I purchased a latex mattress from a local retailer that sells natural and organic mattresses. Based on my research, I asked for an all 100% dunlop soft, medium, firm configuration. I weigh 145 and I’m almost 5’5". Since I had been sleeping on a traditional coil spring mattress with a pillow top, the retalier thought I might like two soft layers and firm on the bottom. Made sense to me, but the first couple of nights on the soft, soft, firm configuration weren’t very comfortable, so I flipped the mattress to firm, soft, soft. Surprisingly, my back didn’t hurt on that configuration which led me to believe that maybe the mattress was too soft having two soft layers.
Because having the firm layer on top was just a little too hard (plus it was flipped so the top of the mattress with the quilting was at the bottom), I opened it up and put the firm layer in the MIDDLE and flipped it back right side up. So for the last four nights I’ve been sleeping with soft, firm, soft.
I would compare this level of comfort to my old mattress that had a pillow top but was starting to lose it’s plushness and I was sleeping down on the box of coils portion. So, it was better than having it too soft or too hard and I’m getting better sleep than last weekend, but I’m still having a sore back when I get out of bed and still feeling not well rested.
So, can you think of a configuration that would work better? I was thinking of trying a medium layer…like soft, medium, firm? My first idea. Medium, medium, firm? What do you think? I kind of like having that little bit of soft on top, but based on my little research study I’ve performed on myself this week, I think my back hurts when the mattress is too soft. I think I like it more firm than I realized.
[quote]I purchased a latex mattress from a local retailer that sells natural and organic mattresses. Based on my research, I asked for an all 100% dunlop soft, medium, firm configuration. I weigh 145 and I’m almost 5’5". Since I had been sleeping on a traditional coil spring mattress with a pillow top, the retalier thought I might like two soft layers and firm on the bottom. Made sense to me, but the first couple of nights on the soft, soft, firm configuration weren’t very comfortable, so I flipped the mattress to firm, soft, soft. Surprisingly, my back didn’t hurt on that configuration which led me to believe that maybe the mattress was too soft having two soft layers.
Because having the firm layer on top was just a little too hard (plus it was flipped so the top of the mattress with the quilting was at the bottom), I opened it up and put the firm layer in the MIDDLE and flipped it back right side up. So for the last four nights I’ve been sleeping with soft, firm, soft.
I would compare this level of comfort to my old mattress that had a pillow top but was starting to lose it’s plushness and I was sleeping down on the box of coils portion. So, it was better than having it too soft or too hard and I’m getting better sleep than last weekend, but I’m still having a sore back when I get out of bed and still feeling not well rested.[/quote]
While it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because they can be very complex and there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of “comfort” and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your Personal preferences) or any “symptoms” they experience … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.
There is also more about primary or “deep” support and secondary or “surface” support and their relationship to firmness and pressure relief and the “roles” of different layers in a mattress in post #2 here and in post #4 here that may also be helpful in clarifying the difference between “support” and “pressure relief” and “feel”.
These posts are the “tools” that can help with the analysis, detective work, or trial and error that may be necessary to help you learn your body’s language and “translate” what your body is trying to tell you so you can identify the types of changes that have the best chance of reducing or eliminating any “symptoms” you are experiencing … at least to the degree that any symptoms are from your mattress rather than the result of any other circumstances or pre-existing issues you may have that may not be connected to a mattress.
Having said that … some of the issues you have been having certainly aren’t surprising because a mattress with two soft layers would tend to be somewhat risky for most people because it would have a higher chance of being too soft overall to provide good spinal alignment over the course of the night. It’s also not surprising that a firm layer on top would be too firm for you to sleep on (it would likely be too firm for most people).
While there is no way for me to know for certain because you are the only one that can feel what you feel on any combination of layers and only your own personal experience can confirm whether any layering combination works well for you … if I was in your shoes the first combination I probably would have tried (and the one I would try now) would be (from top to bottom) soft medium firm because it will give you a softer sleeping surface and provide firmer transition and base layers to provide better support/alignment than the S/S/F.
I would also make sure you sleep on any new configuration for a few days at least (or preferably longer) so that you have a chance to identify any clear patterns in your sleeping experience because your experience for just a single night or two or even just a few nights can be an anomaly or the result of your body adjusting to the change itself.
Hopefully you have access to a medium layer and assuming that you do I’m looking forward to finding out how it works out for you.
If for some reason it still doesn’t work out as well as you hope for there are other layering combinations that may be worth trying as well depending on your experience on the S/M/F but it would be better to cross that bridge when and if it becomes necessary.
You are awesome! I’m going to check out these links and I can get a medium layer next week. I spoke to the retailer. I think Soft, Medium, Firm will do the trick. :I will update you next weekend.
I wanted to give you an update and ask another question. I was able to do a comfort exchange AND get a lower profile foundation. So, now I’m sleeping on a soft, medium, firm (top to bottom) configuration. The lower profile foundation just helps with getting in and out of bed, of course. This mattress configuration is a better fit for my body and I think I’ve hit the sweet spot. B)
My question is about a topper (and I’ve poked around this forum for your advice). This might sound funny, but my body is fine with the mattress, but my mind can’t get over spending so much money and not feeling like I’m sleeping on a cloud! I’ve decided to keep sleeping on it for a while longer before I invest in something else…maybe I’ll just forget about it! I absolutely can’t afford the cozy pure topper (noodles) and I really like the cool feeling of my mattress, so I don’t want a thick mattress pad. Is there any kind of topper that you or other members might suggest to give my mattress a more plush feel without losing my cool feel or being too soft/too thick and messing up my good alignment? Wool maybe? Maybe even like a wool bedspread or something? I’m cool with something creative. Any ideas appreciated including hypnosis…lol! :blink:
I personally wouldn’t mess with success and I would listen to your body vs your mind. Your mind can’t feel a mattress when you are sleeping but a mattress that is suitable for your body can have a significant effect on your ability to rest and recover over the course of the night and how your body and your mind feels when you are awake. I would always prioritize what you need vs what you prefer if there is a conflict between the two.
If you are sleeping well on your mattress I would also give things a few months so that you can get used to a sleeping system that is different from what you are used to before making any changes.
Adding something softer to your mattress will also involve some level of risk in terms your alignment.
Like any subjective feeling “sleeping on a cloud” also means different things to different people so it’s not really possible to provide specific advice but if you do decide to add a mattress pad or a topper to your mattress to create a different “surface feel” then something that is somewhat fluffy may produce the feeling you are looking for. Perhaps a featherbed (which tends to be costly) or a lower cost fiberbed (made from “down alternative” polyester fibers) would be what you are looking for. There is more information about featherbeds and fiberbeds in post #6 here and the posts it links to.
While some people may describe sleeping on a wool topper as being like “sleeping on a cloud” … wool may have a firmer “feel” than you are looking for, especially as it packs down a little over time. There is more information about wool toppers in post #8 here and the posts it links to as well.
Since you won’t know for sure whether any mattress pad or topper will “feel” the way you want it to feel until you try it on your mattress … I would make sure that you are comfortable with the options you have to return or exchange a product before making a purchase just in case it doesn’t work out as well as you hoped it would…
Thanks Phoenix! I’m going to take a chill pill and just sleep on my mattress the way it is for a while. I can buy myself something for Christmas if I still want something fluffy then.
That should give you long enough to see if your “mind” will get used to the “feel” of your mattress and decide whether making any changes would be “worth” any risk involved in terms of how well you will sleep on it.
It’s certainly not unusual that what our mind “wants” is different from what our body “needs”! My body needs healthy food but my mind keeps telling me that it really prefers the taste of ice cream
Yesterday I was digging around my house and found a large piece of fabric that is flat on one side and fluffy on the other. It reminds me of fleece, but I’m not sure what it is (or why I have it. I think I got it a long time ago to drape over a couch?) Anyway, I washed it and put it fluffy side up in between my mattress cover and fitted sheet. I slept on it last night and it was great! I felt a little cushion beneath me, but it didn’t take away from the coolness of my mattress. Also, since it’s pretty thin, I didn’t sink in and mess up my alignment. I don’t know how long the fluff factor will last, but I can keep washing and drying it to fluff it up AND turns out, I have another piece as well. In any case, I know now that all I really needed was something a little fluffy to give me that plush feeling.
If you find that this works well for you in the long run, you may wish to investigate a thin wool mattress topper. These offer just a bit of extra comfort like you described, but they will hold shape better than the fabric you described.
