I just DIY’ed a Radium blended talalay latex bed in a stretchy cotton case, all components purchased from Sleepez and Mattresses 24/7. Was very impressed with the professionalism of both, with their patience with my questions and their generally pleasant attitude. Both told me they’re currently selling only Radium latex, and both offer the same 80% cotton/20% poly case (looking at the geometric quilting pattern in pics here and on Ebay).
For my 110lb. side sleeping wife, both companies recommended standard S/M/F layering. She likes it.
For my 250lb 6’2" back sleeping bulk, both recommended M/M/F layering. As soon as I lay down on it, I can feel the muscles in my mid-lower back tightening. By morning I have excruciating pain extending through to my stomach. I tried side sleeping which reduced but didn’t eliminate the pain, but created painful pressure at my shoulders and hips.
I tried her S/M/F side, and it was a little better but I was still in great pain the next morning.
The sensation I get is that my back is being arched by the latex, with my stomach pushed higher than normal. I checked the wood base for flatness, and it was perfectly level both top to bottom and side to side to the extent I could measure.
I’m going to call the retailers today, to see what they recommend. I can still return the latex but would rather fix the problem.
I need help desperately. I see so much latex success here. Anyone with any suggestions, I’d be much obliged…
(p.s. I travel quite a bit and sleep VERY well on most conventional hotels beds. Even moderately priced hotels like Best Western, which is widespread in small towns here in the southwest, I always wake pain-free. So I know I can sleep comfortably given the right combination of materials)
How long have you been sleeping on this bed with the M/M/F configuration? It does take awhile for some people to adjust from their old mattress to their new one.
If the M/M/F is too firm and the S/M/F is too soft you could try M/S/F which would be in-between the two.
I would also suggest giving any new mattress some time (at least two weeks if possible) for the mattress to break in and also because there will be adjustment period for any new mattress … especially if you aren’t used to sleeping on latex which is much more “supportive” and resilient than other types of foam (see post #2 here).
If you have been sleeping on a mattress that allows your spine to sag and your muscles are used to this then it can also take some time for your muscle memory to change and for your body to “relearn” to sleep in a more natural alignment (see post #7 here).
If you have given things enough time and it becomes clear that you need to make some changes then post #2 here and the posts it links to has more about some of the more common “symptoms” that people may experience that can help with the detective work that may be necessary to decide on the types of changes that would move you in the direction that works well for you. If you do begin to rearrange layers or exchange them then I would take a very systematic and incremental “step by step” approach (making sure that you spend at least a few days on each new combination so that you can identify “patterns” in your sleeping experience) so that what you “learn” from how your “symptoms” change each time you change your layering can be used as reference point that “points to” the next combination that has the best chance of success.
Your wood base could also be deforming with the weight of 2 sleeping people, which would be hard to measure. Try laying the mattress directly on the floor and see if that changes anything.
Motoslave, thanks very much. I’d thought of this very question last night. Will be home tomorrow night, and I’ll drag the mattress onto the floor and see if there’s any improvement.
Phoenix, in your experience, would you say that most people who stick with it can find a latex setup that works for them? Its hard for me to imagine comfort in the future given how much I ached the three nights I slept on it. Is there anything you would suggest I change immediately for my size and weight?
Jermy4 suggested M/S/F might work. Can anyone describe the feel of sleeping on a firmer layer over a softer one?
Assuming that you like the “feel” of latex … in most cases I would say yes … especially if you had a complete range of options to choose from in terms of the type of latex, the thickness of each layer, the ILD of each layer, and different cover and quilting options. Having said that … “most” cases certainly isn’t “all” cases and there will always be some people who don’t seem to do as well with an all latex mattress as they do with other types of materials or with adding other materials or components into a latex hybrid mix (which is also true of any other materials or type of mattress).
I would base any changes you make on the specifics of your sleeping experiences and your “symptoms” as much or more than on body type and weight but I would wait for at least a couple of weeks if possible before making any changes unless it’s absolutely not possible.
The most common cause of lower back issues is a mattress that is too soft where your hips/pelvis are sinking down too deeply and putting your spine out of alignment and if this is the case with you then trying M/F/M may be helpful or at least it can give you some sense of whether firmer support layers make things any better or worse which you can use as a reference point for any further changes.
This is called a dominant layering and you can read a little more about it in post #33 here and the other posts it links to.