Thanks for the help, and the honesty - I appreciate it.
A new mattress is simply not in my budget right now, which is why I was hoping to get a topper to help sort of bridge things to get me from now 'til whenever I can afford it. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a really long time. I’ve always slept hot and sweaty, literally since I was an infant. But the last few years have gotten worse and worse. (Hello, mid-late 40’s) And I’m bouncing back less effectively, too. I used to say “Who needs sleep?” But now, I most definitely do!
I do see the value in choosing a topper when I choose a new bed (if the topper’s even necessary at that point) - it will increase the life of the mattress, it will match my needs going forward, not just short-term. And I appreciate you pointing out that a 6 year old bed from Mattress Firm is likely on its last legs. You’re undoubtedly right.
Buying a new mattress will involve more than just the mattress cost, I think? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand that if I switch to a latex bed, or even a hybrid with latex, I’ll need something different as a base from what I have now. Your point about the inclined sleeping surface is a good one - and something I’ve been thinking of. It might help my husband, in particular, if he can raise his head for sleep. (That article was very informative, thanks for pointing me to it.) So a new base and/or frame, possibly upgrading to adjustable… my costs just keep skyrocketing. Ouch.
I just bought a BedJet to try that for cooling while I sleep. I think I’ll try a wool-filled mattress pad or protector for now, and see if that relatively thin layer gives me a bit of cooling space, as I’ll have that additional layer between me and the molten lava that my bed feels like when I lay down. I’ll try that for a while, and re-evaluate the prospect of getting a whole new mattress a few months down the line. I agree that’s likely my best bet.
I’m sure I’ll come back with more questions then. And I’ll know where to start looking - I’ve poked about the websites of a few of the trusted companies here. I appreciate the transparency they show here. And I found a local mattress maker near me, as well, which means I can even test out the mattresses before buying. I wouldn’t have even thought of that before popping onto this site. I figured all mattresses were basically bed-in-a-box or big-box-store and that was that. So I’m already learning!
Thanks again.