Very hot sleeper in mattress hell trying to find a new mattress. Please help!

[phoenix]

Hi agims,

Welcome to the Mattress Forum!

I’m sorry you’re not sleeping well but I’ll do my best to help.

I recently “upgraded” my old mattress. It was over 10 years old. I have always noticed I sleep a bit warm, but I didn’t realize how warm until I got rid of my old mattress. The problem is, all new mattresses I can seem to find at conventional stores, have a foam layer of padding at the top.

I’m guessing you’re referring to either items that have more plush padding material on top, or perhaps models that use memory foam in the upper comfort layers. All of the mattresses you’ll find at “conventional stores” will have some sort of foam padding on top, just like your 10-year-old mattress did, but the difference of course will be in the amount, type and plushness (ILD) of these foams.

This makes me a furnace and I toss and turn and wake up constantly during the night. I have always had sleep issues, but they’ve definitely gotten worse with the new mattress.

I’m guessing your new product allows you to sink in a bit more than your old mattress, causing you to feel warmer (more insulated)?

My old mattress was more old school in construction and I seriously am regretting getting rid of it (ok so to be fair, my back pain is gone, but I’d take that over restless sleeping sadly).

Well, I am glad that you seem to be getting better support, but of course now we need to find a way to address your comfort/temperature issues.

Before totally pulling the plug and returning my current mattress, I am going to try getting a 100% cotton/cotton fill comforter and see if it makes a difference.

If you’re sinking in too deeply and the foam around you is acting as an insulator, I don’t know that a cotton comforter will make much of a difference for you. Cotton toppers will tend to compress and become firmer over time and they will also likely be firmer than softer foam toppers when they are new as well. A cotton topper will also generally feel firmer than a wool topper, especially when it compresses over time, but this will also depend on the specifics of each topper and the layers underneath it. The only way to learn how different combinations will feel and perform for you is with extensive testing on different combinations or your own personal experience when you sleep on the mattress so you can translate “theory” into your own personal experience. In most cases and designs wool will be a better temperature regulator than cotton because it stores moisture inside the fiber and away from the surface. Keep in mind that wool regulates temperature in both directions.

I also ordered 100% cotton sheets and bamboo sheets (supposedly even better than cotton for temperature regulations? That’s what the description says so we’ll see.) Although I already have sheets that are supposed to be special temp regulating ones (Celiant), but who knows. Maybe the cotton or bamboo will be better. I even ordered the Bed Jet system to try, but idk. I’m skeptical.

There are many factors which control the sleeping temperature of a mattress and only one of these is the foam that is used in the mattress … particularly in the upper layers. The materials, layers, and components of a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow, moisture transport, and temperature regulation than materials, layers, and components that are further away from your skin and softer mattresses or foam toppers will tend to be more “insulating” and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer versions of the same material.

It’s not really possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on sleeping temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials … there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range. There are some good links there about sheets and mattress pads/protectors. Bedding made from natural fibers (like the bamboo you mentioned) do tend to sleep cooler than synthetic fibers.

I would so much rather just have a mattress I can sleep on without needing all these modifications. The mattress company (Saatva) is great and has given me another month of trial with their mattress to see if I can fix the heat problem even though they already extended it once.

What model did you receive from them?

So I’m contemplating going with an all natural or organic mattress company that offers an option of either coils for cushioning or wool/cotton for cushioning. One I’ve seen recommended is My Green Mattress Pure Echo or Pure Echo Luxe. I’m concerned that their mattress may be a little too firm.

The Pure Echo is rated to be quite firm and only uses cotton and wool in the comfort layers. My Green Mattress rates this a 7 on a 1-10 (10 being hardest) scale. The Pure Echo Plus uses a zoned spring unit with similar padding layers, and is rated a 7.5 on the same scale, so a bit firmer. My Green Mattress is a member here, which means I think highly of them their products and advice, and I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to phone them with your concerns and use their guidance. I think that they would probably agree with you that this mattress tends to be a bit firm, on average, for a typical side sleeper.

I know you can add a topper, but I’m worried that even a latex topper would make me heat up too much. Does anyone have any experience with any wool toppers to add some cushion? Or cotton filled toppers (do they even make those?)?

I would tend to avoid buying a firmer mattress and then adding a separate topper afterwards unless there is no other reasonable alternative or unless you have a chance to do some careful and objective testing for PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) on the specific combination in person using the testing guidelines in the mattress shopping tutorial. Deciding on a topper that would be a good match for both you and the mattress (the specifics of the mattress can make a significant difference in which topper would work best for you) can be almost as challenging as buying a new mattress in the first place. Wool toppers are available in many styles and do add some cushioning and are also very good at assisting to regulate temperature, but they tend to be on the firmer end of the topper spectrum. There is more information about wool and other toppers in post #2 here.

And I’m also concerned about a smell some people have commented on. I live in CO and currently with the unpredictable weather airing it out in the sun for two days is not realistic. Does anyone have any experience with this company that they can share?

Sensitivity to odors is something that is extremely personal. Some wool toppers, depending upon their level of processing and source, do have a more noticeable odor than others. My best suggestion would be a detailed phone conversation with any manufacturer you are considering, as they will be most familiar with their wool and how it compares to other products in initial odor impression, as well as comments they have received from their customers.

Another one that looks very promising is the EOS from Naturepedic, made without latex, but holy smokes is it expensive!

All of the Naturepedic EOS mattresses use high quality and durable materials and there are no lower quality materials or weak links in any of them. Naturepedic is one of a very few manufacturers that makes mattresses that are certified organic “as a mattress” as opposed to mattresses than just contain certified organic components. You can see some comments about their EOS mattresses in post #9 here and forum searches on Naturepedic EOS and on Naturepedic (you can just click the links) will bring up more comments and feedback about them as well.

I am also wondering if the microcoils being wrapped in polyester would somehow still cause me to get overheated as it’s not a fabric that breathes?

There is breathability in those microcoil units.

I’ve seen links to other mattresses with similar construction to what I’m looking for, but a lot of them didn’t seem to have much of a return policy and that’s not something I really want to risk financially.

Many of the members listed in post #21 here, who are all very experienced and knowledgeable and specialize in providing the type of help and guidance on the phone that can help you make good choices, offer “hybrid” options included in the choices there and I believe that all of them compete well with the best in the industry in terms of their quality, value, service, and transparency. Many of them also have very general return/exchange policies. There is also another list of spring/latex mattress (hybrid) providers in post #2 here.

I know I provided you quite a bit of information, but take some time to read thorough my reply and the posts it links to, and I’ll be interested in your answers to my questions and any decisions you make as you move forward.

Phoenix