Hi nancy361,
Our bodies gradually become accustomed to the mattress we are sleeping on and develops a “sleeping memory” (for better or for worse). This is like someone who usually stands or sits with poor posture and the muscles, tendons, and ligaments either stretch or tighten in a non neutral position and it can be uncomfortable for them to stand or sit with a good posture even though it may prevent other issues in the long term. The bigger a difference there is between your old mattress and the new one … the more of an adjustment there may be … even if the new mattress is better in terms of the alignment it provides.
There is more about this in post #7 here.
There’s a saying that comfort (pressure relief) is what you feel when you go to bed at night and support (alignment) is what you feel when you wake up in the morning. Alignment issues can take longer to become apparent (sleeping out of alignment can lead to back pain as an example but not always right away) … and this is the part that can take some “adjustment” as the muscles and joints loosen and become more used to a more aligned sleeping position assuming of course that the mattress you purchased is suitable in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences).
I should also mention that most mattresses will also go through an initial “break in” period over the first few weeks where the foam softens at a more rapid rate and then further softening becomes much more gradual after that. This is why some mattresses on the showroom floor may be softer (more broken in) than the one that people receive when they order it. Tempurpedic mattresses can actually take longer than normal to “break in” and go through the initial softening and it can sometimes even help to walk on the surface of the mattress to help it along.
A factory direct manufacturer will generally be a lower cost and better value in an apples to apples comparison yes. It may not be cheaper than another mattress that uses much lower quality materials though so when comparing prices it’s important to compare mattresses that use similar types and quality of materials and layering. In other words … the “value” will generally be better in every price range than the mainstream manufacturers and chain stores but they will still have lower and higher priced mattresses.
A mattress is one of the most important purchases we make and has a bigger effect on our overall wellbeing for a decade or so than almost anything else we can buy. This is why it can be so helpful to “connect” with a manufacturer or salesperson that has the experience and knowledge to really help us make the best decision and isn’t so focused on selling us whatever they can (usually based on a subjective showroom feel that may not translate into what we need or prefer when we sleep on a mattress in the longer term) for the sake of their commission or profit margin. The better salespeople put their customers interests (and “fitting” them to a mattress that is most suitable to their needs and preferences) above their own interests. This is how they build word of mouth advertising and their local reputation which is how most people find out about them more than the massive advertising that is done by the larger companies.
Phoenix
PS: I added a few other “possibilities” to the Philadelphia list but they will mostly require some more research (along the lines of this article) to find out the types of mattresses they carry from the manufacturers listed and to find out how knowledgeable and transparent they are about the materials and construction of their mattresses.