What to try next

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
1

I have been experimenting with 3 and 4 layer all latex configurations but I have yet to find the right fit. I am running out of ideas and would appreciate some suggestions on what to try next.

Below are my personal stats and results for some of the configurations I have tried. I have tried several other configurations in addition to the ones below, so if there is any additional information I can provide, let me know.

Personal: 6’1, 185 lbs, athletic build. 80/20 back and side sleeper respectively but I am primarily concerned with finding a comfortable setup for back sleeping.

Note all layers are 3" thick and sit directly on the floor. Configurations are listed from bottom to top. Approximate ILDs for each layer of latex are as follows:

F = Firm Dunlop ~36 ild
MF = Medium Firm Dunlop ~ 32 ild
Mt = Medium Talalay ~28 ild
St = Soft Talalay ~19 ild

Configuration #1) F/Mt/St – alignment/support is the best I have found to date. Over time when sleeping on my back, I experience mild pressure in the buttocks, lumbar, and shoulder blades. On my side there is not enough pressure relief for the shoulders but the hips seem okay. I could try to remedy the issue by changing the comfort layer from a single 3" layer to 2x2" of soft talalay but a) I am not sure a single inch would make much difference and b) increasing the thickness of the comfort layer seems to run counter to the advice usually given for back sleepers.

Configuration #2) F/Mt/Mt/St – this configuration is very comfortable when climbing into bed and falling asleep. Unfortunately, it does not provide enough pelvic support when sleeping on my back. The result was lumbar pain in the morning. No issue when sleeping on my side. In an attempt to evaluate the support/intermediate layers, I removed the soft talalay and tried laying on just the bottom three layers. I found that my hips sank in more relative to my upper body, likely causing the lumbar discomfort. I also found the discomfort was more pronounced compared to laying on all four layers. Interestingly, flipping the top two layers, for a configuration of F/Mt/St/ Mt resolved the lumbar issue when laying on my back but I found the thoracic region did not sink in evenly, resulting in an uncomfortable arched position.

Configuration #3) F, MF, Mt, St – Lumbar pain in the morning is more severe compared to configuration #2. Lumbar discomfort also becomes apparent within 30min to an hour. This was surprising because the bottom three layers by themselves (F/MF/Mt) are relatively firm, support the pelvis just fine, and prevent me from sinking into the latex enough for the lumbar curvature to be fill in/ supported. Perhaps 3" of soft talalay is simply to much when combined with the bottom three layers?

So what should I try next?

2

Hi lantern71.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum. :slight_smile:

I have to say, this is very well thought out and articulated. DIYs can be a bit of a pain (pun slightly intended) but once you have managed to hit that perfect configuration, it really does become worth all the hassle.

So, I can see you’ve tried

  • Firm/Med. Tal/Soft Tal (best alignment)
  • Firm/Med. Tal x 2/Soft Tal (quite comfy, but poor alignment)
  • Firm/Med. Firm/Med. Tal/Soft Tal (worse lumbar pain)

Have you tried Firm/Med. Firm/Soft? I wonder if the 3" of soft sinking into a firmer layer will help alleviate some of the lumbar pain. I also think that, as a back sleeper, 2" is fair to consider as it is a flatter sleeping profile. 2" can be enough for side sleeping when the transition layer is also soft enough to sink into while still receiving support from that layer. So, a Firm/Med. Tal/Soft 2" may also be worth considering as a configuration.

Are there other configurations you have in mind that you have questions about?
NikkiTMU

3

Thank you for the reply.

I did try firm/med firm/ soft tal and that configuration is too firm to provide pressure relief or fill in the lunar curvature.

Your suggestion to reduce the soft tal to 2" might be a change I can make to configuration #3 in my original post. I’m not sure it would work with configuration #2 though as the bottom 3 layers ( firm/med tal/med tal) present with alignment issues themselves.

I guess I’m running out of ideas. My other thought was to try all dunlop or all talalay setups to see if I sink in differentl.

4

Sorry end of that first paragraph should say " lumbar" not lunar

5

Hi lantern71.

Dunlop is not a bad idea, either. You’ve likely seen the comparison made on the forum already but dunlop is often compared to pound cake where talalay is compared to angel food cake. It’s very possible your body will have a different response.

I’m also wondering what your experience would be if you eliminate the firm layer and place the medium/soft layers on the floor. Do you think this could help your alignment at all?

NikkiTMU

6

As far as eliminating the firm layer…using the med firm dunlop as a base is not an option as it leads to poor alignment. Med tal/med tal/soft tal seems to be ok.