Would 12ILD be too soft? Would it be too soft when paired with a 3” soft latex layer?
If you all see any other red flags on this deal please let me know so I can cancel before it is shipped.
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Well people on the reviews said they sink right through it. I think it would be too soft with the soft latex.
I was thinking about getting it just to try it but that is a huge piece of serene foam and the smell is very long lasting so i changed my mind
Will be considering the tranquility foam though the king layer is $22 less than queen so I’d just cut it
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Oh wow! I didn’t see some of their other products on sale. Thanks for mentioning it. Isn’t the IFD in the PDF (11lbf versus 12lbf) a tad less for the Tranquility topper? Do the other numbers mean it would be more durable than the Serene foam?
I put both specs PDFs in split view to compare.
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I suggested the tranquility foam because it’s more of an active foam. For the top layer 3" is a good bit for a soft layer. Usually i like 2" of soft on top of medium.
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I took some photos with and without a pillow but I don’t know if it will help or not. I usually have to nestle around a bit to get comfy so I wasn’t 100% in a comfy sleep position. It’s hard to nestle in when you only have a 10 second timer on the camera.
In the 7 and 11 images (the last two pics) I untucked my mattress protector and sheet from the corner by my head. It looks like I might be sinking in more without the surface tension. Do you all see anything that will help?
It does look like you’re sinking in more but thats good if youre a side sleeper
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Just a quick update. The Serene foam topper showed up yesterday. I immediately opened it so it can air out. The reviews and Gc123 were right about the smell. To me it smells like a rotten potato which is my least favorite smell in the whole world. The smell has dissipated some over night though.
If you need to move this carry this topper once it’s opened I would have help. I was flipping it around today to air out the other side and I almost tore out a big chunk of foam. It’s really floppy and awkward to carry by yourself.
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Placing it inside a topper cover makes it easier to maneuver.
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A topper cover will definitely make handling easier, but I’d also give the Serene some time before judging the result. Softer toppers can change the pressure map quite a bit, and the first few nights can feel different as your body adjusts. One thing worth watching is whether the shoulder relief improves without introducing too much sinking through the midsection. With side sleeping, it’s often a balance between allowing enough compression at the shoulder while keeping the rest of the body supported. After a few nights, I’d be curious whether the change improves the shoulder pressure or just changes the overall feel of the mattress.
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Thanks for replies and advice. Yesterday I completely redid my DIY mattress. I have 3x 3" layers of latex (2x med. and 1 soft) and one 3" layer of Serene foam. I swapped my two lowest layers and rotated one and flipped the other. It was the first time I moved these layers. I have no idea if this experiment will work. I wish I had a way to determine which one of those medium layers is actually firmest.
I only have one topper cover so I removed it from my medium latex layer and put it on the Serene foam topper. I then put the Serene foam on 3rd and the soft latex layer is on top. I recently flipped and rotated my top latex layer so I left it as is. No idea how this arrangement is going to work out. Since my top latex layer has dips I thought it would be best to put it on top. This mattress still feels firm IMHO. I still have the shrunken wool protector on the bed but It’s only on the top two layers. I suspect it’s making the mattress feel firm. I used brand new sheets with deep pockets on the entire mattress instead of my old tight fitting sheets.
I think I may have slept a little bit more than normal last night but I still woke up several times. I don’t remember having shoulder pain but it still feels a bit uncomfortable when in bed. I have no complaints about my lower back so it must be supported well. It’s just going to take some to adjust and heal.
If you have any thoughts or suggestions fire away. I may have to re-swap my two lower layers and/or swap around the two top layers. I really hate to get rid of the wool protector since it wasn’t cheap.
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I think I Iost the plot on this thread 
I’m not sure where the layers are but highly recommend the Serene on top. Latex on top will have pushback and jiggle and your nerves / muscles will be getting active response all night so you can’t relax. The point, for me, of adding Serene at all was to mute the latex and stop my pain. To do that the Serene HAS to be on top.
But I also tried the Tranquility and it is NOT the same foam at all. I call it tiny bounce house foam. It is like latex x10 and made me feel like I was being launched to the moon. So painful.
Serene: IFD 12 or 22 depending on grade, resilience 20–30%
My 2” Serene topper from Macy’s is the IFD 22 one but it was also $140 even on sale. Honestly at this point I feel like it is a little too dense and might order the Walmart 3” one if that is softer.
If you want a full 3” of Serene at IFD 22 and in a cover, it is available at JCPenney under the TruCool branding but it is around $200.
I would give your Walmart Serene IFD 12 a couple weeks at least on the top. My nervous system had been bracing from the latex and it took a while for my muscles to stop guarding.
I know it hurts but I’d probably just bite the bullet and give up on the wool cover for now, it could be contaminating your experiment.
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My thinking on putting the soft latex on top of the Serene topper was to prevent the Serene foam from conforming as much to the existing dips in the soft latex layer. Not sure if a local upholstery shop can slice the dips out or not. This is a small town. I also thought the Serene foam might last longer as a 2nd layer. With that said I think you may be correct about needing the Serene topper on top.
I did loosen up the wool protector some and I think it and the new topper may be helping the shoulder pain a bit. My shoulder has been sore for so long I don’t know if it will ever heal. I’ve also been doing some exercises hoping it will eventually help. I will have to quit using the protector If I can’t get it looser.
Interesting about the Tranquility foam. Latex is a bit bouncy so I couldn’t imagine something being more bouncy. I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you.
With the Serene topper I’m starting to notice my lower back is getting sore. I assume the 12 ILD is partly to blame. I find it hard to lay on my side with latex. I have to bounce my hips up and down to find the perfect angle for my lower back. Swapping the top layers might help with this issue.
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Yeah I can’t compare directly to the lower back stuff because my Serene is almost twice the IFD at 22 so it’s going to be way more supportive than the 12 version.
However I do definitely get lower back pain with softer foams so it could theoretically be too soft for your lower back. If that’s the case you could try using some stiff material like carpet underlayment underneath only the lower back portion to create your own zoning. So latex below underlayment zone below Serene.
Not trying to send you down a rabbit hole but I’ve been getting into some sleep research and I think that true side sleeping is kind of fake. If you look historically at how people slept we have no evidence that people were perfectly aligning themselves on their side. Side sleeping also creates a nerve pinching issue because without the exact perfect pillow your arm/shoulder is in a weird compressed position all night.
I no longer try to sleep on my side stacked up like that. I sleep on my back, or hug a body pillow, or do this slightly rotated side-back thing. But because of my nerve and pain issues I cannot safely sleep on my side with my arm trapped.
I know the current view is that side position determines your perfect mattress but for some bodies it can’t apply.
I truly empathize if there are budget issues but if the latex has dips and damage maybe it’s time to just move on from it.
At one point I was in a pinch and literally got better sleep on a $80 Sealy open coil mattress with one topper on it. Open coil mattresses are horrible with a partner but with one person they are actually pretty boring. I even preferred it to a pocket coil because the pocket coils all respond individually which gives it that “active” feel similar to latex that sets my nerves on fire. For a reset a cheapo mattress might honestly help. See how your body responds to a bare minimum surface.
It might not be forever but it sounds like the damaged latex and all the other stuff is maybe too complicated to be worth it. I know as soon as my latex setup collapses I’m not looking back.
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Sorry for the late reply. I had no internet Tuesday evening because of the storms and yesterday was family game night.
The sheets needed washed so I redid everything once again. I re-swapped my 2 lower latex layers but kept them rotated and flipped. I put the flipped/rotated soft latex next and the Serene foam topper on top. I’m keeping the wool protector on for now but I’m keeping it loose and I’m using my new, better fitting sheets.
I’ll keep everything as is for two weeks and see how I get along with this new setup. I didn’t sleep much at all last night but my shoulder pain was better. It’s interesting that you mention side sleeping in your last post. I was a stomach sleeper until I hurt my back in 2018. I thought switching to side sleeping would help but this 7.5 year experiment hasn’t been working. The only reason I haven’t tried sleeping on my back is because I live in a small apartment building and I’m afraid of snoring and disturbing my neighbors. I would probably need do a sleep study. I also have this mental thing that doesn’t like my front or neck exposed.
I do sleep with a body pillow and it helps with my lower back. I think I’m really a hybrid side sleeper. I tend to roll forward a bunch to keep from snoring. I also put both arms under my regular pillow. That ensures a sore shoulder and both of my elbows ache when I get up. I sometimes have numbness and tingling in my hands and/or arms when I get up. It does make the pillow taller which helps with neck support. I try and keep the body pillow away from my stomach and chest since it causes sweating. It’s a mix of polyester and memory foam and has a darn polyester cover.
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I wouldn’t worry about the snoring and your neighbors. If you do have sleep apnea they’re just going to give you a CPAP machine which is noisy as hell. If your neighbors complain just get a white noise machine. They will have to hear something either way and your sleep is important.
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I sleep with a fan and two white noise machines. In the summer my air conditioner is running in the bathroom in the next room and I have another fan blowing the cool air out of the bathroom. I also have a bedjet and an air filter in the bedroom. I also use a red led light while I’m watching tv at night. One of the meds I take makes me drowsy. I even increased the dose just for sleep. I only drink about 16oz. of coffee/caffeine and I don’t have any after 5pm or sooner. The only way I can get any sleep is by drinking alcohol and I haven’t touched that since the new year.
It’s kind of wild to think about all the things we do just to get a good nights sleep. If this experiment doesn’t help I will need to switch up sleep positions.
Have a great weekend!
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