Hi Reggie,
This would really depend on the specific construction of the mattress and whether you were sleeping directly on the latex or if there were other materials in the mix. It’s certainly not normal for latex. Knowing the specific construction of the mattress you bought (layer thicknesses, type of latex, and any other layers or quilting besides just the latex) may provide some clues about what may be happening. It’s difficult to say if the impressions are in the latex itself or with something else inside the mattress such as the cover or quilting (which may be “bunching up” towards the center) without removing the latex layers themselves and putting them on a flat surface like the floor and then using a string or a straight edge from side to side to see if they are impressing or if the impressions are coming from somewhere else.
As you can see in a similar post here I wrote just before yours though … there have been more than I would consider to be a “normal” amount of reports about latex impressions and softening over the last few years coming from the Talalay made by Latex International although it’s not a consistent issue and more sporadic than ongoing. In many cases what people feel as softening is a natural part of the “feel” of latex which can feel softer and more elastic and resilient than other materials (an unusual combination of both soft and firm) and some people perceive this as a “soft spot” when it isn’t but there are certainly also instances where it’s not subjective at all and there has clearly been softening and impressions beyond the norm.
Mattress design takes many different variables into account which includes the ILD of the latex but also includes many other factors in the design which among many others includes the thickness of the layers. While a 3x3 or a 6" + 2" latex mattress design in a “standard” firmness level works very well for the majority of people … there are also exceptions where someone’s needs or preferences is more specific or in a narrower range and layer thickness may also play a role in the success of a design in these cases along with other variables such as quilting layers or the material used in the cover, or where inside their “range” of needs and preferences their choice of a mattress falls. You can read a little about how this can sometimes work against people quite quickly in post #2 here. I certainly know of others that were never able to get their layering right and in some cases they may “want to like” latex even though a certain design or set of combinations may not work well for them. There are no “better or worse” types of material … only better and worse quality inside each material type and different designs that work better for some than for others.
There is no formula that can predict how well a mattress will work for someone else and even though specific and objective testing is not always completely accurate … it’s the most accurate way of judging how a mattress may work for you. Sometimes this can involve a learning curve that identifies what was “wrong” with various mattress choices and then uses this to make better assessments for the next round of mattress testing. Each mistake can help you make better choices if you can identify what the mistake was and use your experiences to become more specific about what to avoid. The most common “mistake” in mattress choices is choosing a mattress that is too soft so it may mean that you need to make a choice that doesn’t feel as soft as any of the mattresses you have tried so far (the learning curve may be telling you that the whole range of softness you lean towards may not work well for you).
Sometimes it’s also just a “'feel” that may not be quite right even though there are no specific symptoms of pain or discomfort on the mattress. When you catch yourself using words like “it feels like” in describing what is wrong with a mattress then it’s often a sign that you are focusing more on subjective perceptions than more objective issues which usually have more specific symptoms connected with them (such as back pain in a specific part of the back).
This would be an example of a more subjective perception (“feels like” type of description) and my tendency would be to go with a mattress that “felt like” it was too firm as long as it wasn’t producing symptoms. What you expect the “perfect” mattress to feel like may be part of the issue and it may be that you need a mattress that is firmer than it feels like it should be and then you may need to give it time to get used to it so a firmer range feels more comfortable. In many cases … what you may find is that your feelings about what a mattress “should” or even what you prefer may change once you’ve slept on a mattress that is more suitable for you even though it may not feel like it for a while. More subjective perceptions are usually not an accurate indicator of the suitability of a mattress and actual “symptoms” are more reliable because your mind can fool you but your body will tell you the truth.
A good analogy is food choices. There are many people who have “learned” over time to prefer sugary or sweet foods (or salty is another example) in their diet and just don’t like the taste of anything that isn’t sweet enough for them even though in the long term it can cause them a lot of harm. The taste and the more immediate feeling that comes from eating something sweet that they are used to can become more important than the substance and content of the food and what they have learned to prefer actually works against them. In these cases … there is a conflict between what they have learned to prefer vs what they need and even if they recognize that they need to make some changes and choose something that is “less sweet” to the point of being almost undesirable and feels like a good choice, it may still be too sweet for their needs because their whole range of sweetness is in conflict with what they need. It may be “less harmful” but it’s still inside a preference range that can cause harm over time.
Mattress choices are somewhat similar and in some cases people’s there is a comflict between the range of preferences that people have vs what they really need in a mattress (alignment and pressure relief) and they may need to choose something firmer than they prefer and learn to adjust to this in order to solve the underlying issues they are having. Needs should always take priority over preferences. Preferences can change over time and with new experiences as you get used to a new “range” of choices but what your body needs will stay more consistent over time (although it can also change as our bodies change as well).
None of this has to do with the quality of the materials in a mattress because a poor quality mattress or a good quality mattress can both provide you with what you need … it’s just that better quality will do this for much longer.
So I’m not sure exactly what your specific “symptoms” are on your mattress but my guess is that you may need to choose a mattress that is firmer than your current range of preferences and then sleep on it for a while until your body convinces your mind that it is better for you. Just like anything you are used to (and assuming this is even what is happening) … this may mean sleeping on a mattress that is closer to what you need (firmer) even though for a while it may not feel “comfortable” to you.
While there are too many variables and unknowns for anyone to suggest a specific design for someone else (outside of very generically) that can possibly be more accurate than their own testing and experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here), my guess is that you likely need a firmer support layer than you are choosing and once you have this then it’s just a matter of choosing the thinnest firmest comfort layer that relieves your pressure points. The most important part of a mattress choice is support and alignment followed by pressure relief followed by preferences. In other words … choosing a mattress from the bottom up is usually a better approach than choosing a mattress based on the feel from the top down (which puts preferences and “feel” first then pressure relief and finally alignment). You may find that your needs and preferences are more towards the “stiffer” and less conforming feel of polyfoam in the support layers or a firm innerspring or perhas even much firmer latex rather than the “feel” of latex which has the combination of softness, firmness, and resiliency that may not suit your preferences even if you have no specific symptoms when you sleep on the mattress. One of the most difficult challenges whether it’s in the food we choose, other habits we may have, or in choosing a mattress … is choosing what we need when it doesn’t match our preferences and this may be part of the difficulties you are having.
Phoenix