Hi there! I am wondering if there is someone who wouldn’t mind advising me on layering latex for a bed.
Small person side sleeper-although I occasionally find myself kind of halfway on my side and stomach; -weight forward but one hip not flush with the bed-I have no idea what that’s called.I currently have a new memory foam mattress but I hate the way my hips sink into the bed-I think It’s causing me some back pain.
I want a supportive bed where my hips don’t do too much sinking but it conforms to my body a bit and doesn’t put too much pressure on my shoulders.
I am thinking about buying 2 latex queen mattress toppers, 3 inches thick, and stacking them (or 1 thicker one, if available), and then adding maybe an inch of a 1.5 memory foam on the top as a comfort layer. I would also consider a layer of foam instead of one of the latex layers if it would be more economical and not that much of a difference in the short term-can fix later.
My budget for the latex layers are around $600 right now. I figure it’s a better investment to spend it on latex than a bed-in-a-box that I’ll have to replace in a few years anyways. When I am able, I can add more layers if need be or buy a base layer. I’m not that fussy about beds, I just need more support than memory foam can give me. I laid on a 6 inch 28 ILD latex piece today and it didn’t seem like too little mattress. I think 6 inches and a bit of memory foam will be fine for a while?
Given my needs I should go with 1 layer of firm latex and one of medium? or two of medium? Or one latex layer and one of foam? I don’t know what kind of impact putting softer latex over harder latex on firmness or softness has on the overall feel of the mattress…is there anyway to guess the ILD?
The closest to describing your preferred sleeping position may be simply something of a “combination” sleeper; although you don’t mention changing from side-to-front exactly, you’re closer to that style. You may find Phoenix’s article “An Overview of Sleeping Positions” useful for better understanding the role an individual’s preferred sleeping position plays in the materials and constructions that are best suited to that style.
Several questions for you, bedhead13: is this your first memory foam mattress? What brand is it and what size? What mattress were you sleeping on before and how long have you “sleep trialed” your new memory foam mattress? For those following your research who are curious about memory foam’s properties, Phoenix articles, “Memory Foam- Pros and Cons” (discussing the properties of memory foam) and “Overview of Memory Foam as a Comfort Layer” (discussing the “feel” of memory foam in the upper mattress layers) are informative.
Latex is a good choice in terms of both a support layer and comfort layer. You could begin with a firm layer on the bottom, a medium firmness layer in the middle, followed by the comfort layer (firmness of your preference) on top. Memory foam over latex has a nice feel; however, if you are already unhappy with your memory foam mattress, would you continue using memory foam as an upper comfort layer?
Looking forward to your updates on which way you decide…
I currently have a Zinus 12 Inch queen Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress, which I panic bought from amazon. It is my first memory foam mattress. I have slept on it for about 4 days. I guess I am still in my adjustment period, but I don’t imagine I will get used to the “hammock feeing” Also I realize now I can probably piece together something better and longer lasting for just a little bit more…
Re: my mattresses-I have slept on so many random mattresses of various terriblenesses for various periods of times (I travel a lot). I imagine most of them have been spring mattresses, but they never annoyed me as much as this memory foam.
I read through the articles you linked (thanks!). I guess I figured I would put the memory foam on top of the other layers to add some pressure relief, and help stop movement transfer. I figured the problem with the mattress overall was the lack of support in the base layers and a little foam would be okay. I attached the manufacturers photo of the make up below.
I don’t know that I can afford 3 different latex layers right at this moment, but in the short term maybe two medium density layers would be comparable to a firm layer, a medium layer, and a softer layer in terms of firmness?
The “hammock feeling” you’re experiencing is an inherent character of memory foam’s slower response nature. Over time as you sleep, the heat of your body’s temperature creates a surrounding body impression, providing the “sinking into” feel of the mattress. As you are new to memory foam, its feeling will take time for your body to adjust to; some are big fans of its properties while others are not.
Have you reached out to Zinus regarding their recommendations on how to improve the mattress’s feel to your preferences? Many “one size fits most” BiBs offer liberal sleep trial periods and comfort exchange programs to offset the risk of making a purchase sight unseen. In your case, rather than band-aiding a new mattress with toppers, you may be better served working directly with the seller on a better solution. In fairness to them, review first what the sleep trial period they recommend is and if at all possible, give that sleep adjustment period a chance, normally a 30 day minimum is required before returns/ exchanges are made.
Looking forward to hearing which way you choose to go .
! Thanks for your question.