Hi,
we recently purchased an Alexander medium from Nest Bedding - we tested al lot of their beds in person and this was the one that was Dh’s top choice and my 2nd top choice (I liked the honest cool sleeper a smidgen more). Anyways - we are coming up on the 30 days and haven’t been sleeping well, and Dh especially finds the mattress too hard, isn’t able to fall back asleep when we wakes in the night, back pain, etc. - whereas for me, I find the mattress a too firm for my shoulders but also get some lower back pain…
We are considering our options - we may well return it but if we did try to soften the mattress with a topper, here is my question: Wouldn’t a topper interfere with the memory foam’s ability to heat up and contour to your body? In that case, does a topper on memory foam even make sense (unless, of course, it’s a memory foam topper, which may not be our choice because I think that part of dh’s sleeping issues is that he gets stuck on the mattress and doesn’t actually move around during the night).
Would love to hear some input on this or a link to a previous post that discussed this - it would help our “next step” process.
thanks!
Hi elke,
All the layers and components in a sleeping system will have some effect on all the other layers and components above and below it and on the mattress “as a whole”.
Adding a topper to a mattress would certainly have some effect on the feel and response of any memory foam layers in the mattress but how much effect it would have would depend on the type, thickness, and firmness of the topper as well as the weight of the person sleeping on the mattress (higher weight ranges will compress the deeper layers more than lighter weight ranges so they would generally feel the deeper layers more).
You will “feel” more of the properties of the layers that are closer to the sleeping surface (which in this case would be the topper) and less of the properties of the layers that are deeper inside the sleeping system but you would still be feeling the combined effect of the top layers and components in the sleeping system. Adding a topper can also reduce or slow down the amount of body heat that reaches the memory foam but how much this affects the memory foam will also vary depending on the temperature sensitivity of the memory foam.
If you add a softer topper then it would have a greater effect on the overall feel and firmness of the mattress (which is what you want) than the layers underneath it and would add additional softness and pressure relief even if the memory foam underneath the topper “acted” firmer than it would if it was the top layer of the mattress.
Some mattress designs for example use latex or polyfoam on top of a deeper layer of memory foam and the “overall effect” would be to add a more resilient “feel” to the mattress but some of the “feel” and slower response of the memory foam would still “come through” (again how much would depend on the thickness of the top layer, the type of memory foam, and the weight of the person sleeping on the mattress) and this is a layering combination that some people like more than sleeping directly on one or more layers of memory foam.
If the only issue with a mattress is that it is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system (even with a memory foam mattress) but the only way to know for certain whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there will always be always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.
There is more information about choosing an online topper in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to which along with a conversation with a reliable and knowledgeable supplier (that can provide you with good information about how their toppers compare to each other or to other toppers they are familiar with that are available on the market) can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success. It also includes a link to a list of some of the better online sources for toppers I’m aware of.
A good exchange/return policy can reduce the risk of an online topper purchase so if you aren’t confident that a topper will work well for you I would always make sure you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for because the the only way to know for certain whether a mattress/topper combination will be a good “match” for you will be based on your own careful testing on the combination or your own personal experience when you sleep on it.
Phoenix
elke wrote:
I’ll throw in my two cents here and speak in general terms. The most popular memory foam bed we ever sold was one that used a top layer of latex and then memory foam beneath that layer. Having the latex on top gave you a better surface support and also was excellent at pressure point relief. It also negated quite a bit of the hot feeling of the memory foam. But with the memory foam beneath the mattress still had that dense memory foam comfort deep down. Some body heat would get through to the memory foam and it would soften a bit, but not nearly as much and the change in the viscous nature would be if the foam were located directly on top.
Personally, I found this mattress to be quite comfortable and the “best of both worlds.” However, your mileage may vary. I just wanted you to know that mattresses using this mix have been producted in the industry and they were well received by my clients…
thanks for your replies and info! That was definitely a helpful explanation. I will follow up on those links as well re. toppers - though a visit back to Nest is probably in order as well. I just don’t know if I can handle another 2 weeks with this mattress as is…
thanks again,
elke