Side sleeper with big hips DIY help!

Hello all, Im hoping that I can get some specific help with what i’m experiencing. I am a 150 pound female side sleeper, with big hips. Most everything I lay on gives me hip pressure point pain.
The bed I have now is a Beautyrest Hybird, with 4 inches of thin foams on top of the springs. With this bed, I feel like my hips hit the springs and it is not comfortable.
With most memory foam beds I try, I feel as though my hips sink straight through to the middle support layer and it hurts my hips. With both of these kinds of beds I feel as though it’s because the foams are not good quality or densities.
So now i’m attempting the DIY route but i have no idea what to do for the comfort/support layers. I want something super soft, but I don’t want to get carried away with too many comfort layers that’ll throw off my alignment. I’m planning on using 6 inches of the Foam Factory’s HD36-HQ as the base, but that’s all i’ve got.
I’m willing to try latex, as it’s not as hot as memory foam but I love the contouring of the memory foam. So… Latex on top of memory foam? 3 inches of each? I’m stumped. I have 2 inches of 20 ILD blended latex coming in the mail just so I can see if I like it, and I can go from there. But i’m stumped on what layers to choose and how thick. I would appreciate any insight!

Hey bmatthews8,

Welcome to The Mattress Underground :slight_smile: ! Thanks for dropping by!

[quote]Hello all, Im hoping that I can get some specific help with what i’m experiencing. I am a 150 pound female side sleeper, with big hips. Most everything I lay on gives me hip pressure point pain.
[/quote]

We are happy to try and help with your questions, bmatthews8. Curvier body profiles often experience pressure point pain in the hip area, so you are certainly not alone with those concerns. You may find that thicker and softer materials would provide more comfort for your side sleeping preference.

[quote]The bed I have now is a Beautyrest Hybird, with 4 inches of thin foams on top of the springs. With this bed, I feel like my hips hit the springs and it is not comfortable.
With most memory foam beds I try, I feel as though my hips sink straight through to the middle support layer and it hurts my hips. With both of these kinds of beds I feel as though it’s because the foams are not good quality or densities.[/quote]

I am sorry to hear that your Beautyrest Hybrid is not comfortable for your hips. Which model do you have and how old is it?

Congrats on your new DIY mattress-building journey! Did Foam Factory offer advice for pairing other layers with their base foam? They should be able to offer guidance based on their knowledge and experience of what layering configurations would better suit their HD36-HQ base. You may consider a check-in with them or consulting with one of TMU’s trusted member DIY component providers.

Good job on your DIY progress and new 20 ILD blended latex layer :slight_smile: ! You can layer with either latex or memory foam on top of the other, keeping in mind each foam’s unique feel and response properties. Latex foam, derived from natural or synthetic materials, is well known for its pressure-point relieving and support properties, as well as its longer durability and higher costs. Latex has a bouncy, buoyant, uplifting feel that is often described as “sleeping on” the mattress.Memory foam, a viscoelastic foam, is known for ability to absorb compression forces and slow recovery response. Memory foam softens as your body’s heat warms it, forming a cradle around your body and creating the cozy feeling of “sinking into” the mattress as you sleep. As most of your experience seems to be with memory foam, you may find that you prefer it as the topmost comfort layer where you could experience its “sleeping in” feel, while having the latex act as a transition layer between the memory foam and foam base. You will want to ensure with all foam component purchases that the foams are of high quality and are produced by manufacturers whose foams have met 3rd party safety testing certifications.Oeko-Tex, eco-INSTITUT, and CertiPUR-US are the more highly regarded and well-know certifications whose use ensure that foams have met safe use criteria established by their independent labs. Aside from product certifications, you’ll also want to be sure that you have a thorough understanding of exchange/ return policies and what costs are involved for those as DIY’s experimenting process can get expensive quickly without a clear vision of what materials and firmnesses are needed. Feel free to use TMU’s site search, as the DIY category is a favorite topic and one with many fans :slight_smile: . Hope this helps to get you started and please share progress reports as you have time. Pics of your DIY stages will be helpful as future questions arise. Good Luck, bmathews8!

Sensei

Hello Sensei, thank you so much for responding!
So I unfortunately don’t have the model of the bed I have now, I just got it a month ago and Mattress Firm doesn’t list the model number besides the name “Beautyrest Hybrid Plush 13.5 inch”.

Foam Factory didn’t really give much besides recommending 4 inches of the base foam instead of 6 (since I guess firmness increases the higher you go) and to put latex on top on memory foam, not the other way around.

I also just had a nice convo with Ken and he recommended 3 inches 14 ILD Talalay blend + 3 inches 19 ILD talalay blend on top of the base foam. If I decided to go the latex route I will probably do that, since it looks like a lot of this is up to me to experiment and find which i like more, all latex, latex on memory foam or memory foam on latex.

I have one more question though. Do you agree with lowering the base foam height if you’re putting 6 inches of comfort/suppport(?) layers on top? I feel like you’d hardly feel the base layer through 6 inches of foam, and 6 inches of base is an overkill… But that might just be the cheapskate in me trying to save money since I just bought a bed. I feel like talking the 3-3-3 approach like Sleep-ez does makes more sense, but I’m not sure if I can if the bottom layer will be foam & not latex.
Thanks again!

Hey bmatthews8,

Thanks for your reply and updates :slight_smile: .

Thanks for those details; it helps me to better understand where you’re coming from. The Mattress Firm site describes your Beautyrest Hybrid Plush as a 13.5" memory foam/ pocket coil mattress, using 4" of their proprietary memory and gel foams as comfort materials. No foam specs are given, so there is no easy way to speculate as to why you experienced the sinking into the pocket coils; however, it seems that you have since moved on and so shall we…

Good job on the reach out to expert trusted member Ken Hightower/ Arizona Premium Mattress :slight_smile: ! Ken is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in the latex category, and his DIY guidance will serve you well. Indeed, the only way to know which combinations will best suit your preferences is to experiment a bit.

The base foam’s height is not the focus but rather its density as a support foam. Generally speaking, HD polyfoams weigh around 1.5 lbs. per cu. ft., with better quality ones ranging in the 1.8 lb.- 2 lb. densities. Keep in mind that a mattress has two functions: to provide pressure relief and comfort (upper comfort layers) and provide spinal alignment/ support (lower support layers). 2 X 3" Talalay layers over your 6" HD base foam should be an excellent pairing; the 3" 19 ILD Talalay layer would play the role of a transition layer between the softer 14 ILD comfort layer and the base foam. You shouldn’t expect to “feel” the base foam support layer, which is why most manufacturers use other base foams rather than expensive Talalay latex. Looking forward to hearing more on your research as you navigate the DIY waters, bmatthews8 :wink: .

Sensei

You’re so helpful Sensei, thank you!! I will keep the site updated once I have everything where I want it!!! B)