Need some help with my DIY latex mattress

[phoenix]

Hi GiantCrab,

Back pain can be tricky to “diagnose” as any doctor will confirm because the underlying causes can be very different from person to person. Post #2 here includes some basic information that may be helpful and there is also a list of some forum posts that deal with various “symptoms” in post #2 here that may also be helpful.

The two most common causes of back pain for back sleepers would be a mattress with comfort layers that are too thick and soft so the pelvis is sinking down too far relative to the other parts of the body and causing alignment issues in the lumbar spine.

Another possibility is that you aren’t sinking into the mattress enough for the comfort layers to “fill in” the inward curve under the small of the back firmly enough.

I might be feeling a little bit of pressure on the hips which could indicate that the combination is too firm.

I ordered a 6" 34 ILD latex core from sleeponlatex. It was too firm for me, as indicated by lower back pain when waking up and soreness at pressure points in the hip and shoulders. I then proceeded to purchase a 2 " 22 ILD blended Talalay topper from Arizona mattress. It definitely feels softer and more cushy when I lay on it, but when I wake up I still have lower back pain. I’ve been sleeping on the combination for about 6 days.

Hip and shoulder pressure would normally come from side sleeping which is the only position where the hips and shoulders are in direct contact with the mattress. Perhaps you are spending more time on your side than you realize?

If the mattress is too firm to relieve pressure then it can also lead to your upper body or lower body “twisting” away from pressure points which can also lead to alignment issues (rotational alignment in this case) which can also cause back pain.

If my combination is too soft, it would appear the next step would be to get 1-2" of some intermediate ILD (26-28?) to put inbetween the 34 ILD and 22 ILD layer.

This would make things softer not firmer (although that may be what you need). Thicker layers or thicker mattresses “act” softer and this would also add softer latex (the 26 - 28) under the top layer than you currently have (which is 34 ILD) so you would have two “softening influences”.

Phoenix