Help! I wake up miserable with a sore back everyday (as of late) on my 100% all latex (organic) mattress and need to know what I should do to correct the problem.
Background:
Bed shared with husband (6’3~ 205 lbs) who sleeps on either his back or side
Me- (5’2 - 135 lbs) sleeps solely on back
Mattress is a Natura World Eco Brilliance made organically with a 6 inch Dunlop layer then 4 inches of medium Talalay, and then topped with an 1 inch of organic wool and covered in cotton. We bought this mattress approximately 4 yrs ago. It seemed fine for a while, but not any longer.
Not sure if we need something firmer or softer, but what we have is just not working. Husband is experiencing a sore back as well, but not to the same level that I am. Wonder if we can add a topper or additional layer or if the whole mattress and foundation should be replaced again? Any suggestions?
Hi Kelray0318,
I am sorry to hear that you aren’t sleeping well on your mattress.
Unfortunately it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because 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 (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or any “symptoms” they experience but 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.
There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.
These posts are the “tools” that can help with the analysis, detective work, or trial and error that may be necessary to help you learn your body’s language and “translate” what your body is trying to tell you so you can identify the types of changes that have the best chance of reducing or eliminating any “symptoms” you are experiencing (at least to the degree that any symptoms are from your mattress rather than the result of any other circumstances or pre-existing issues you may have that aren’t connected to a mattress).
The most common reason for lower back pain is a mattress that is too soft so it’s possible that your mattress is too soft for you. I believe that the top 4" layer of Talalay latex can be removed so it may be worthwhile trying your mattress without it to see if it makes a difference in your symptoms and if it does it may be worthwhile using the base layer either by itself or if you need additional softness or pressure relief with a topper that is thinner or firmer than the one you have. There are also some suggestions in post #4 here that may be helpful for a mattress that is too soft as well. I would make sure to try your mattress on the floor to see if it makes a difference so you can confirm that the support system under your mattress isn’t the cause of the symptoms you are experiencing (your support system should provide the same firm support under a mattress as the floor).
If you believe that your mattress is too firm (which is less likely) then some of the suggestions in post #2 here may also be helpful. The most common solution for a mattress that is too firm would be adding a topper.
Hopefully some of these suggestions will be helpful because unless your mattress is defective (has visible impressions that are deeper than the warranty exclusion which I believe is 1.5" with your mattress) the only other alternative would be to replace the mattress.
Phoenix
Thanks Phoenix, I will check out the posts your recommend and do some experimenting to see if I can identify the real issue and them find the solution.
Kelly