I can make it about 5-6 hours…we’ve tried many combinations…
it’s my lower back…but sometimes ache in legs too…
we have soft top layer because that’s the one that is not split
then I have firm medium firm it’s the combo I have been able to sleep the best on…
husband is fine on his side of bed…
They have been so patient and kind. we swapped out a layer [well i haven’t returned yet because i can’t decide]…
i’m 145 lbs. and short if that matters. and a side sleeper sometimes on back…
Trish
[quote=“TnTWalter” post=39170]I can make it about 5-6 hours…we’ve tried many combinations…
it’s my lower back…but sometimes ache in legs too…
we have soft top layer because that’s the one that is not split
then I have firm medium firm it’s the combo I have been able to sleep the best on…
husband is fine on his side of bed…
They have been so patient and kind. we swapped out a layer [well i haven’t returned yet because i can’t decide]…
i’m 145 lbs. and short if that matters. and a side sleeper sometimes on back…
Trish[/quote]
Do you think the mattress is too firm or too soft? What exactly are your symptoms?
Your configuration sounds VERY firm to me for your weight, although everyone has different preferences. Many other side sleepers with the 13000 use much softer configurations than yours. My 12" DIY build is also considerably softer and I’m about your weight.
Here’s are some other forum members who have the 13000 and their configurations (note, I have hidden the actual members’ user names, as I did not ask for permission to post this). I spent months reading and taking notes of various people’s configurations when building my DIY mattress, so these configurations are from my notes.
Member A - 6’1, 215 lbs - SleepEz 13000 w/4-way stretch cover:
3" 22 ILD (soft)
3" 32 ILD (medium)
3" 40 ILD (firm)
3" 32 ILD (medium)
Member A’s Wife - 5’10, 120 lbs
3" 22 ILD (soft)
3" 22 ILD (soft)
3" 32 ILD (medium)
3" 32 ILD (medium)
Member B - 160 lbs - SleepEz 13000:
3" 22 ILD (soft)
3" 22 ILD (soft)
3" 32 ILD (medium)
3" 40 ILD (firm)
Member C - 240 lbs & Wife = 130 lbs (they use the same config on both sides):
3" 14-19 ILD PLB 100% natural topper
3" 22 ILD (soft)
3" 32 ILD (medium)
3" 40 ILD (firm)
3" 19 ILD topper underneath the mattress (this changes the overall feel of the mattress and makes it softer/springier feeling)
3" 19 ILD topper underneath the mattress (this changes the overall feel of the mattress and makes it softer/springier feeling)
Hi TnTWalter,
The first thing I would suggest is to try and narrow down whether your mattress is too firm or too soft in either the comfort or support layers. For this it would be helpful to know which combinations you have tried and what the specific differences were between them in terms of the symptoms you experienced and the specifics of how they changed with each combination (which symptoms became better or worse with each one)
I would also be aware that PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) can be very individual and your layers wouldn’t feel as firm for many people as jkozlow3 has suggested and it’s certainly not “out of the range” of what many people would sleep on. There are many forum members who have chosen firmer mattresses than you are sleeping on either in a 9" or 12" version.
Lower back pain can happen for many different reasons but it’s more common that it’s a symptom of a mattress that is too soft than one that is too firm. There is more about some of the more common symptoms and some of the possible causes behind them in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may be helpful with some of the detective work that may be necessary.
It may be worth trying to take a longer nap (or several) with your soft layer folded in half on one side and removing your firm layer underneath it. This would give you a Firm/Medium/Soft/Soft configuration and I would leave the cover unzipped which would give you a combination that would be significantly softer than what you are sleeping on now so you can see what the difference would be with a softer mattress. This would provide a very useful pointer.
If your husband is willing to go along with it for a few nights I would also try your soft layer as the second layer down and then use a medium on top of it. This would mean that you have a Firm/Firm/Soft/Medium configuration which would give you a little firmer sleeping surface. You could also go firmer yet and try Firm/Firm/Medium/Medium if you have these layers available to try.
These combinations and your experience on each of them should act as a useful reference point to see which direction you may need to go.
Phoenix
Here’s what I’ve tried: from top to bottom
S/F/M/M I liked this one
S/M/M/F hated
S/M/F/M I liked this one and went back to it now…might try first one again.
S/F/F/M hated
S/M/M/M didn’t like
at one point we tried the soft on the bottom but don’t have that written down…we hated it…
i may try the soft on second layer but it’s such a pain to move the big one piece layer…
Shaun thought i needed more support and that’s why my back hurts. so I’ve played with firmer options…
Hi TnTWalter,
It would be helpful to know the specific differences in the “symptoms” you experienced and more details about what and why you liked or didn’t like each combination.
If you can provide much more detail it may help to provide some “pointers” about the combination that may work best for you. It would also be helpful to know how long you slept in each combination since there are a couple that have relatively small differences between them where you liked one and hated the other and yet they were very similar so I’m thinking that you may not have had enough time of some of these configurations to identify a “pattern” in any symptoms you had. The experiences of only a night or two can easily be an anomaly.
It may also be worth considering some 3 layer combinations but the first step is to contrast and compare your specific experiences and symptoms for each combination relative to the others outside of whether you just liked them or didn’t.
Phoenix
sorry. that’s as scientific as I got.
pain is lower to mid back. i toss and turn starting about 4am trying to get comfortable…[usually bed around 1030 or 11]…i am a side sleeper…
i’ll try a couple other combos…but i’m ready to throw in the towel and have almost done so a couple times…
trish
Hi TnTWalter,
Unfortunately since we can’t feel what you feel or experience what you experience on a mattress … the only way to make any meaningful suggestions would be based on the differences in your experience and symptoms with each combination.
Lower back pain generally (but not always) indicates a mattress where your heavier pelvis is sinking down too far and putting your spine out of alignment over the course of the night. In most cases this would indicate firmer support layers.
Before you give up I would give the suggestions that you’ve been given a try for at least a few days each and then see if you can identify the specific differences between them so that your experiences and the changes in any of your symptoms can help identify the types of changes that have a higher chance of success. The suggestions include a softer version, a firmer version, and 3 layer combinations (which will become firmer more quickly than a 4 layer version as you sink in more deeply).
If you can find your ideal layering it will be well worth it because once you have found your ideal layering then the time and effort you put in now will have rewards for many years to come.
Phoenix
After I was sure I would not be returning our soft layer, I took my electric knife and cut it down the middle. It is such a huge hassle to deal with that one big layer, so much easier to move it around/change configuration in 2 parts. Not sure why they don’t split it?
Hi SleepDeprived,
They do … most people order it split if they have the quilted cover.
Unless of course you mean the OP not SleepEZ (which I realized after I replied was probably the case) in which case it could be a good idea as long as they were comfortable that they didn’t want to return it.
Phoenix
Hi Pheonix, no I meant SleepEZ, I understood the top layer came in one continuous piece or maybe it was just on the model I got, or maybe it was that they recommended it, or it wasn’t available in cal king… I can’t remember now. But, definitely, you would not want to split it if you thought you might still return it! I find it so much easier to handle in two pieces now and can’t tell the difference at all once the cover’s on and you lay on the mattress.
Hi SleepDeprived,
Your reply here mentioned that you opted for the solid layer but I’m not sure what the reasons were.
A split layer is certainly much easier to handle and it also allows the option for using a different top layer on each side. Some people are concerned about feeling the split so they opt for the solid layer but with a suitable tight fitting cover the split isn’t noticeable.
Phoenix