Was wondering if anyone has had similar issues I am having with adjusting to memory foam mattresses. After my first night sleeping in my Christeli Versailles memory foam mattress, I have woken up with extremely tight trapezius muscles starting from my neck down to my shoulders blades. I’m chalking this up to sleeping with a thicker memory foam pillow and will test thinner pillows out over the next few days.
The thing more concerning for me is the strange tingling sensation I get all over my body and the subtle muscle spasms, especially in my legs, that persist through the night. Some spasms are not so subtle… Its difficult to explain, but it feels as if my calves and thighs get very weak and lose strength while in the bed and my muscles have to twitch to remind me that my legs are there. I also noticed slight discomfort in my hips the next morning. Are these things a normal part of the adjustment period? Ie. muscles, bones, aligning maybe? I’ve slept on extra firm spring mattresses all my life, but wanted to switch to a memory foam to lighten the pressure on my joints as I am mostly a back sleeper but venture towards my sides during the night. Occasionally also sleep on my stomach with an arm extended above me. I love the support of firm spring mattresses, but hate the sore shoulders i get whenever i wake up.
I am in good shape. 5’ 11" 175 with no medical problems of note, so I don’t think any of that is the issue. Versailles is their second most firm model. I want to like this bed. Great quality and comfy but am wondering about the issues mentioned above. Any help would be awesome. Thanks in advance!
Edit: the spasms in legs are most noticeable when sleeping directly on my back. My butt actually sinking into the bed is a new experience that obviously needs adjusting to, but not sure about the other parts. Also, I don’t think my back is over arched. I could be wrong.
"Mattress symptoms can be difficult to “diagnose” just like any other set of “symptoms” and it can sometimes involve a process of elimination.
A new mattress (especially when it’s very different from what you are used to sleeping on) will often require a new pillow to maintain the alignment of your head and neck and your upper body. This could certainly be one cause of what you are experiencing (a thicker pillow can “push” your head and neck forward on your back if your upper body is sinking into the mattress more deeply than your old mattress which is quite likely with memory foam compared to the firmer mattress that you were describing). With stomach sleeping an even thinner pillow or no pillow at all usually leads to best alignment. It could also be connected to the normal “adjustment period” because your body has a learned sleeping posture and it can take some time to adapt to a new sleeping posture … even if it’s better than what you are used to.
The “key” to good alignment is to maintain the spine and all the joints well inside their neutral range of motion. Back sleeping (and even more so stomach sleeping) is a relatively “flat” sleeping position relative to side sleeping and pressure points are not as common as they would be with side sleeping where the weight is more concentrated on the “bony protrusions” of the body (such as hips and shoulders). Alignment issues are more common for back and stomach sleepers than pressure issues (which is more common for primary side sleepers) because of the tendency of the heavier pelvis to sink down too far relative to other parts of the body. If parts of your body are sinking in too far relative to others (such as your mid body sinking in while your shoulders are being held up and being pushed forward) it can result in either the joints or spine being outside their neutral range of motion and can lead to tension and soreness in muscles, ligaments, and joints.
This certainly isn’t the “norm” but once again it may be difficult to “diagnose” outside of a process of elimination.
One possibility (and I know it’s a "catch all but for good reason) is that this too is somehow part of the normal adjustment period to a new sleeping surface although this is not a typical adjustment “symptom”. if this is the case you should notice it gradually improving.
It could also be connected to changes in circulation (much like running or exercising) where the blood flow is increased from sleeping on a softer surface or it could even be connected to the sleeping temperature of memory foam vs what you are used to (heat can play a role in some symptoms). Because you have only slept on the mattress for one night it could also be some kind of anomaly.
There is also a chance that you could be very sensitive to memory foam itself. Even though the foam that is used by Christeli is CertiPur certified and would be considered to be “safe” … some people are so sensitive to some types of memory foam (or even some batches of the same foam) that it can cause many types of strange “symptoms” including in some cases some of the symptoms you are describing as well as others including dry mouth and throat, strange dreams, feelings of listlessness or weakness, and others. While this is not the norm with North American or CertiPur certified memory foam … it’s also something that some people may experience with memory foam.
At this point … outside of pillow changes … the best plan is probably to do nothing for the short term and see if there is any change in any of your symptoms and seeing whether they are staying the same, getting better, or worsening.
I would also make sure you talk with Christeli because the manufacturer will often have some very helpful suggestions based on their experiences with their mattresses.
Did you ever learn more about foam and muscles? I know your post is 9 years old. But I’m having such issues and it’s difficult to find much info.
I am an odd duck. I swelled off and on for a week due to an allergic reaction from a new, improved Huggies Wet Wipe . I contracted a UTI on the 4th day of trying memory foam.
I first thought these same kind of muscle spasms were early onset Parkinson’s symptoms It’s been 2 years since I first noticed these. Last week the symptoms flared up when I changed linens. Parkinson’s symptoms don’t flare up. So I now suspect my bedding…
I am sorry to hear about your condition. It’s definitely worth investigating through the process of elimination what is going on, but I’d seriously consider contacting a healthcare professional if the symptoms persist. I do not have the necessary qualifications to advise on any health-related issues but generally “muscle spasms” can have many causes, some of which are not mattress or bedding related. Even if it would be so … it would be difficult to assess via an online forum if the symptoms you are experiencing are memory foam related or due to other products that you are using. (Which I am guessing you are already suspecting)
There can be multiple possible causes for, if I understand you correctly, what appears to be a concoction of muscle spasms, tingling, and swelling so I’d check for alignment issues, any allergic reactions, or chemical sensitives using the process of elimination. It is not clear from your description if you have a memory foam topper or a mattress, either way, I’d remove the memory foam or sleep on a different bed in another room if possible. I’d do this for a long enough period of time to determine if that’s indeed the cause. UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) doesn’t seem to create the symptoms you are describing, but it looks like it took you over the threshold of an already sensitized body.
There’s not much input I can give but I hope that helps a bit with your detective work
