I would like some advice. I purchased a 10" blended Talalay Latex bed from Sleep EZ in August 2013. I am 5’8" about 180 pounds., side/stomach sleeper. I ordered the bed in Soft, Medium Firm configuration. After a couple of weeks of waking up with lower back pain, I contacted the vendor and we changed out the soft layer for a medium layer. So now my configuration is Medium, Medium, Firm. The bed worked out great until recently. The mattress is now three years old and I’m waking up with shoulder stiffness. No lower back pain, just the shoulder that I am sleeping on is stiff and achy. Any recommendations on how to get some relief? I don’t think the latex layers have deteriorated. I do see a small intension of ¾ to 1 inch where I primarily sleep, but I think that is normal.
While it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because they can be very complex and there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or any “symptoms” they experience … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.
Outside of any changes in your body that could affect your needs and preferences (such as changes in weight, health or injury) … one of the most likely possibilities could be a pillow issue because one of the most common causes for neck and shoulder issues is the pillow you are using. A suitable pillow is an essential part of good alignment for the head and neck and upper body and can reduce some of the pressure on your shoulders because the gap between the head and the mattress and the curve of the cervical spine needs to be supported just like all other parts of the spine. Like mattresses … there are certain “needs” that depend on body type and sleeping positions but with pillows, personal preferences play a more important role because the face is much more sensitive to textures, temperature, smells, and other more subjective “feel” based properties of a pillow. There is more about choosing pillows in the pillow thread here.
It’s also possible that you could need some additional softness and pressure relief in your comfort layers.
If the only issue with a mattress is that it is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then a good quality topper can be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system but the only way to know for certain whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there will always be always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.
There is more information about choosing a topper and a link to the better online sources I’m aware of in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to which along with a conversation with a reliable and knowledgeable supplier (that can provide you with good information about how their toppers compare to each other or to other toppers they are familiar with that are available on the market) can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. A good exchange/return policy can also reduce the risk of an online topper purchase so I would make sure you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
Some slight softening or impressions are normal with any mattress (particularly under the heavier parts of the body) but I would also guess that most of the impressions in your mattress are coming from the wool quilting which will pack down to some degree over time but this wouldn’t generally have a meaningful effect on the comfort or support of the mattress.