Mattress topper

Hi Phoenix

Please help me. I purchased a king, organic latex mattress I believe to be Dunlop. It’s a wj casein is pillow top.

It’s awesome if I’m on my back. I’m a side sleep and when I wake up my shoulder a wrist are in extreme pain.

The mattress store, Sleepmaster, can’t help me and said to buy another pillow top but it would not be organic.

I can’t exchange it and neither the mattress or topper have zippers or layers. The store can’t help me.

Please help as I spent a lot of $ and no one is around to help fit my body to the mattress. The store said this mattress was perfect fit me.

Thanks Phoenix

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
-Dr Seuss

Sent from my iPhone

Hi Marni,

I’m not familiar with “wj casein” but if your mattress is made by Sleepmaster then I’m guessing that it’s a WJ Southard mattress.

If this is the case then you certainly made a great quality and very durable purchase (latex is among the most durable foam materials in the industry) but of course the durability of a mattress is a very different issue from the suitability of a mattress and how well you will sleep on it.

There is more about the 3 most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on suitability, durability, and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you (including the price of course and the options you have available after a purchase if your choice doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for).

[quote]It’s awesome if I’m on my back. I’m a side sleep and when I wake up my shoulder a wrist are in extreme pain.

The store said this mattress was perfect fit me.[/quote]

When you are purchasing a mattress I would always keep in mind that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

I’m not sure how long you’ve slept on your mattress but I would keep in mind that here will be a break in and adjustment period for any new mattress or sleeping system as the mattress loses any of it’s “false firmness” and the cover stretches and loosens a little and the materials settle and your body gets used to a sleeping surface that is different from what it is used to (see post #3 here and post #2 here). This would typically be a few weeks but it can be shorter or longer depending on the specifics of the person and the mattress (higher density materials can take longer) and it can be surprising to many people how much their sleeping experience can change over the course of the first month or so. I would generally suggest sleeping on any new mattress for a few weeks at a minimum (preferably a month or so) whenever possible before deciding on whether it’s a good “match” in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP and/or deciding to make any changes or additions to your mattress.

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” and PPP 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.

Based on your comments it sounds like the mattress you chose could be too firm for you but it’s also possible that your “symptoms” could be the result of a pillow issue as well because one of the most common causes for neck and shoulder issues is the pillow you are using. When you sleep on a new mattress you will generally sink into it either more or less than your old mattress so it’s not unusual to need a new pillow with a different profile as well. A suitable pillow is an essential part of good alignment for the head and neck and upper body 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.

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 certainly 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.

While I would try some different pillows first and make sure you have slept on the mattress for “long enough” to go through the break in and adjustment period … if you decide to try a topper then 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.

Because of the uncertainty that can be involved with purchasing a topper where you can’t test the combination in person … 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 and any costs involved just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.

Most people that are looking for an “organic” mattress (or organic materials) are usually concerned more with “safety” than whether the materials have an actual organic certification. There is more information about the three different levels of organic certifications in post #2 here and some of the benefits of an organic certification in post #3 here and there is more about the different types of organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and more about some of the differences between organic and safety certifications in post #2 here and there are some comments in post #42 here that can help you decide whether an organic certification is important to you for environmental, social, or personal reasons or whether a “safety” certification is enough.

Phoenix