Topper Discomfort: Thinner or Higher Density?

[phoenix]

Hi Eido,

So, my saga to find a good mattress continues.

I’m 6’3" 200lbs, and primarily a side-sleeper.

About four months ago, I bought a latex mattress from Dreamfoam (24 ILD) that ended up being too soft. I decided to double-down on that and purchase a higher ILD (32) mattress which ended up having a different set of issues, including pressure point pain. I decided to send them both back (whew… this is getting expensive) and instead purchase an innerspring instead, as they have proven to work well for me in the past.

I purchased a Original Mattress Factory Ortho Luxury Firm. It felt fine in the store and I though it would be ideal, but after a few weeks on it, it was becoming clear it was a bit too firm. I was experiencing severe pressure point pain when I woke in the morning and was definitely tossing and turning all night. I’ve been a zombie ever since I purchased it.

Two weeks ago, in an effort to soften it up, I purchased a 20ILD 2" latex topper from Sleep-on-Latex. I’m now waking up with no pressure point pain, however, I’ve just exchanged pressure point pain for lower back pain, likely from sinking too deeply. I’m still tossing and turning all night, and I’m even more of a zombie all day. I’ve reached a point where I can’t decide what to do any more. Everything I’ve tried seems to have made it worse.

Once again I’m sorry to hear that you are having so much difficulty finding a mattress (or a mattress/topper combination) that works well for you.

Unfortunately there is little I can add to the information and comments in my previous reply in post #2 here because the only way to know whether any mattress or mattress/topper combination will be a good “match” for you in terms of PPP will be based on your own careful testing or your own personal sleeping experience.

Here is my main question: Would it be better to drop to a 1" layer at the same ILD, or stay at 2" and increase the ILD to 30? I’d assume the additional firmness would prevent the increased sinking, but might also result in pressure point pain that is just as bad as the bare mattress.

Again … the only way to know whether any mattress/topper combination will be a good “match” for you will be based on your own personal experience. While a 2" soft topper would normally be a good “average” guess for a mattress that needed “a little to a fair bit” of extra softness and pressure relief … it seems that you are outside the “averages” that would work for most people.

While it’s also only a guess or speculation … I would be cautious about using a 30 ILD topper since your previous experience with the Dreamfoam mattress that had a 32 ILD Talalay comfort layer indicated that it may have been too firm for you (you were experiencing pressure points) even though it also had a 1.5" quilted cover (which would provide some additional softness to the latex comfort layer) so it would make logical sense that a 30 ILD Dunlop topper could also be too firm as well (Dunlop tends to feel firmer than Talalay in the same ILD).

If your main issue is support/alignment then it would probably make more sense to try a 1" topper which would provide a “touch to a little” additional softness and pressure relief and would “stop” your hips and pelvis from sinking in quite as far and hope that it would provide the right balance between additional comfort/pressure relief and support/alignment that would keep you inside the range that was suitable for you in terms of both (it would be “in between” the mattress by itself and the mattress with a 2" topper).

If you are also using your mattress on their box spring then it may also be worth trying your mattress on the floor to find out whether the flex from the springs in the box spring is contributing to the issues you are having as well. If you find that using your mattress/topper combination on the floor works better for you and you aren’t experiencing back pain or pressure points then replacing the box spring with a foundation that doesn’t have any flex under the mattress may also be worth considering.

Phoenix