Latex mattress help for a side sleeper with a history of lower back pain

Talk To The Experts Sleep EZ
21

You and I are alike. I found the exact same to be true. I slept on a mattress with a quilted top layer which does effectively spread the weight over the coils more effectively, and that was murder on my shoulders. Ive since removed that and it sleeps much better.

If you are experiencing lower back pain , then its possible your hips are sinking further than your upper body. One way to tell is to have a mirror with a smaller mirror to check what your backs alignment is. Or to just have someone else check it for you.

Have you tried it w/o the cover AND w/o the 2" topper? And issue w/ 2" on 2" of that soft latex material, especially with wide shoulder, is that your hips have the potential to sink in further than your upper body.

A 10" might work, but if the tension becomes the same, it might just do the exact same thing. Youā€™d sink into the topper further, and the material would tighten to the point where youā€™d get pressure again. Though it might be worth a shot if you can return the thing afterwards.

What i find is that zoning works best for me. Though my current config isnā€™t perfect, cuz im out of project money, i need firmer support in the middle and softer under my shoulders. Its a royal pain to get right, but worth it for better sleep. If the SleepEZ offers zoning as a config, maybe thatā€™s worth a try.

As far as latex is concerned. It is very supportive and resiliant. As a result it has a chance, on a uniformly firm surface, to bother people who have wide shoulders or uneven bodies. I definitely see that its a trade off. Too much hip support and my shoulders get pressed on. Not enough, and the hips hurt more or my spine goes out of alignment. Its certainly possible to get right, but a lot of it will come down, in the end, to you and how much money you have to put into it. Latex is nice, but you might need some kind of foam. I dont know. Youd have to experiment w/ other mattresses. Have you laid on any in stores yet?

There are lots of mattresses in a box that might offer zoning to varying degrees. Have you checked out OSO? Thatā€™s a zoned configuration. Not sure the return policy. But there are lots of those types of mattresses you can possibly try. And lots of them are 100% free returns. NO shipping cost incurred so the trials are entirely risk free from your perspective (i could be wrong about some of them however).

Phoenix has a really nice thread about this somewhere and ill try to find it for you. He basically goes over a lot of them and describes the material and viability as a mattress.

22

Heres a guy who found a decent one.

https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/my-oso-mattress

other OSO out there if you google it.

23

Here it is: The mattress in a box threadā€¦Lots of good info there:

https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/simplified-choice-mattresses-aka-disruptors-bed-in-a-box-one-choice-fits-all-universal-comfort-millennial-mattresses

24

@SleepEZ,
I recently wrote the following and would appreciate a response from you in considering a 10" Natural Mattress:

@Mike77 makes a good point regarding zoning. I noticed the OSO mattress is no longer for sale and is no longer a member of TMU. Do you feel latex could offer enough soft give for my shoulders but firmness for my lower back. Strangely, I survived and even thrived on a Comfort Dreams mattress of the following build for many years:

  • 2" 3.5lb memory foam
    2" 3lb memory foam
    2" 1.4lb urethane foam
    5" 1.5lb urethane foam

My shoulder was able to sink in enough while my lower back had the support it needed. As I sleep alone, I am considering the following split layers so that I can test out the various configurations. And, yet, while I could mix and match down the length of the bed, I would be inhibited in mixing in a zoning fashion. Iā€™m still a bit apprehensive about Talalay. From what I read, it doesnā€™t have the spring Dunlop has and Iā€™m afraid my lower back will hurt. I need that firm pressure upholding my lumbar. What do you think of these layers?

  • Dunlop-Soft
    Dunlop-Medium
    Dunlop-Firm
  • Talalay-Soft
    Talalay-Medium
    Dunlop-Medium

@Mike77 also mentions:

Thanks for any advice regarding these concerns as I consider a SleepEZ solution.

25

OSO still makes a mattress. Its not discontinued. https://ososleep.com/

Unless im mistaken somehow.

As far as getting latex layering right, its absolutely capable of doing anything dunlop is, but depends on the mattress in question and the ILD (firmness number of layer) layering. Talalay isnā€™t something to worry about. Its still very supportive and will provide you w/ the support your hips need but, provided you choose the right ILD and thickness. However,since you need give for your shoulders, youā€™ll have to find a scheme thatā€™s just enough to take the pressure off but firm enough to keep your hips up. Im in the same boat basically.

I wouldnā€™t go w/ the dunlop layering to start with. I would go w/ a mixture. However, it depends on the thickness of the layering. How thick would the layers be? The reason i would advise against the dunlop is because I suspect it would get very firm. BAsed on what you have tried, 1 Dunlop support layer (6 inches firm?), 2 + 2 inches of soft dunlop, anything firmer above the support layer (Dunlop-medium) wouldnā€™t be forgiving on your shoulders any, and might very well just press on them as much as the wool cover did (id have to know the thickness and ILD specifically).

What i find i need is contouring (much like sleep ez rep suggested). And talalay has got a better chance at doing that. But it depends on your bodies measurements. ASwell as the thickness of the layers in question. Maybe a mixture of dunlop and talalay would work better? Of course it depends on the ILD Of the layers aswell.

If i were you id try the talalay first, if you just want to try something, and go from there. Either that or a mixture.

26

Mike77,

Thereā€™s a nebulous cart on the Oso site but no pricing info or means of adding a mattress to the cart. Then I found an article on TMU discussing how itā€™s been discontinued.

27

Hello Dormir7

Based on all the information you have kindly provided throughout this thread, I would still stick by my original recommendation of a 3" Soft (20ILD) Talalay over 3" Medium (30-32ILD) Dunlop over 3" Firm (38-40ILD) Dunlop. At 140lbs respectfully, the soft Talalay on top will provide you with the contour you need, while the medium over firm below provides the gradual support. I recommend this configuration without an additional topper on top. The soft layer inside this mattress cover will offer more than enough plush/softness to provide the contour you need. Should you add a topper to this configuration, it will eliminate the support you have below, and thus cause lower back pain due to lack of proper spinal alignment. 90% of all customers weighing between 120lbs and 150lbs end up with this exact configuration. If after trying this configuration you are still needing a bit more support, you can simply unzip your cover encasement and rearrange your bottom two layers to bring your Firm Dunlop underneath your soft Talalay. This will bring more support to your sleep surface without changing the contour on top.

SleepEZ offers a 90 day comfort exchange guarantee. This allows you to exchange comfort layers, as many times as needed for 90 days. Should you need recommendations or assistance with your mattress during your trial period, we are just a phone call away, and are happy to help.

If you have further questions, you can call my office as well at 480-966-8731. We are open Monday thru Saturday, 10am to 6pm MST. Thanks again! We hope to hear from you soon!

28

Sleep EZ,

Would this same recommendation work for ~190lbs? I wish I was 150lbs!

Thanks again

29

Hello Dormir

I would not recommend the same configuration for someone weighing 190lbs (as I do!). If this person were a side and/or back sleeper primarily, I would recommend the top 3" layer be medium Talalay (30-32ILD). At 190lbs the medium will contour similarly for him/her as a soft contours to you at 140lbs. If someone at 190lbs were to choose a soft contour layer, they would simply push right thru it to the support layers, and therefore eventually acquire lower to mid back pain due to lack of support (too much contour). I myself am 188lbs, and I am currently on a Medium Talalay over Medium Talalay over Firm Dunlop configuration. I started with soft Talalay over Medium Dunlop over Firm Dunlop, but began to wake up with lower back stiffness after a couple of weeks. I first changed the soft Talalay on top to a medium Talalay. That took care of my back pain, however I started to feel a bit of a pressure point in my shoulders. My next move was exchanging the Medium Dunlop for a Medium Talalay. This gave me just a bit more contour due to the medium Talalay being just a touch softer than that of the medium Dunlop, which was just enough of a change to relieve my shoulder issue. Although most customers weighing between 185lbs and about 220lbs find that the Medium Tal over Medium Dun over Firm Dun to be the right fit, some may tweak it a bit like I didā€¦But overall, that configuration is a good place to start at 190lbs.

30

Thank you, kindly.

31

It is my pleasure! Please keep us postedā€¦Good luck!

32

[quote=ā€œSleep EZā€ post=78982]Hello Dormir

I would not recommend the same configuration for someone weighing 190lbs (as I do!). If this person were a side and/or back sleeper primarily, I would recommend the top 3" layer be medium Talalay (30-32ILD). At 190lbs the medium will contour similarly for him/her as a soft contours to you at 140lbs. If someone at 190lbs were to choose a soft contour layer, they would simply push right thru it to the support layers, and therefore eventually acquire lower to mid back pain due to lack of support (too much contour).
[/quote]

Iā€™m 180lbs on 3" 19 talalay over 28 talalay and 36 dunlop as a side sleeper I feel like I get very little contouring/plushness from the 19 comfort layer. Suggestions?

33

Hello Jcalvert86

Thank you for your inquiry. If you donā€™t mind my asking, are you waking up with any type of pain? If so, where is said pain located? This info can give us an idea as to whether or not your mattress is too soft, or too firm. At 180lbs, the listed configuration should offer plenty of contour, with maybe just enough support. I would not normally recommend anything softer at your respective weight.

I will await your reply. Thanks again!

34

[quote=ā€œSleep EZā€ post=79128]Hello Jcalvert86

Thank you for your inquiry. If you donā€™t mind my asking, are you waking up with any type of pain? If so, where is said pain located? This info can give us an idea as to whether or not your mattress is too soft, or too firm. At 180lbs, the listed configuration should offer plenty of contour, with maybe just enough support. I would not normally recommend anything softer at your respective weight.

I will await your reply. Thanks again!
[/quote]

Minor lower back pain, but this is the 3rd night on the new mattress setup so it may take time to clear up. The pain is no better or worse than previous hybrid mattress.

Main concern is that I tried out the same setup in a local store with the only difference being that the 19ILD comfort layer was placed on top of the wool cover that contained the firm/medium layers and I found it much more comfortable. Iā€™m not sure if having the comfort layer loose like that creates that much of a difference, but I canā€™t imagine what else it would be.

If the new setup doesnā€™t ā€œsettleā€ in over the next week or so, it seems my options are to take the 19ILD comfort layer out of the cover, or purchase one of the ā€œstretchā€ covers to place all the layers in.

35

Jcalvert86 - Thank you for the information.

In most cases lower back pain means that you are not getting enough support at the hips, and therefore your mattress surface maybe too soft. This is often misdiagnosed as not being soft enough. Before you take your 19ILD layer out of the mattress cover and use it as a topper, I would recommend trying a slightly firmer configuration first. If you drop your soft to the middle, and bring your medium layer to the top, this will provide you with just a bit more support on your sleep surface. If your back pain begins to subside, then you will know you are heading in the right direction. I myself am 185lbs, and started with soft (19-20ILD) over Medium (30ILD) over Firm (37ILD), and began to experience lower to mid back pain as well. I eventually exchanged my soft layer for a medium layer, and am now sleeping on Medium over Medium over Firm. This configuration has eliminated my lower back pain almost entirely.

When a sleep surface is too firm, the most common outcomes are pressure points (pain) at the shoulders and/or hips. It can also restrict blood circulation due to lack of contour, which can cause numbing of the arms and legs.

I hope this info helps. Please donā€™t hesitate to leave any feedback and/or questions anytime! Thanks again for your inquiry.

36

Sleep EZ,

I ended up returning the SOL mattress and purchased your Natural 10" mattress.

Initial impressions after sleeping on two configurations: M-Tal//M-Dun//Firm-Dun and M-Tal//M-Dun//M-Dun.

  1. M-Tal//M-Dun//Firm-Dun: It may be having slept on the latex pillow combined with the new mattress config (and yet, iā€™ve felt it since w/o the latex pillow) but my upper spine below my neck and between my shoulder blades hurts. I feel my shoulder isnā€™t sinking in as deep as it should; my head feels the firmness of the mattress, too. In any case, I see a noticeable difference between Talalay and Dunlop in regards to conformity, the former better suited to comfort layers. With this config, I feel the needed support on my lower back but am still concerned about my upper back.

  2. M-Tal//M-Dun//M-Dun: With the hopes of sinking a tad more, I tried this one night. Replacing the firm layer with a medium Dunlop base allowed my shoulder and hip to sink more, which unfortunately led to lower back pain. Sometimes I wonder if I just need to buck up and accept this config and buy a body pillow to force my hips open and maybe find lower back pain relief.

Yet, Iā€™ve reverted to the first config and will try it for as long as I can stand. I hope - I really hope - the upper body pain subsides and I find the support I need. Perhaps this is merely the adjustment period.

Itā€™s as if I need a split vertical base of M-Dun on the top and F-Dun on the bottom (i.e. zoned).

Dormir7

37

Hello Dormir

Thank you for the update. According to our conversation earlier, I had recommended a soft (20ILD) top layer for you. At 140lbs, this layer would provide you with the contour your need to achieve contour at your shoulders. This should help alleviate pain in your shoulders and between your shoulder blades. Have you tried a soft on top of the medium and firm layers?

I will await your reply. Thank you!

38

Sleep EZ,

I think there may be some confusion here. I am ~190 lbs and am the only sleeper on the bed (Iā€™m not sure where the 140 lbs came from-perhaps it was DRā€™s response on page 1 of this topic).
I think, however, after further testing that I just need to wait things out for adjustment. Itā€™s only largely a stiff neck and some lingering lower back pain at this point. Progress! I may try S-Dun//M-Dun//F-Dun or even S-Dun//M-Dun//M-Dun (which would be the next firm level from M-Tal//M-Dun//F-Dun?) as your cover doesnā€™t seem to restrict as much as the SOL combo I had; it could provide more lower back support, but Iā€™ll keep on with the Talalay for now to see how much back pain I can rid myself of.

39

What would you recommend for male at 165# side sleeper with the same issues? I have broad shoulders and narrower hips and back issues but also pain and numbness in shoulders from side sleeping.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

regards,
m

40

Hello Mae67

Thank you for your inquiry! Based on the info you so kindly provided, I would recommend a 3-layer mattress, with a configuration of soft (19-20ILD Talalay) over medium (30-32ILD Dunlop) over firm (37-40ILD Dunlop). Due to Talalay being a bit softer and slightly more contouring, it will make for the perfect surface layer for you at your weight. The medium over firm Dunlop layers below provide gradual support. This configuration is recommended for both side and back sleepers that weigh between 100lbs and 185-190lbs. Soft Talalay on top will also help eliminate pressure point issues that can come with having broad shoulders while sleeping on your side.

Please donā€™t hesitate to call our office anytime at 480-966-8731 should you have any questions, or would like to discuss further. Thanks again!