I’m happy with the quality of the product and the customer service has been wonderful.
I just need to figure out a configuration that works for me. The F M S that I’ve been sleeping on is too firm. I feel like my spine isn’t aligned when I"m sleeping at night. My back is aching right now as I write this.
Hi lebaryo,
It can take a little detective work and more detailed conversations on the phone to track down the underlying cause of your symptoms and any layering changes that have the best odds of correcting them … especially if you are outside the averages that work for most people of your height and weight.
Post #2 here may be helpful to eliminate some of the other possibilities that may be contributing to your symptoms and I would check on the effect of your mattress protector and unzipping the cover as well as your pillow but the most important suggestion is a more detailed conversation with Sleepez so they can help you identify any changes that have the best odds of success.
I would be very cautious about adding another soft layer to your mattress because having 6" of soft latex would generally be too soft and quite risky for alignment for someone of your height and weight.
Phoenix
Thanks for the reply Phoenix.
My wife put on two layers of mattress protectors on top of the wool latex cover.
I don’t know what else to do at this point. I called SleepEz and ordered two more layers of their soft latex to give it a try.
Should I have ordered two more medium layers and switch out the firm bottom layer?
I feel like I’m sleeping on that one meaty part of your side that’s right below your ribs and above your hips.
Hi lebaryo,
What type of mattress protectors are you using? In some cases even one mattress protector can affect how well the comfort layers contour to your body much less two. Have you tried unzipping the cover of the mattress … or even removing it completely for a couple of nights?
I would also give things a little more time to allow the mattress to go through it’s initial break in period and for you to adjust to a new sleeping surface (particularly if you have slept on a softer mattress for a long time) and to eliminate any other possibilities before exchanging layers.
I’m not sure of the specific details of your symptoms but if you mean you are feeling some pressure in the recessed waist area then this could mean that you are sinking in a little too far and making the support layers a little firmer may help (exchanging the firm with the medium with the soft still on top)
Did SleepEz suggest the two soft layers?
Phoenix
I didn’t have a very long conversation with SleepEz. I actually suggested the two soft layers and they said that they’d ship them out to me… My complaint was that it’s too firm. I am used to sleeping on a very soft piece of latex for the past few years with just a sheet on top of it.
Hi lebaryo,
If your mattress was a thinner layer of soft latex then it may have been firmer than you think. Thinner layers and thinner mattresses get firmer faster as you sink into them than thicker layers and mattresses so even a thinner layer of soft latex can be quite firm once you sink into it (see post #14 here for more about the effects of layer thickness). For example a 4" layer of soft latex could be very firm for some people.
If it also just had a sheet on top of it then I’d definitely try removing the protectors and unzpipping or removing the cover to see what difference it makes.
I would go slowly when you are making changes and take things one step at a time.
Phoenix
I completely forgot to mention that just for this reason, I ordered all the layers to be separate.
After a week of sleeping on it, I switched out my soft layer with my wife so I slept on a firm, medium, medium (medium on top) setup for one night. It was extremely hard and extremely uncomfortable for me.
I’m kind of confused now as to what to do. Should I call SleepEz and change out my soft layers for medium ones instead? I don’t want to have to go through exchanging again…
Hi lebaryo,
I would first follow the suggestions I’ve already made.
If you are making changes to a mattress or are trying to identify the cause behind any “symptoms” then a slow, step by step, well thought out, and incremental approach will be the most effective. I would avoid thinking too far ahead or making more random changes. Sometimes the best changes can appear to be counterintuitive.
One step at a time and then each step can be based on the results of the one before it.
Phoenix
I spoke to Shawn one more time to clear things up.
He recommends that I sleep on Med, Med, Soft (soft on top) for a couple of nights and see how it goes. Based on this we’ll move forward with a different layer.
Hi Phoenix, could you let me know what the logic was against having 2 layers of soft latext?
I’ve switched around the layers and I’ve been sleeping on Med, Med, Soft (soft top) for the last couple of nights. This has been a lot better than the first combo. Let’s see what happens…
Hi lebaryo,
Comfort layers that are too thick and soft (with any material) can allow the heavier parts of the body (hips and pelvis) to sink down too far while it will still “hold up” the upper body which is lighter. This can “tilt” the pelvis and cause the lumbar to be out of its neutral alignment which increases the risk of lower back discomfort or pain.
Of course each person has a different body type and may respond differently than the norm but comfort layers that are too thick and/or soft are a more risky construction for most people.
I’m glad to see your new combination is working better for you and I’m looking forward to hearing about how it’s working out for you over the next few weeks. That’s a much “safer” way to soften the mattress.
Phoenix
Brainstorming here to try to figure out what is going on. Can you get a back picture of yourself side sleeping and then see what your spine is doing? Take the pic to your chiropractor as well.
Also - I just ordered a Sleep EZ 10,000 so will be joining the latex party within the week.
Hi Stuff,
Congratulations on your new mattress … you certainly made a great quality/value choice 
I’m looking forward to your feedback when you receive it.
Phoenix
I bought a 13,000 two weeks ago and am still playing around with the layers. Have you tried the soft layer in the middle and the medium on top? That feels better to me.
To update,
I’ve switched around mattresses for the past 10 days or so.
I tried M M S for a week. It felt good the first couple of nights but then still felt too firm.
Last night I tried M S S and I kind of sunk into the mattress.
When I’m lying down on the actual latex, it feels great. I wish I could get the same feeling but it seems like when you put on the mattress cover and another sheet on top, it dramatically changes the way it feels and behaves. For the past few years I had been sleeping on a bare piece of Talalay latex with just a sheet on top of it. This was pretty good and my back wasn’t acting up too bad. Besides the soar back in the mornings, I was ok.
With this mattress, my degenerated discs feel like they’re causing the nerves around them to be on fire.
I’m not exactly sure what to do at this point.
Should I have bought a really thin mattress cover or something in stead of the wool 1" one that I’ve bought? Maybe that would have made the mattress feel better.
Hi lebaryo,
Did you experience any specific symptoms on this combination or is it more of a “feeling” that you’re not comfortable with.
It may also help if you knew more about the specifics of what this layer was as it could act as a guideline but if it was just a single layer then it would almost certainly have been firmer (thinner layers compress more and become firmer than thicker layers or mattresses) and you may be going in the wrong direction with going softer. Of course if you had a sore back with the single layer then this may also not have been ideal.
It’s also important to remember that some of the issues may not be connected to the mattress and that a mattress can’t solve pre-existing medical issues although of course the goal is always to find the “best possible” combination or mattress in your circumstances.
Choosing a mattress is as much an art as a science and when you have medical issues it can involve some trial and error to find the combination and design that works best for your specific circumstances because there is no “formula” that works for specific situations. A thin stretch cover will allow the latex to contour a little more to the shape of your body and some people prefer this. Others prefer the “feel” and benefits of having a quilted layer or wool in the cover. This is certainly something worth considering though.
Have you tried some of the previous suggestions I made … and if you have what were the results? One of these was to remove as many of the variables that could be interfering with the compression of the latex (your mattress protectors and unzipping the cover) which may help you decide if a thinner stretch cover would be your preference…
Again though … outside of some of the ideas that may be worth experimenting with the best suggestion I can make is to make sure you talk with SleepEz. They are more knowledgeable and experienced at dealing with their customer’s issues than anyone and are the ones I would work with the most closely. You also have the advantage of being able to talk with them on the phone which can go into more detail and include more nuanced descriptions of what you are experiencing which is a much more effective way of solving mattress issues than “theory at a distance” and the more limited communication that is possible on a forum (although of course I’m always happy to make any general suggestions that I can).
Overall though I would keep in mind that too soft can cause just as many issues (and usually more) than too firm when you are dealing with back issues. The goal is always the balance between the right amount of firmness for alignment (in the deeper layers) and the right amount of softness/thickness in the upper layers for pressure relief.
Phoenix
Phoenix,
Your help is always appreciated.
I haven’t tried to sleep on the physical latex yet without a cover. I’ll try that tonight and see how it goes.
I have spoken to SleepEz. Their customer service is amazing. Shawn was the one suggesting sleeping on the different layers for a while to see which one felt best. I’ve since settled on M M S as being the most comfortable while having enough support for my back.
I think you’re right that a mattress can’t really correct an existing back condition.
Sleeping on bare latex is extremely comfortable for me though. It really conforms to my body and it feels great. I’m going to try and replicate that feeling the next few nights.
Hi lebaryo,
There are two options with the cover. One is to just unzip it and sleep with the loose cover and the other is to fold it back and sleep directly on the latex (perhaps with a mattress protector over it).
I would also make sure that your mattress protectors aren’t interfering with the contouring of the latex as well (depending on the type of protectors you are using).
If it turns out that sleeping directly on the latex works well for you then you can consider an unquilted stretch knit cover.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
Where can an “unquilted stretch knit cover” be found?
Hi lebaryo,
SleepEz has one which you can see here (although the color appears darker than it really is from the lighting) and there are also others that are included in the DIY list of suppliers in post #4 here.
Phoenix