Hi need2sleep1.
Thanks for detailing your experience with Serta and Sealy mattresses… this is a good example of why …who you purchase from and …the options they have if the mattress does not turn out to be as good as you hoped for, can be one of the most important parts of a successful mattress purchase. Making sure that you have the appropriate support and sleep surface comfort before the surgical procedure to ensure proper healing is certainly very important and I am sorry to hear that you’ve got so much trouble in finding something appropriate for your hip dysplasia condition. I hope the surgery goes well and that by that time you’ll have a good mattress to sleep on and recover.
[quote]However, the past three nights, things have gotten worse. I don’t have enough support in the middle, and I seem to be sinking in. I can get decent support if I lie on either side of the mattress, but I still feel a little sink on whatever side of me is towards the middle. I can see this with a king or queen, but a full? It’s crazy! I should be able to sleep in the middle of my brand new mattress. I certainly could on my old mattress, before it went bad.
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You are in a somewhat difficult position … you need to exchange a mattress and you used your only exchange for a higher value product (that you had to finance) Also if the store you purchased it for consents to a new exchange then you may be limitied by the mattresses that are sold at the retailer you are dealing with (unless they sell some good quality/value mattresses which many mainstream stores don’t) and in this case I would follow the suggestions in post #2 here and the posts it links to.
While I understand that the options at the store/retailer are limited , I am glad that you took the time to document your experience as this might be useful in isolating the cause and approaching the retailer or manufacturer if you need to ask the store to make an exception from their policies. My first suggestion is that you do a bit more detective work to try to pinpoint if the unsupportiveness is due to the foundation, mattress itself or both.
I’d suggest that you avoid a reactive mode of trying to solve the issue by buying something that may or may not solve it. I know that it is difficult when you wake up in pains, but perhaps you can find a temporary solution to get better sleep while aproachng this systematically.
1. First try to isolate the problem (Determine where the lack of support is coming from. Is it the boxspring, the mattress, or both?
[indent]a. It’s very possible that the issue could be caused by some sagging or gaps in the box-spring that doesn’t provide a suitable support surface for your mattress … this can certainly make a significant difference in how well aligned you are and how well you sleep. You can test this by placing the mattress on the floor and sleeping on it for a few nights to see if it makes any difference. It may be that the wood slats quality is not adequate and may be compounded by the lack of central support would result in excessive bending under your weight and the weight of the mattress.
b. Look for any defects in the mattress including sagging. While sagging is unlikely with a new matters, you can check for any visible signs of it and make sure to measure its depth by placing the mattress on the floor and then either run a string from edge to edge (see this video here) or use a straight edge (such as a broom handle) across the mattress and then measure the depth of the sag from the bottom of the straight edge or string. Note that a new mattress should not have any sagging, and remember that “comfort” is not something that is covered under a warranty, but excessive sagging is[/indent]
2. No 1 above will put you in a better position to go back to the retailer and present your situation. Even though you are restricted by the number of exchanges allowed by the store’s policy the good news that most stores have become consumer care oriented and, when reasonable they’ll do their best to help.
[indent]a. If it’s determined that the foundation is responsible for the lack of support, then you can ask the store to replace the box spring with something more supportive, or look for other foundation options.
b. If the mattress is the problem then I’d suggest explaining that your local retailer and politely request their advice and assistance and hopefully given your circumstance, they’ll make an exception and allow another exchange. If they allow this, then I would take the time to carefully assess all the options they have available within your budget You can start out by finding the information listed here and the exact specifications (such as foam density) and the quality of the componentry in the mattress so that you can compare it to the durability guidelines here. you may wish to consider an exchange as long as you first test the product for PPP(Pressure Relief, Posture and alignment and Personal Preferences) to assess if it meets your personal needs and preferences.
c. If there is excessive sagging then you could ask for a refund if the policy allows it and then you would have a better chance of finding something more suitable.[/indent]
3. Manufacturer step in … if the store is not assistive then the next best option would be to contact the manufacturer themselves and make clear that you’ve reached out to them as you’ve exhausted all your options regarding an unsuitable product.
I wish I could provide some specific suggestions that are more helpful, but outside of the retailer and/or manufacturer being willing to make an exception to their policy, there is not much that I can say. I look forward to any updates.
Phoenix