I actually didn’t follow all the steps to a T, but as much as I could bear. And I’d like at least partial credit for researching these issues at all before blindly dropping money at Sleepy’s:)
I’m not going to read up or worry about allergies, but leave that can of worms alone and hope for the best.
Hi chip,
you certainly deserve lots of credit for your research and you are way ahead of the curve compared to the vast majority of consumers 
Phoenix
Thanks:)
Why do you think Mark at Dixiefoam would say he thought the Talalay was a slightly better product than the Dunlop?
He didn’t even have the firm talalay I would get on the floor, but would have to order it. And he said that he would charge me the same price as the Dunlop even though he said Talalay is usually a bit more expensive. (I think he said the Talalay would be 100% natural, the Dunlop a blend).
Taken together, these two facts indicate he was nudging me towards Talalay.
What do you make of it?
Hi chip,
I generally take people at face value so he probably means just what he is saying and he thinks that the Talalay is a slightly better product than the Dunlop.
Blended Talalay is generally more costly than blended Dunlop and 100% natural Talalay is more costly than both and if he is offering them at the same price then the Talalay would probably be better “value” based on their “commodity value” but you would need to ask him whether he is “nudging you” in a certain direction or why.
Phoenix
I wonder what the chances are that any mattress will help my back pain. I’m sure the world of back pain sufferers is full of people who tried all kinds of different mattresses that failed to improve their symptoms. I know that’s certainly true of other products and treatments related to back pain.
Is there any real way to know that my 300 dollar Sleepy’s traditional mattess is aggravating my back issues, or is any worse for me than a fancy latex one would be? I’m very worried I’ll spend 1200 bucks on a new mattress that does absolutely nothing for my pain issues, ya know?
Also, did I read in the thread you cited re allegies that you feel combination sleepers will often leave the healthier side sleeping position and end up in the less healthy stomach position because their bed isn’t giving them enough comfort in the side position?
For back pain sufferers (and neck pain), the side is generally considered better than the stomach and should be what we strive for, yes?
Hi chip,
While a mattress can’t help a medical condition … it it keeps you in good alignment in all your sleeping positions then it will give your back a much better chance to rest and recover and your spine a chance to decompress and rehydrate which can help and support any other treatments you are pursuing.
Again this would depend on whether it is keeping your spine in good alignment in all your sleeping positions and allowing your back to completely relax without any tension in a neutral position. The testing guidelines in post #1 here can help you test how well it is working for you in terms of support and alignment. If your back issues are in the lower back then you would want to pay particular attention to making sure that your pelvis and hips aren’t sinking down too far which will tilt the pelvis and put your spine out of its neutral alignment.
This can happen for some people yes but it would probably be more common to "twist’ away from the pressure under the shoulders and sleep in a half stomach half side position. Each person can have a very different sleeping style and react to pressure or alignment issues in different ways. In general though your body will try to compensate in some way for pressure or alignment issues by tightening muscles or changing positions to relieve the parts that are under too much stress just like when you are injured other parts of the body can compensate and take over which can sometimes create new issues.
Not necessarily. There are no “rules” because each person’s physiology is different and back pain has many different causes. In general though either side sleeping with the knees drawn part way up (not straight like a soldier) and a pillow between the knees or back sleeping with a pillow under the knees (or with the legs elevated slightly on an adjustable bed) would relieve back tension and decompress the spine most effectively for most (but not all) people.
For neck pain the first place I would look is the suitability and support of your pillow. Neck pain could come from twisting the head and neck when you sleep. This would be especially true for stomach sleepers (who would generally do best with a very thin pillow or no pillow at all)
Phoenix
Thanks, Phoenix. All so complex… I will probably go for the new mattress, and hope for the best.
What do you think of this mattress, Phoenix, an icoil base with a layer of latex from Keetsa? Haven’t tried it, but it’s in the the same price range of the one I’ve thinking of buying at dixiefoam.
Any reason to run down there and check it out, or probably not worth the trouble?
Hi chip,
You can see my thoughts about it in post #2 here.
With only half the thickness of latex it’s not in the same value range as the Dixie foam but it’s also a different design which would have a different feel and performance so it may well be worth testing to see how well it worked for you in terms of PPP (Pressure relief, Posture and alignment, and Personal preferences) because it would be different from the Dixie foam latex hybrid as well and some people may prefer an innerspring/latex hybrid over a polyfoam/latex hybrid.
Phoenix
I actually don’t trust myself too much on mattress testing – too neurotic, too impatient, etc – so a lot of my choice will be on guesswork and faith alone.
I think I’m still leaning towards ordering a firmer version of the Talalay I tried at Dixiefoam, and hoping for the best. It’s my understanding if I hate it, I can exchange it within 10 days for another one (wish that exchange period were longer…). I guess I would likley exchange for the Dunlop one since you say people have very distinct preferences for one over the other. I may take the holiday weekend to think about it some more, and if I find myself around some more mattresses in the meantime, try 'em out.
Phoenix, can you tell me the height of the metal bar that keeps the mattress in place on the Reverie adjustable bed? How many inches above the bed it extends?
Another worry I have about a 6" inch short mattress is that that metal bar will stick out in an unattractive manner if it’s meant to hold a much taller mattress.
Any thoughts on that?
Hi chip,
I measured it and the top of the metal bar is just a smidgeon over 7" above the base.
It would probably look a little odd yes but I would be a little more concerned with the possibility of hitting it when you were sleeping if (your feet go close to the end). If your mattress is a little thicker with the cover and by the time you add some bedding it may be flush and they could probably add a little extra thickness on the bottom if you needed it as well.
Phoenix
So it’s only 7" above the base, meaning a 6" mattress would only leave 1" of metal, even before bedding and extras? If so, that doesn’t sound too bad at all. I was worried about 4 or 5 inches sticking up… So I guess your mattress and most mattresses are actually taller than the base (which certainly sounds preferable)?
Hi chip,
I would say that 6 - 7" is on the thinner end of mattress thickness in North America (although there are certainly quite a few in this range). Thinner mattresses are more common in Europe and Asia.
Phoenix
Yes, definitely on the thin end. And I was hoping to go up in height from current 8" mattress to fit my sheets better, and certainly not down. But the latex ones from Dixiefoam are unfortunately only 6". As mentioned, I could pay 200 bucks to get 3" added, but I worry that would make it un-exchangeable. (I will have to verify this I guess.)
Ordered the Talalay extra firm today. Should arrive in a week. Will report back later.
Hi chip,
Congratulations on your new mattress
I’m looking forward to your feedback when you receive it and have had a chance to sleep on it.
Phoenix
Thx, Phoenix. Hey, how tall is your actual reverie bed (the ‘box spring’ portion of it, not the overall height)? Do you think it would be possible to use my deep fitted sheets over my thin mattress AND the bed together? The sheets can handle up to 14" supposedly.
Or would that not work for some reason?
Hi chip,
The top of the platform is about 15" above the floor and the foam side rails along the sides are about 7" deep (so your sheets would need to accommodate an extra 7" of thickness).
You would need to put your sheet under the foam side rails (and over the end bar) and the rails are quite soft so I don’t know how well your sheets would stay secure either with the bed flat or with elevated positions (I’ve never tried it). The corners of the foam are a little bit firmer (where the sheet corners would tuck under) than the sides so I don’t know any reason why it wouldn’t be worth a try.
Phoenix
Thanks. I’ll guess I’ll assess options once I have both bed and mattress, which should be in about a week or so.