new to latex: latex break-in? adjustment period? semi-stomach sleeper?

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
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Short version: (1) How long does it typically take to adjust to a new style of mattress? (2) Is there a “break-in” period for latex mattresses? And (3) does anyone else out there sleep half-way on their stomach and half-way on their side?

Long version:
My wife and recently purchased a latex mattress from Sleep EZ. Our previous mattress was a Sealy coil-spring style mattress, with a thin memory foam topper built-in (don’t remember the exact model, it was about $1600 for a king around 2005). We loved that mattress for the 10-ish years we owned it. But it developed some noticeable “sinks” where each of us sleep, which made in increasingly less comfortable.

Based on Internet research, latex sounded like a good bet for us. (Another coil mattress like we had probably would have been fine, but we also wanted to try something new… call it new toy syndrome.) We were initially looking at memory foam, but were worried about heat and “mobility” issues for intimacy. We bought a 10" (10,000-series) from Sleep EZ, and let them guide our layers based on our info.

What we ended up with was, bottom-to-top, for my wife’s side: firm, medium, soft. For my side: firm, medium, medium. The recommendations for me were based on the fact that I’m about 5’11" and 210 lbs, and a stomach sleeper. My wife actually talked to Sleep EZ on the phone; she said they said that stomach sleepers of my size often prefer firmer still, e.g. firm, firm, medium.

The first few nights on the new latex weren’t particularly encouraging. We both woke up a lot, and I actually felt a bit uncomfortable towards the early morning. Lying on my back, it almost felt like there was a draft under my lower back, since the mattress was so firm.

My wife’s sleep has slowly been improving, but mine, not so much. So we called Sleep EZ and got a replacement layer for me, a soft for the top layer. (Which makes my wife and I the same: firm, medium, soft.)

One thing we noticed when we deployed the soft top layer on my side: my wife’s side still feels softer. And, even before we swapped the layer, my medium top layer felt softer than I remember it initially feeling. In particular, I could lie on my back and it actually felt like my lower back was touching the mattress. But I also don’t trust my memory too much!

So that’s the motivation for one of my questions: is there a “break-in” period for latex mattresses? Is it reasonable to expect them to soften up a bit over time? And if so, what is the typical break-in time to reach a point where it’s not changing so much?

The first question above is a more general one: it seems reasonable that changing the style of mattress (coil to latex in our case) will require an adjustment period. How long is that period typically? I’m sure it’s different for everyone, but I would assume most people know for sure if the new style is right after “X” days or weeks. Just trying to get a feel for “X” to set our expectations.

Lastly, ignoring any break-in phenomenon or adjustment period, I already think the soft top layer is much better for me than the medium. I’m just curious about going “against the grain” based on what Sleep EZ’s recommendations. In reality, I don’t actually sleep entirely on my stomach. It’s somewhere between being on my stomach and my side, though closer to my stomach. I have my lower arm under my pillow, and my upper leg is actually out in a “sitting position”. At the end of the day, I realize everyone has their own preference; I was just curious if there were any other “outliers” out there and looking for any general thoughts on the matter.

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Hi New2Latex,

It can vary depending on the person and on the specifics of the mattress and the cover but all new mattresses will have a break in and adjustment period of a few weeks although for some people it can be much shorter and for others is can be much longer (see post #2 here and post #3 here). At a bare minimum I would give any new mattress at least two weeks (and hopefully longer) before deciding whether you need to make any changes.

I would tend to agree with Shawn based on averages (see post #2 here) and he is right that most primary stomach sleepers will generally do better on a firmer mattress to reduce the alignment risk of sleeping in a swayback position (see post #4 here). Many stomach sleepers will also do better with a thin pillow under their pelvis/lower abdomen) to prevent their pelvis from sagging into the mattress and hyperextending the lumbar spine but each person is unique both in terms of their physiology and the specifics of their sleeping positions so your own personal experience is always what really matters and will always “trump” theory or the “averages” of others that may be similar to you and do better on a different combination of layers…

Phoenix

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Hi Phoenix,

Thanks for the super helpful reply!

Based on what you wrote, I’m now second-guessing myself. looks like I probably didn’t wait long enough before switching to a softer layer. My observation was indeed consistent with what you wrote: that there is both a break-in time and personal adjustment period for a new mattress, typically on the order of 30 days. I didn’t even make it two weeks!

Sleep EZ did say we can keep the extra layer for a while to see what works best, so I haven’t yet sent back the original medium top layer. Have you any thoughts on whether I should go back to the medium and stick with it for about a month?

Another somewhat related question, to further muddy the waters. :slight_smile: Regarding changing of typical sleeping positions::we are friends with a couple who recently purchased a memory foam mattress. I asked about stomach sleeping on memory foam, and the woman said she used to be a stomach sleeper, but after about a month with their new mattress, she changed to being a back sleeper. The informal reading I’ve done on sleeping positions suggestions that stomach sleeping isn’t good for you. Part of me wants to switch to back sleeping, but stomach sleeping feels so comfortable. At the same time, however, since I put one arm under my head when I stomach sleep, I usually have some mild shoulder pain that requires switching positions a couple times per night. I suspect some day I’ll be forced to change my sleeping position.

Any thoughts?

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Hi, there. Congrats on the new mattress. You made a great choice.

I am not even one week in with my new latex mattress. (See my Flexus Comfort thread) And I can also attest to the break-in period. If you were sleeping on a sagging 10+ year old mattress (as I was) then your body had been slowly growing accustomed to a sleeping posture that was worsening over time. Now, you have two things going on. One is that you’ve made a sudden change from a sagging posture, to a flat posture. And the other is your mattress is firmer now than it will be in one month’s time.

Now I’m a back sleeper, and have experienced the same thing. I feel a hump under my lower back, giving it an arching sensation. In fact, however, this is being caused by the mattress actually providing proper lower back support where previously I had none. So what feels uncomfortable right now is actually a good thing. And I keep telling myself to give it time. I know it isn’t easy, though.

For a stomach sleeper, however, I would personally be very cautious about going too soft. By going softer, you’re subconsciously trying to reproduce the feel of your old sagging mattress. When in fact what you should probably be doing is giving your newer more supportive mattress time to break in and giving your body and muscles time to adjust. You’re most likely in a much better sleeping posture now than you were, and even though it might feel uncomfortable does not mean it’s wrong.

It’s hard to have the patience and to live through the initial uncomfortable transition period. Trust me I know - I’m also experiencing it firsthand! And lastly, stomach sleeping would normally require a firmer mattress anyhow for proper spinal alignment. Sleeping on your stomach does increase pressure on the neck and spine. And there are recommendations for using a soft pillow under your pelvis when sleeping on your stomach. You can research that online. Also important is the pillow you use for your head while on your stomach. It should be thinner and softer than, say, a side sleeper’s pillow. All of these things can contribute to comfort or discomfort. So again, my advise is to stick it out with what you have, try to ensure that the mattress is putting you in a proper sleeping posture, and don’t try to recreate the feel of the old sagging mattress. Remember, you got rid of the old mattress for a reason!

Good luck.

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Hi New2latex,

I would probably have given it a little longer but the most important goal is that you sleep well on a mattress without discomfort or pain and feel refreshed mentally and physically when you get up in the morning and as I mentioned actual experience always trumps “theory” when it comes to deciding if you are sleeping well on a mattress. Each person is different.

Each person has different needs and preferences in a mattress and the “needs” are always more important than the “preferences”. It’s often the case that we prefer things that aren’t “good for us” (a sweet tooth would be an example) and because we don’t notice the long term results or our choices until some period of time has passed (often years) it’s easy to believe that it’s fine for us. It’s also the case that we tend to prefer things that we are familiar with … even if they sometimes aren’t the best choice either.

In the case of a mattress … “too soft” can be like sugar where the results or “symptoms” that show up such as pain or discomfort don’t always show up in the short term and when they do show up in the longer term they are more difficult to “connect” with things that are part of a longer term pattern rather than a change that happened at the same time as some “symptoms” begin to appear.

Your body doesn’t “feel” what you feel when you are awake and in a mattress the most important “need” is good alignment in all your sleeping positions and the second “need” is good pressure relief in all your sleeping positions. Everything after this is preferences and the most important of the preferences is good temperature regulation and the ability to move and change positions easily on the mattress (both of which can affect the quality of sleep as well). There is more about “healthy sleeping” that relates to the choice of a mattress in post #4 here.

Stomach sleeping is the most risky of all the sleeping positions both in terms of spinal alignment and in terms of cervical alignment as well because you have to turn your neck sideways to sleep on your stomach. Some people that are more flexible can “get away with it” but it’s certainly not the healthiest way to sleep from the perspective of your body. If you do decide to work on changing your sleeping position away from your stomach then a body pillow can often help because it can give you some of the “comfort” or familiarity of having something against the front of your body while you are sleeping on your side.

Phoenix

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LJGMDAD, Phoenix,

Thank you for your helpful thoughts. I went ahead and changed back to the medium on top, instead of the soft. I’m going to stick with it longer. (Although, even last night it felt softer than I remembered it feeling initially.)

I think part of the problem was our initial expectations: we wanted to be blown away on day (err, night) one, and that wasn’t the case. With the benefit of hindsight, we now realize those expectations weren’t realistic.

Thanks again!

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Hi New2latex,

I think that the “WOW” factor in a mattress is greatly overrated and is mostly about more subjective perceptions and marketing in a showroom. It can be very misleading when you are face to face with the reality of sleeping on a mattress every night instead of your waking perceptions. The goal of a mattress is that it “disappears” underneath you and provides you with deep, restful, and “symptom free” sleep. Outside of when the mattress is new and is the subject of more heightened scrutiny and conversation as you are aware of and “feel” everything that you initially experience on it … a mattress that is easily forgotten and where all you know is that you sleep really well and wake up rested and refreshed is the “best” way to be “WOWED” by a mattress. I would rather love how well I sleep and how I feel in the morning than the mattress that I sleep on and the less there is to talk about (which is usually about symptoms or discomfort) the more likely it is that you are sleeping well :slight_smile:

Phoenix