Just want to sleep

Talk To The Experts
21

Update pt.2: Honestly medium talalay over the firm Dunlop doesn’t seem to help. Hips still drop and my alignment is out of wack. My last choice is a soft Dunlop but given the fact soft talalay had my hips drop through I’m not sure if that’s even worth it.

I think with my body type I need something that is soft enough for my upper body to drop in, soft enough for my hips yet literally supports it. After that I’m good but everything doesn’t seem to work.

What else could do that but latex? A possibly latex/combo

22

Update 6/21/26. Was hoping to go to a reputable dealer listed here near me to figure out how to proceed or possibly a custom mattress and honestly, salesman didn’t seem to believe my issues when I said none of the mattresses on the floor work for me. Extremely frustrating. I may have to DIY somehow using sleep ez latex’s or I may unfortunately have to return it.

@Sleep_EZ

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Oh boy, well I’m sorry to hear you didn’t get the help you were looking for with the local showrooms and salespeople, but if there’s anything we can help with, just let us know! Feel free to call is if you’d like, it’s normally easier to get straight to the point and sort out all of the details over the phone. Our number is 800-710-9846 and we’re in the office for another hour or so, otherwise we’re open 7 days a week!

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Hi there WitsEnd,

I’m really sorry to hear you can’t seem to get everything working together. I know how frustrating that kind of long-term, no-clear-answer situation can be.

I went back and reviewed your original post along with your recent updates. What stands out to me is that you’ve been fairly methodical in working through different latex configurations, yet the underlying issue still seems to remain the same.

At 5’10" and 135 lbs, you’re not someone I would typically expect to be overpowering medium or firm latex layers. That’s why your continued reports of pelvic sinkage and alignment problems are so interesting. The fact that your upper body barely seems to sink while your hips feel like the anchor point suggests there may be more going on than simply choosing the wrong latex firmness.

I also found it interesting that the shikibuton on a hard surface came closest to providing relief, even if only temporarily. The fact that it doesn’t really “give” much but still felt the most comfortable for a short time is somewhat telling, and I can see how that pattern would develop based on what you’re describing. It points to you being quite sensitive to even small amounts of hammocking or differential sinking through the mattress. I can also know that the failure of the shiki to rebound back might be an issue. I had a similar thing happen with my 3" organic wool topper, but for me the wool not rebounding only looked bad, due to the body impressions left. At the same time, the body impressions resulting from the wool topper, allowed the topper to conform to my body and ultimately I was actually quite comfortable.

Given everything you’ve tried so far, I’m thinking it might be worth exploring a different support system altogether rather than continuing to swap latex layers. A pocketed coil support unit, such as the Quad Coil from Pocket Coil Store or something sleepez could offer, combined with latex comfort layers, would provide a very different support profile than an all-latex build. A pocketed coil system may work better because it can provide more targeted support under the pelvis while still allowing the rest of the body to settle more naturally. Whether it would solve the problem is impossible to say, but it may be worth considering since you’ve already gathered a lot of information about what does and doesn’t work for you in an all-latex configuration.

In situations like yours, sometimes the biggest breakthrough doesn’t come from changing firmness levels, but from changing the support design itself.

Just my thoughts based on what you’ve shared so far.

One more thing I would assume, you probably already have this dialed in, but just in case, it’s worth making sure your foundation is solid with narrow slat spacing (under 3"), rigid slats that aren’t flexing, and slats that are at least 2–3" wide. Your foundation can make a bigger difference than people expect, and it’s easy to overlook when you’re focused on the mattress layers themselves. Also, since you’re a back sleeper, pillow loft and fill can be more important than it seems at first. Something like the Oxygen Pillow or Helix Adjustable Pillow could be worth a look just for fine-tuning head and neck alignment. Remember, everything between you and the floor matters, including your duvet, sheets, how tightly that hug the mattress, and how your mattress protector sits and fits on the mattress.

Hopefully this gives you some food for thought.

Maverick

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Maverick,

Really appreciate the response. I agree it’s definitely a very rare situation. I tried all mattresses today from the store and literally 5 mins in I can feel my hip sinking while my back stays up or starts getting pushed up because of my hips. However, I tried a mattress there and for a few seconds, my upper back sank in more than my hips, I definitely felt aligned with slight contour in my lumbar but of course slowly I felt my hips sink more and till it was the same situation.

Yeah the latex may not be the right move. I need something more that is soft but conforms similarly to the cotton, possibly the wool you were talking about. I’m willing to try it if it truly works because how can my hips be this unstoppable? I actually have an adjustable base (legs and head) so nothing to worry about there. I understand a pillow is also important and I just bought a few but the hip issue still stands. Everything will not work as efficiently if my hip is not supported/in alignment properly.

If you have any other suggestions please let me know. I need help and its been tough lately.

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Thanks Shawn. I’ll give you guys a call sometime this week.

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I think it’s normal for hips to sink more than upper body. Happens to me but doesn’t really cause any issues. I got a heavy lower body so it’s significant though no pain or discomfort is caused. That usually is the heaviest part of our bodies unless there’s big muscular shoulders involved, so more sinking in the middle is generally what will happen with almost anyone. This is why many beds have zoning. Which can be incorporated by simply adding a pad or something in that area, something that gives more strength to the middle part of the bed. That’s what the ergoalign layer is in Helix mattresses.

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I don’t think I believe this in my case. The moment my body is out of alignment it causes breathing difficulty and that’s another reason why I’m not sleeping well.

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I like the idea of a robust spring support layer along with a combinationof latex options. I also can see a @BackScience 1 or perhaps a Backscience2 with their lumbar lift option.

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Hmmm I’d give them a call and see what’s up. I’m just unsure anymore about mattresses from retailers. Nothing seems to work.

Thanks

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31

Hello WitsEnd,

First, it’s important that I add the disclaimer that while I am not your personal physician and therefore cannot offer medical advice, and specifically do recommend that you see your personal health practitioner to evaluate your situation, I can offer you my 25 years of experience as both a mattress designer and a Doctor of Chiropractic who has specifically worked to create technology that objectively assesses spinal alignment and created the patent-pending features utilized with the Back Science beds to help achieve a proper spinal alignment while sleeping.

Having your hips sink significantly further than your upper back creates a hammock effect that severely disrupts your spinal alignment. This unnatural flexion of the spine can compress the diaphragm and chest cavity, which can directly explain the difficulty you are experiencing with your breathing, though as stated earlier, you should be sure to also investigate this further with your personal physician.

@Maverick suggestion regarding the Back Science models is spot on. A mattress must provide structural push-back where your body carries the most weight to keep everything level. The Back Science Series 1 and Series 2 are engineered specifically to combat excessive hip sinking by utilizing a robust 1,000-count coil core paired with our patent-pending Lumbar-Flex™ Zoned Support. This system actively reinforces the center third of the mattress. Instead of allowing your hips to bottom out, it provides a targeted lift that keeps your lumbar spine flat and neutral. The Series 1 delivers maximum firmness and rigid structural lift, while the Series 2 provides a luxury-firm feel with a bit more surface contouring for pressure relief, while still maintaining the reinforced core support.

While most customers find their Back Science mattress to be perfect from the get go, should you find that the mattress is too firm or too soft, we offer free customizations at no cost whatsoever to ensure that the mattress properly suits your needs. This is easily accomplished thanks to our GripLock modular cover system, whereby we can exchange internal components that will change the level of firmness and support of the mattress right from your own home.

Getting the hips and upper back into balance is critical, and we are perfectly equipped to help you achieve that precise alignment. You can find more information on these models and how the zoning works by visiting our website directly at .

Also, as a Mattress Underground member, you can use the code TMU10 for an additional discount on your order.

Dr. Rick Swartzburg, D.C. Founder and Head of Product Development

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I am not quite certain what you mean by “retailers.” @BackScience can customize a mattress much like many of the independent manufacturers discussed here, and they are in fact a small independent manufacturer. Likewise, companies such as @BeloitMattress , @EuropeanSleep , @DLX, @ShovlinMattress @foxmattress, @Texas_Mattress_Maker and @EngineeredSleep all offer a very personal, consultative approach and varying degrees of customization, and not necessarily occupying the all latex space.

One observation I will make is that, based on this thread, it has become difficult to understand what direction you want to pursue. You mentioned struggling with sleep for six years, and throughout the discussion many different mattress types, constructions, manufacturers, and customization options have been suggested. Most of those options seem to have been ruled out for one reason or another although many are reliable and sensible solutions.

That doesn’t mean your concerns aren’t valid. It simply makes it challenging for anyone here to provide meaningful guidance because, while your objectives seem fairly clear, nearly every avenue suggested to achieve them has been ruled out or met with significant reservations.

At some point, finding a solution may require choosing one of the remaining imperfect options and working collaboratively with a manufacturer or retailer who can help you fine-tune the design. Otherwise, the discussion risks becoming a process of eliminating possibilities without getting any closer to an actual mattress solution.

The members here can continue offering suggestions, but ultimately there has to be some willingness to engage with one of the available paths forward if progress is going to be made.

Best,

Maverick

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Sorry “retailers” wasn’t for anyone here. I’m talking about most big name mattress companies etc. However there was one reputable dealer in TMU that I drove to and again he didn’t really help.

I’m open to move forward with mattresses provided by Back Science. However, I went and saw one more mattress manufacturer today and they did have a mattress that seemed very close to helping me.

I’m going to have to do a bit of thinking and research but will provide an update end of week.

Thanks

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Sounds great, just take notes on each mattress, what works and what doesnt. The TM’s here are very experienced professionals, as you can see from Dr. Rick at backscience. They can gather that information and craft something as close as anyone can to get you set up on the right mattress.