Need advice regarding shoulder pain with latex mattress

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
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I was here in 2021 and ended up buying 3x3" latex toppers for my mattress. I have a nice bed frame but I don’t have anything covering the slats. I don’t have a cover that contains my all layers. Just a wool mattress protector. The slat spacing is 2.8". The layers I have from bottom to top are

3" sleep on latex medium
3" Naturally Nestled Organic Latex Mattress Topper
3" sleep on latex soft layer

I’m 125lb 5’5" male side sleeper and my shoulders are still killing me. I can’t sleep longer than 1 hour at a time and have to turn. There has been at least a 1" dip in my mattress for years. I’m not sure what my next step should be. In your opinion which of the following are the best options?

  1. Should I buy an affordable 8" or so hybrid mattress and use 1 or more of my existing toppers on top?

  2. Should I buy another 3" firm or extra firm layer of latex for my bottom layer? I could stick with Sleep on Latex firm or try Sleep EZ firm or extra firm dunlop that’s currently on sale (if their shipping is free)?

  3. For the bottom layer should I got with coil springs, normal foam or memory foam and use my toppers?

  4. Or should I just go with an affordable mattress and use with a layer or two or my existing toppers? Or use a topper or two under some sort of foam mattress?

I’m hoping to grab something on sale this weekend. I really hate to spend too much ($300 - $400 or so) since I also desperately need a chair. If you know of any deals on anything decent please share.

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Following. My opinion would be to get a 2" of a good looking quality memory foam from amazon and try it either under the top layer or over it. But yeah, thats a 5" comfort layer. The thing is, soft dunlop latex is resilient even though it’s soft so itll still be pushing you back..memory foam helps to neutralize that. The thing is that 1" dip is another key point that needs to be figured out. Though im not very experienced with dips. My thought on that would be to rotate the mattress.

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I’m not sure if I want a top memory foam layer since I sleep hot. I get where you’re coming from though and it’s still an option since I’m wore out. The bed jet should help with the heat. Last year I was able to rotate the top layer but the new spot I sleep in now has a dip. I live alone so troubleshooting would be difficult.

I’m not sure if I need another comfort layer or a firmer bottom layer or mattress to “insulate” my shoulder from the bed frame.

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True. That’s why i like using the memory foam under the latex because it removes the pushback.

You might need to replace that top layer, which you could do with a 3" blended latex from mattresses.net and that would feel more conforming and less pushback than dunlop.

Im interested to see what others have to say on this

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Many sell latex in the name of organic/natural. However, they don’t tell you one thing: their top panels contain at least 1.5" cotton/wool/foam. These top panels help the latex push back. Look at the DLX Latex Hybrid top panel, for example. Many DIY mattress cases don’t have that much of cotton/wool/foam.

Top latex layers degrade. If you have any upholstery shop nearby, have them cut off the top 1.25" off that 3" SOL soft layer. Usually they charge $20 to $30. Use the remaining 1.75" as a top layer.

Buy 2" XL-18 Poly foam (not viscoelastic/memory polyfoam) from buyfoam.com and use it on the top of that soft layer. That can fix the latex push back. Or you can buy egg crate foam from Walmart too.

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Hello there! I saw your post and wanted to share my experience in case it could help you too. The thing that jumps out at me is that you’ve already done a tremendous amount of experimenting, and yet you’re still waking up every hour because of shoulder pain. At some point it becomes reasonable to ask whether the next layer, next topper, or next mattress is actually addressing the root problem.

I’m definitely not a mattress expert, but I can relate to the cycle of trying to solve shoulder pain by changing materials, firmness levels, support layers, and mattress construction. I spent a lot of time thinking the answer was one more adjustment to the mattress itself.

What eventually got my attention in your post was that you’re considering adding another layer to a setup that’s already 9" of latex, despite having a visible dip and significant shoulder pain. Before investing more money, I might first want to understand whether the issue is the support system underneath, the dip itself, or how my body is positioned while sleeping.

One thing that helped me was learning about incline sleeping. I came across the Incline Sleep website while researching my own hip and shoulder pain. Instead of changing the comfort layers, the idea is to place the entire mattress on a gentle incline. I eventually tried a foam incline wedge underneath my mattress, and for me it noticeably reduced the pressure I felt in my shoulders and hips. It seriously felt like I was floating. It uses gravity to remove the pressure from your joints and it worked amazingly for me.

The reason I mention it is that I kept chasing the perfect combination of foam, latex, and firmness, but eventually realized that sleeping position and body alignment were also major factors. In your case, you’re a relatively light-weight side sleeper with persistent shoulder pain despite having a very thick comfort system. That makes me wonder whether the problem is more complex than simply needing another soft or firm layer.

I’m certainly not suggesting you shouldn’t address the dip or the slat situation. In fact, with nearly 3" slat spacing and a noticeable depression, I’d probably investigate that first. But before buying yet another layer, it might be worth reading about incline sleep as another approach. It was one of the few changes that improved my shoulder comfort without sending me deeper into the mattress-modification rabbit hole. :rabbit: Oh, and yes ~ SleepEZ does offer free shipping.

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Thanks for all your replies and suggestions. I’ve also had to replace my living room chair and yesterday my vacuum sweeper died. When it rains, it pours.

In a week I will be cat sitting at a family member’s house. They have a new sam’s club memory foam mattress that I will able to try out. I think this will be the first time I’ve slept on a memory foam mattress.

The incline suggestion is interesting. Do you think it was the incline that helped or was it because of the added foam from the wedge? How much of an incline did you try and which did you prefer?

I should try adding some sort of boarding over the slats. I would like the white painted pegboard but it’s $25 for a 4’x8’a sheet. And as I look at pricing on 1/4" plywood it has taken a big jump in price at $30 a sheet. I may have to get OSB and add a coat of paint. What other affordable sheeting to cover the slats would you all suggest?

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Hi again ~ I totally know what you mean about “when it rains it pours” It’s like as soon as I think I’ve got a little cushion in my bank account, my check engine light goes on :rofl: So~ yes, incline sleep is interesting. Honestly when I first read about it I thought “that’s weird” like it doesn’t seem normal, but then after reading the research from different sources on the website (link here) I just started thinking maybe there’s something to this concept. The foam wedge is actually a really firm foam and it goes under your existing mattress. It’s whole purpose is just to tilt your sleeping surface. I think you can do a 6" or a 4" one ( I did the 4") BUT, on the website there are links to youtube videos that basically show you how you can DIY it without buying anything. I was skeptical but after trying it for like 5 minutes I could completely feel how the slight shift in gravity changed the weight distribution… it was pretty cool. Finding a mattress you love is very important but for me, tilting the foundation made a huge difference and reading about all the other health benefits makes me feel like I’m doing something really good for my body. Hope this helps! Oh ~ I’m not sure where you are but at some Home Depots they have like “scrap” pieces of wood (all different types) in the back that are super marked down. Maybe you could find a couple sections of plywood that would work… Good luck!

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Hey I am a woman but close to your height and weight. I also have an all latex mattress I cannot return.

Latex has this side to side jello jiggle and weird pushback in the wrong places for lighter bodies.

I really wanted all latex to work because durable! natural! but it just doesn’t. I needed something on top to dampen the jello and fill in the contours.

My latex setup is way taller than yours so I wouldn’t be worried about the height.

I am using Serene foam as a topper which is a polyfoam designed to be temperature neutral. It does not sleep hot. It is not memory foam but it is soft.

2” serene foam
3” soft latex
3” medium latex
6” firm latex

I use deep pocket sheets from Egyptian Linens and it does fit. Barely. Haha.

I was really pleasantly surprised by the Serene foam and that only 2” fixed everything.

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Thanks again for your replies and sharing your experiences. I did manage to rotate my top soft latex layer. It has helped some with my shoulder pain. When I had the top layer off I noticed less of a dip in the other two layers that I didn’t touch. That means it’s the top layer with most of the dip. Like someone else said it seems like it’s a sacrificial layer.

I also spent a week on a cheap foam / memory foam mattress. I hate to admit it but I did sleep a bit more than I normally do. At times it feels like my shoulder bottomed out on a lower foam layer if that makes sense. As my shoulder sinks down its like soft, soft, then a firm feeling. I suspect this is because it’s a cheaper mattress. I also didn’t like the way it supported my lower back. For me I think the latex is better for my lower back. A mix of materials might work for my situation.

I think this is the mattress she bought. Member's Mark Hotel Premier Memory Foam Mattress, Available in Medium, Firm, and Ultra Plush - Samsclub.com

Is Serene Foam made by comforttech? https://www.walmart.com/c/brand/comforttech

Not sure where to start. Start at the bottom? Is it really worth adding boarding to cover the slats if they are less that 3 inches apart? Did it help any of you as you were troubleshooting?

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Yes Serene foam is made by Carpenter and often branded under ComfortTech

It is a pretty unique foam. I’ve tried many foams and they are not the same at all. Serene is a polyfoam but feels different from Tranquility which also is a polyfoam. Tranquility was like a trampoline. Serene is for me is plush but like the good parts of memory foam without the bad parts.

You’ve also got Energex and Luracor trying to be memory foam latex hybrids. Then so many different types of memory foam.

It’s boring but maybe try just isolating one variable. For me I just said I am going to keep all my latex layers and only focus on the topper. 6 toppers later I am happy with the Serene on top and am not fussing with anything underneath

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Thanks for your reply and the information you provided. It was a little tough trying to find serene foam on amazon so I didn’t get anything during the sale except for a couple sets of sheets from woot. I like that serene foam is soft and cooler. The latter is important to me.

I forgot to mention I have two pieces of cardboard on the slats under my shoulder area as a temporary bunky board. It didn’t seem to help but it may be relevant.

I glanced over a couple other topics that mention other foams and they are helpful. In one it mentions tight covers or sheets. My wool mattress protector shrunk a bunch and it literally lifts the edges of the mattress up. I have 100% cotton sheets and they are also tight. At this point I’m not sure if they are making things better, worse or neutral.

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Yeah Serene foam is not on Amazon.

When I google it shows up on several other places such as Walmart, Macy’s, etc.

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$78 for 3" Serene foam at walmart. That seems awfully affordable. I wonder if it’s durable? I also wonder if it would help in my situation?

Edit: It’s now on sale for $57. Do you think I should go for it or try something different?

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3" of serene foam for $57 is a crazy deal

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Thanks. It does look to be made by carpenter co according to the image of the tag. I’m going to grab one and give a try at that price.

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Hey there T & T,

Serene foam is made by Carpenter, so this is genuine Serene foam, not an imitation. I’d be interested to hear how you like it. At that price, I think it’s a steal. The only specification they don’t disclose is the foam density. Density is one factor that affects durability and cost, and higher-density foams generally require more raw material and often cost more to produce. That doesn’t make this topper bad or suspect, though. Serene foam itself has a different feel than traditional memory foam, it responds more quickly, is less temperature-sensitive, and is designed to provide pressure relief without the “stuck” feeling that memory foam can have. If it’s the official Carpenter/ComfortTech topper, I think it’s one of the better values available.

Interested in hearing your follow up.

Maverick

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Serene foam has a strong smell so you should probably sit it outside for a day. I had a serene foam pillow and it was a very persistent smell

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Thanks for your input. The price dropped a little bit more to $51.47 for all sizes so I canceled my original order and placed another order. Once it arrives I’ll let it expand and air out. I kind of figure the sale is to get rid of their old stock because of the smell. Hopefully they end up sending me one that doesn’t smell like fish or have cracks or cuts in the foam.

I think I’m going to rotate my two lower latex layers since they have a small dip. Then it just a matter of figuring out which comfort layer is best on top. Is there an article, topic or post that explains the pro and cons between the top layer being serene foam or something similar and the next layer down being latex and vice versa?

The specs for Serene foam can be found on this page. I’m not sure what the specs mean. You have to click the plus sign by Serene foam and learn more to view the pdf.

Polyurethane Foam | Carpenter Co.

I will also post a follow up or two once I spend some time with the new set up. I’m also very curious if it helps.

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I believe based on the reviews, what you got might be the 12 ild which means it’s very soft.