Hi SleepDprived,
[quote]After 5 years on my SleepEZ latex bed, I feel like I need some kind of change but even after all of the reading and research and trying different mattresses, I do not know where to turn to get the attributes I need. I need a bed that will hold my spine in a neutral position but I also need a top layer that will give soft comfort and eliminate pressure points. I have pinched nerves in my lower & upper back and neck that cause pain issues. Unfortunately, every time I add a topper to my latex bed, I end up sinking in at my hips and losing the neutral spine position.
If you go with a mattress that holds your spine neutral, it always seems to be a hard, firm mattress that doesn’t cushion your bones at all, but if you go with a soft, cushy mattress, your spine sags and it puts pressure on those pinched nerves.[/quote]
I’d be curious to know what is the most recent topper you added to your latex mattress? Latex topper? /What is the configuration and version of the Sleep EZ mattress you purchased 5 years ago? Have you talked to Sleep EZ and described your new situation? You also have the option of asking them directly here is the link to Ask Sleep EZ a question on our mattress forum.
It’s really hard to find the right balance, and it’s even harder for people with several chronical health conditions and pains. While finding “a mattress that satisfies both requirements” is at best difficult for a sleeper with health conditions and high sensitivities … IMO it CAN be done … but you’d be needing more careful testing, collecting data, and research. Also depending on your condition and level of sensitivity, you may be right that some trade-offs may need to be made … from bed design, zoning, layer constructions, choice of foundation, even the covering fabric, etc.
Our mattress forum has multiple related topics that you may wish to peruse and see what solutions other people with similar experiences have found. Some of the forum posts that talk about fine-tuning a mattress and may help you recognize or “diagnose” the underlying cause of different types of “symptoms”, pain, or discomfort that may be connected to a mattress include …
[indent] Different “symptoms” that people may experience when they sleep on a mattress in Post #2 (this is the primary reference post)
Mattresess and dealing with pain. Small changes and body adjustments in Post #45 (this is particularly worth reading as well)
Determining causes for upper and lower back pains in Post #2
Post #6
Achy Lower back in the morning in Post #6
Fine-Tuning a mattress in Post #4
Post #7
Post #7
Latex mattress for couple with very different body weights in Post #18 [/indent]
For most people adding a topper to a firmer sleeping surface can solve “too firm” issue you mentioned, but in your case dealing with back pain and pinched nerves can be very frustrating because there are many more variables involved and it is difficult to pinpoint the underlying cause. It may take quite a bit of trial and error and collecting the data with changing only one variable at a time for a long period of time to get closer to the best mattress match with any level of certainty… It is hard to say … maybe you did not find the right support/comfort combination or the layer thickness is not quite right, or both, or even …what is “the best” a mattress can do for you … or it may be just as simple as … the comfort layers are too thick and soft for your needs.
You certainly have to approach this with patience and 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.
I do think it is some combination of a latex mattress would work best for you. Reasonable success from Sleep EZ and not a good experience with others, and having to find a “tight window” of support/comfort…my instinct points this way.
Hope this helps … let me know how else we can help.
Phoenix