Hello all,
I have been trying to sleep on all latex mattress now for 6 months and tried 10 different configurations yet I find that by the end of the night I am having severe back spasms making me change positions and can hardly get out of bed , however the moment I am out ans stretch all gone . Spasms can be under my ribcage or all over ..
For reference I bought a 10 inch firm Talalay mattress Refresh (made by Southerland ) , then tried soft 21 ILD Talay 2 inch topper , 28 ILd Talalay 2 inch , 2 inch 3.6 lb high dens select viscosoft mem foam , now the flobed v zone layer soft 3 inch -more or less failure . Tried pillow under knees , pillow under hips, towel under waist ,
I am overall tall and 167 lb female ,not very plump
i am trying to salvage the expensive mattress so loking for ideas before I throw it away (passed return period )
_ thoughts on wool topper versus heavy down mattress pad ?
-thoughts on diffferent memory foam topper over or under my V zone layer ?
-thoughts on my ILD 34 toper over the v zone layer or soft topper over V zone
My current confo
bottom firm 34 ILD talalay , V zone 3 inch layer SOFT ( soft in shoulders and hips , Medium in lumbar )
Hey there pgdoc, welcome to the Mattress UnderGround and thank you for your question.
First, I am sorry you are having some difficulties with the back spasms and restless sleep positioning. I’m wondering if the issue is more about how your body is interacting with the different layers than simply needing a softer or firmer topper. With a medium-firm 34 ILD base and a 3-inch V-Zone, you have quite a bit of variation in support already. Depending on your desired sleeping position and build, your hips and shoulders may be sinking too much, or perhaps the lumbar area isn’t getting the support it needs. It’s hard to know without understanding how you’re sleeping on it.
I wouldn’t spend more money on another topper just yet. Wool would be my preference over down if you’re just looking to soften the surface, but neither is going to change the underlying support much. If you want to try memory foam, I’d put a thinner layer on top of the V-Zone rather than underneath it. I’d be careful about adding too much softness, though. I’m also not convinced that putting the 34 ILD layer over the V-Zone is the answer.
Are you mainly a side sleeper? And where are you getting the spasms, lower back, mid-back around the ribs, or both? Did you have these problems before getting the latex mattress, or did they start after the switch? I’m also curious whether you feel like your hips are sinking too far when you’re on your side, or whether there’s a gap around your waist that isn’t being supported.
I’d hate to see you keep throwing money at toppers without figuring out what’s actually going on. Six months of severe spasms is a long time, and I’d have a doctor or physical therapist look into it as well rather than assume the mattress is the only culprit. Hopefully there’s a way to make what you have work, but I’d hold off on buying anything else until you have a better idea of what’s causing the problem. You have quite a few pieces to work with, so I’d experiment with some combinations before buying anything else. For example, try the 21 ILD or 28 ILD Talalay directly over the firm base without the V-Zone, or try the 34 ILD layer over the V-Zone to see if it helps even out the feel of the zoning. You could also try the memory foam over the firm base by itself to see how your body responds to the additional contouring. I’d change just one thing at a time so you can get a better sense of what is helping. There’s no reason to keep buying layers until you’ve exhausted the possibilities with what you already have. Also, many times particularly with foam mattresses, you foundation can be the culprit. Describe your foundation, slat spacing, slat thickness, slat width and if the slats are somewhat flexing or very rigid.
Hello Maverick ,
First of all a huge thank you for the fast and very detailed reply !
The answer is , my foundation is great , I am a side sleeper kind of more bony than plump and no medical bone /joint issues -all those started after the latex firm mattress .
To give a bit more info- my first latex mattress was plush - 6 inch coils + 7 inches ILD 14 dunlop , i loved it but felt maybe too much sinking thus returned for this firm option (so, cant do another return )
the plush one never gave me those crazy spasms mstly around ribs an around all back . I do have a hip pain on the side i sleep and the plush didnt get rid of it much so I asumed the pain is not from pressure but rather sciatica from sinking back .
So , i did try soft topper over firm matteress -felt sinking too much , medium topper -got rib cage pain, high density topper over firm mattress -great but by the end of the night sinking too much
One thing I have noticed the worst pain is at the ribcage and mid back juncture and for sure firm mattress or topper makes it worse
with V zone layer soft over firm mattress felt great first 2 nights then the spasms started - my feeling is one of the latex trying to beat me up -falling asleep super comfy ,starts always after 3 am and all over back ,not that much the prior midback focal pain, just a feeling like leather belt hitting me
so I think it is perhaps the huge resilence / push back of the latex ???
clearly no wasi gap or deep sinking
current v zone is firm under waist, medoum hips , soft under upper chest /shoulders
any hints how could I soften this angry latex push up without loosing the great feeling I have earlier on of being on a soft cushy cloud ?
You said you felt comfortable on the spring and latex mattress for the most part, but with 7 inches of latex on top that is definitely too much. I bet 4 inches would’ve worked better. A latex hybrid is less pushback from my experience, the springs are just there. And even a skinny layer of memory foam can help settle down the action of the pushback.
You tried that on top of the firm latex? I would probably do the 2 inch with 1 or 2 inch latex on top of the memory foam, on top of the firm latex. That should give enough sinkage but nothing crazy and then the firm would give support
Hope it’ll work, the latex keeps the heat away from the memory foam so the memory foam doesn’t soften too much from the heat.
Sometimes DIY can be a never ending thing and become too costly if it doesn’t work out…many mattress companies offer interest free financing. So try every combination you currently have as much as you can and if nothing works, it’ll be okay to just find a good mattress brand and stick to it. I’ve found it can inspire confidence knowing you’re sleeping on an exact setup that is fully tested and has a very high success rate, and I also usually like the designs and the covers, while DIY can become open ended because relying just on ourselves to make the perfect decision for what layers to install can be difficult. And if you’re not sleeping well that’s greatly affecting your life.
With purchasing a specific mattress from a specific brand, you’re buying the product that keeps their business alive. They had to make sure the mattresses were comfortable as-is.