Hi Maxie,
I’m sorry to hear that your experience on your mattress seems to have changed rather dramatically from your last update just a few months ago.
When did your experience start to change?
[quote]As much as I dearly LOVE the Vi Spring bed, I don’t know how else to make the adjustments to the mattress other than changing toppers.
I am 5’ 0" and weigh 129 lbs. At 66, I never thought getting old-er would be like this, catering to aches and pains.
Do you have suggestions?[/quote]
While it’s not possible to “diagnose” mattress comfort issues on a forum with any certainty because they can be very complex and there are too many unique unknowns, variables, and complexities involved that can affect how each person sleeps on a mattress in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP or any “symptoms” they experience … there is more about the most common symptoms that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress and the most likely (although not the only) reasons for them in post #2 here.
The changes in your sleeping experience seem to have happened quite quickly so it’s possible that they are related to medical or physiological issues that have changed your needs and preferences in terms of PPP since it’s unlikely that your mattress would have changed to any noticeable degree since 4 months ago. It’s also possible that you may end up sleeping well on your mattress once again once you have fully healed.
Other than that … it’s not possible for me to know for certain if your sleeping system (mattress and topper) is too firm or too soft but the most common (but not the only) cause of lower back pain is a a sleeping system that is too soft and since adding an even softer topper seemed to make things worse this could be pointing to a mattress/topper combination that is too soft as well.
Have you tried sleeping on just the mattress without a topper? If you have how did it change your experience and your “symptoms”?
If the mattress by itself (without a topper) is also too soft then it would be very difficult to fix because the most effective solution would normally be to remove the layers or components that are too soft and replace them with firmer or thinner layers which of course wouldn’t be possible but there are some suggestions in post #4 here that may be helpful for a mattress that is too soft at least on a partial or temporary basis.
While it would be less likely based on your comments … if your mattress is too firm and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress then a good quality topper can certainly be an effective way to add some additional softness, “comfort” and pressure relief to your sleeping system but the only way to know for certain whether a specific mattress/topper combination is a good “match” for both of you in terms of comfort, firmness, and PPP is based on your own careful testing or personal experience on the combination. If you can’t test the combination in person then there will always be always some risk and uncertainty involved in adding a topper because the specifics of the mattress itself along with your own body type, sleeping position, and preferences can affect which specific topper would be a suitable choice on any specific mattress.
There is more information about choosing a topper and a link to the better online sources I’m aware of in post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to which along with a conversation with a reliable and knowledgeable supplier (that can provide you with good information about how their toppers compare to each other or to other toppers they are familiar with that are available on the market) can help you use your sleeping experience as a reference point and guideline to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that has the least possible risk and the best chance for success.
Because of the uncertainty that can be involved with purchasing a topper where you can’t test the combination in person … a good exchange/return policy can also reduce the risk of an online topper purchase so I would make sure you are comfortable with the options you have available after a purchase and any costs involved just in case the topper you choose doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for.
Phoenix