New Mattress is No Good, Time for Memory Foam?

[Bob3000]

My sleep apnea is very much positional so supine/back sleeping, by far the most comfortable position for me, is not an option. Instead, I side sleep and have even gone so far as to rig a belt, tennis-balls and an old sock into a device to force me to stay on my side (thanks cpaptalk.com for that one!)

Up until a few months ago, I had been sleeping on a comfortable queen mattress and, cpap permitting, routinely slept through the night. In the Fall I moved to a much smaller place and had very little money so I was forced to sleep on a beat-up old single mattress without so much as a bed frame - it was very uncomfortable. I decided to buy a new bed (mattress, box, frame) which cost only ~$750 delivered from Sears. It is definitely considered low-end and unfortunately, after a week, it began to feel like it. Just as before with the single, I am waking up five to six times a night, usually toward morning, due to hip or shoulder pain or even arm numbness (due to compression of the ulnar nerve). I thought the new mattress would fix this, but is has not helped at all. I believe I am outside the return window and really, a return would only net me a few hundred dollars after deliver and restocking fee so I wouldn't have enough money to buy a nice bed. I am thinking that a decent queen size bed set must cost > $2K.


I cannot afford a nice bed (poor student) yet I am dying of a lack of quality sleep. I need something that is comfortable enough that I can side-sleep throughout the night. I have been thinking about going the memory foam route. I am a big guy (~6'0", 270lbs) so I've learned that I probably need memory foam that is both high density and thick. I found a 4" thick, 4lb density memory foam mattress topper from Costco for $99. I've seen comparable products on amazon. Tempurpedic sells a 3" mattress topper of unknown density for $532 (for a twin).

Are the expensive memory foam toppers worth it? I don't believe a 3" would be enough for me and yet the 3" pad at Tempurpedic is outrageously expensive. I have found other online shops that sell memory foam in high densitieis and thicknesses, but they are all associated with a shady, affiliate-based program (e.g. memoryfoam.com). Have any of you who are overweight found a comfortable memory foam topper?

[Pugsy]

Overstock.com has some affordable toppers. I got one made by Serta for a little over $100. 4 inch and 4 lb. My husband was around your size till recently. I have some back issues and the topper did help for maybe a year and a half then it seem that to be not so supportive. I am not heavy. I will tell you that my husband did not like the 4 inch. He felt he sank into it too much and actually preferred the 2 inch he has in his truck (truck driver bed). 3 inch probably would have been a better choice. We ended up getting a sleep number bed a couple of months ago.

Some of the other members here have tried various toppers, I am sure they will chime in. They do help. How much? That is going to be an individual thing I suspect. So many variables including the mattress under it.

[Bob3000]

Overstock.com has some affordable toppers. I got one made by Serta for a little over $100. 4 inch and 4 lb. My husband was around your size till recently. I have some back issues and the topper did help for maybe a year and a half then it seem that to be not so supportive. I am not heavy. I will tell you that my husband did not like the 4 inch. He felt he sank into it too much and actually preferred the 2 inch he has in his truck (truck driver bed). 3 inch probably would have been a better choice. We ended up getting a sleep number bed a couple of months ago.

Some of the other members here have tried various toppers, I am sure they will chime in. They do help. How much? That is going to be an individual thing I suspect. So many variables including the mattress under it.

Thank you, Pugsy. Do you recall what density (i.e. lbs) your topper was? And did your husband ever get sore from pressure points if he did not use a topper?

EDIT:

I ended up buying a 3" 5lb foam mattress topper. I really, really hope this helps. If not, I may buy the tempurpedic topper but that's like $600 with tax and shipping!!! But I will do whatever it takes to get a good night's rest.

[snnnark]

I ended up buying a 3" 5lb foam mattress topper. I really, really hope this helps. If not, I may buy the tempurpedic topper but that's like $600 with tax and shipping!!! But I will do whatever it takes to get a good night's rest.

Divide $600 by 365 = $1.65 / night. What's a good nights sleep worth to you?

Another thing to consider is a body pillow. Helps keep the knees apart and reduces pull on the shoulder.

[Pugsy]

I happened to be talking to a friend of mine about toppers, sleep number bed and memory foam mattresses. She got one of those memory foam mattresses from BedinaBox.com. The are supposed to be like Tempurpedic. She just loves it and I know her, she isn't easily satisfied. I went to their website and they have a very generous no risk return policy.

Doesn't hurt to try the topper. It may just be all that you need. So if it doesn't and you feel the need to try something else you might consider looking at their stuff.

When I slept alone on my topper I didn't have so much problem with it but it was when we added my husband's weight that we tended to roll to each other. But then I am half his size (half your size). He did have some sore spots, shoulders and hips, worse without any topper, better with his 2 inch topper and some better with the 4 inch but not as "better" as his 2 inch. This is why I suggested 3 inch because the 4 inch can cause a person to "sink" a bit if they are of any size. It bugged him. I never saw a 5 lb density or I would have likely tried it. Ours was 4 lbs.

Good luck and please keep us posted. Many people here want to find things that help our various aches and pains. For my own considerable back pain the topper helped more when he was on the road. It was better when topper was new because they do sort of break down a bit over time. It was only after we finally got the sleep number bed that he reports huge improvement with his sore spots and I have seen marked improvement in my own back pain, with or without him. He needs a different level of firmness than I do to get the best feeling. The sleep number bed that I got actually has a memory foam "topper" inside the mattress. Gives me that "plush" but firm feeling... I have the best of both worlds.

[MaryCT]

I bought a tempurpedic bed and i have had nothing but pain so i do not recommend it. My back has severe pain in the morning as if my spine is being compressed. I am stuck with it, so I went just to see if a Sleep Number would help, also better, but still having my neck and shoulder and chin area squished.. I now have purchased an adjustable bed base which will permit me to sleep in a reclining position, and that seems to be the only thing that will help me.

i do not recommend a tempurpedic bed for those reasons.

[TOken]

Go to a few matress stores and try out a memory foam bed before you buy anything.

I recently purchased a new matress, and I'm glad I did some research.

Hear a lot of people touting the wonderful things about memory foam, but I'll tell you those are NOT for me.

I would feel like I was 500Lbs, lying on that thing. Some movement is natural while sleeping, but impossible on the memory foam I found.

I went one step further and reserved a night at a local Westin hotel that had rooms with TempurPedic beds.
Not only did I feel as though I was being weighed down and held by the matress, but it was hot, and not comfortable.
Woke in the morning with back pain (something I do not normally suffer from)

Did some more research and decided on a latex matress.

So glad I did!

Very comfortable, not hot, not restricting at all.

Bought it at IKEA of all places the Sultan Engenes (at the reccomendation of a Chiropractor friend)
They even had a 60 night guarantee if you were not satisfied, but they aren't getting this one back.

[DocWeezy]

I've done toppers, then had an adjustable Tempurpedic, now have a Select Comfort Sleep Number (the air bed).

Loved both the Tempurpedic and now the Select Comfort. I've had serious orthopedic issues over the years and couldn't sleep on my side for a very long time. The Tempurpedic made that possible because it eliminated pressure points.

The topper didn't work well for me because it compressed fairly quickly and I was sleeping in a valley. Unfortunately, I bought it at a place where I couldn't return it after two months. That's when I went to a Tempurpedic adjustable.

One thing about Costco: you can return anything there at any time (except electronics--they have about a 90 day window). No questions asked. We've returned stuff over a year old. I wouldn't hesitate to try something they had because I could return it.

Weezy

[BernieRay]

The only time I'm on my back is when I've tried to turn from one side to the next in my sleep and simply didn't make it all the way!

I've never had any luck with the memory foam mattresses, though I have tried a few. Invariably, I get too hot and they simply don't conform as well as a good waterbed for me. My first mattress died about 2 years ago, after 24 years. I got a new one from awesomewaterbeds.com which has some additonal lumbar support and I couldn't happier. Great mattress from a very attentive company.

Good luck finding a solution, though. If you can't get comfortable, xPAP effectiveness is really hampered.

[SleepyT]

you might also consider a latex bed...some people swear by them....

[chunkyfrog]

Motel stays are excellent ways to check out different types of bed paraphernalia.
Westin actually SELLS new stuff like what's in the rooms.
I was shocked by the mark-up; but you can probably find it elsewhere.

[Bob3000]

Lots of good info in here, thanks.

[sydneybird]

You can refer to this thread as well viewtopic/t60022/MATTRESS-TOPPER-INPUTR ... TIONS.html

My vote: cheapest sleep number bed, memory foam topper, Teeter Hang Up.