supplier of latex components and toppers which is why they are one of the suppliers that are included in the component supplier list here.
For those who prefer the feel of 100% natural Dunlop latex and in the right thickness and firmness they could certainly be a good choice.
Did you happen to notice any mattress dips or depressions with your Flexus mattress?
I also ordered one about 2 weeks ago and mine had a noticeable dip in it right out of the box. Itās right in the middle of the mattress. Also, the layers are not cut the same size it seems - when they are stacked, their widths seems off and makes the sides look lopsided. Just wondering if you noticed the same with your mattress?
The first thing I would check is your foundation to see if it could be the cause of your ādipā.
Itās also possible that when you put the mattress together that the layers arenāt resting evenly or completely flat inside the cover and could be bunched or stretched. Latex is very stretchy and tacky and itās usually best to āwaveā the layers into position so that they are evenly distributed inside the cover.
You can also put the individual layers on the floor and then use a string or straight edge across the layer to confirm that none of them have any impressions.
Did you happen to notice any mattress dips or depressions with your Flexus mattress?
I also ordered one about 2 weeks ago and mine had a noticeable dip in it right out of the box. Itās right in the middle of the mattress. Also, the layers are not cut the same size it seems - when they are stacked, their widths seems off and makes the sides look lopsided. Just wondering if you noticed the same with your mattress?[/quote]
Youāre welcome, Gfurio. No dips whatsoever. As Phoenix has indicated, a dip in the middle is unlikely due to the mattress. It is more likely due to a lack of support in the middle section underneath the mattress.
If you bought the Flexus foundation also, you notice there is a center rail which supports the slats. My bed frame has a center cross member that lines up exactly with the center support on the foundation. This cross member has 3 legs (end, middle, head) which support that center rail. The legs are adjustable in height, and I have them adjusted so that they nominally lift the foundation just a bit and everything flattens out under the weight of the mattress and people. The result is a flat mattress.
If you didnāt buy the Flexus foundation, then whatever youāre using might be inadequate. These foundations should be rigid (not box springs) and should be very well supported.
So, I suspect youāre got a bed frame support issue, so look there first.
Update - I can feel the mattress is softening up on the top layer and forming zones. In other words when I push down on the mattress, the area where by butt goes is less resistant now than the area where, say, my feet go. Iām starting to think itās softening up a bit more than I want.
Phoenix, from top to bottom right now I have Medium Talalay ā Medium Dunlop ā Firm Dunlop. If I were to rearrange this to Medium Talalay ā Firm Dunlop ā Medium Dunlop would I notice much of a difference? I think Iām going to want to firm it up just a bit soon. But will give it a week or so more before changing anything.
Itās probably a little early yet to consider making any changes (30 days would be better) unless you are experiencing actual āsymptomsā of discomfort or pain that are getting worse and not just making changes based on a more subjective āfeelā (see post #3 here) but most people would notice a difference if the medium and firm layers were switched yes.
Youāre probably right, of course. And Iām not waking up in pain. Iāve just still got what Iād describe as lower back stiffness where immediately upon waking up I need to stretch out my lumbar region. And I can definitely notice more āsinkageā into the mattress now than on day 1. Also, when laying flat, if I sort of lift my pelvis into the air, that does relieve the stiffness. Thus my thinking that a firmer surface would be a bit more comfortable over the course of 6-7 hours. See, I really need to sleep on my back due to CPAP usage. Laying on my side just causes leakage. But itās only now in my middle years that staying on my back the entire night is becoming more difficult.
But hey only two short weeks ago I was waking up in agony each morning - so weāre miles ahead already!!!
If it does turn out that you need firmer support I would probably start with exchanging the firm and medium layers rather than changing the top layer which is more related to pressure relief than to the primary support of your mattress. There is also more about primary or ādeepā support and secondary or āsurfaceā support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the ārolesā of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between āsupportā and āpressure reliefā and āfeelā.
Once step at a time but if there is such a big improvement already then the rest is normally just āfine tuningā
