BEDS & Pillows

Linda3032 wrote:Bill, I would really like some more info on your "future" mattress. I've been reading mattress info until I'm blue in the face (kinda like pre-cpap days). Is a local manufacturer making it for you?

Sort of. http://www.memoryfoam.com who sell much more than just memory foam are located less than 2 hours away from me in Orlando. If you go to the site and click on "Mattress Kits" on the left, I'm either going to do a 9" variation on Holly's Hanna (instead of the 12") or a variation on the Del Rey replacing the bottom support layer with ILD 35 foam.

BTW, the site also has a forum where they help people understand and select the appropriate products.

We currently have an expensive spring mattress set that has been the worst set ever, and need to get rid of it. My cheap 25 year old foam set from Sears was 100% better than our new expensive set. It had a lot of good memories tied to it too.

I understand what you mean about the $$$ spring mattress vs. a much less pricey foam mattress. This is what I experienced also. And I am convinced that the $$$ name-brand spring mattress contributed to my sleep apnea!

To those of you who currently use a foam mattress:

1. Does it just have a thin coverlet over the foam, or is it entirely encased like a traditional mattress?

Don't have it yet, but I'll be getting a cover from the same place to hold it all together. This is recommended.

2. Do you use a "box springs", or do you have to use a platform? I have an antique bedframe (modified to accomodate a king set), and kinda want to use my current box springs. Is that possible or adviseable?

I'm told either will work, but the platform will elminate any motion transfer from one side of the bed to the other. Also a box spring in poor condition can result in improper support. At least, this is what I think I've learned on the memoryfoam.com forum.

In the search for a new mattress for two years, and having gone through 4, count 'em FOUR mattresses during that time, 3 Stearns and Foster and 1 Sealy, we still haven't found one yet that didn't start "disintegrating" after a few months. We've had the latest one for 2 months and there are indentations of our butts on each side. Since the warrantee specifies the "sag" must be over 1 1/2" (with no one laying on it) and we are still at an inch on my husband's side, I have to endure a bit longer before we can trade in this one too. My husband complains of bumps in it. I think I have bottomed out on my side (about 4" down) but no sag to speak of when I'm off it. If they would test these things with a 20# bowling ball to see how bad they are, we could get one a lot quicker.

My husband wants a foam mattress but we just don't have the money to buy one. The original Stearns and Foster wasn't cheap, I think about $800 for the set. But they won't give us the money back originally spent, only replacements. This is literally getting to be a pain in the back, mine!

And even though with pain patches, pills, therapy and shots, I'm basically pain free right now, I still have some painful wakenings during the night, as well as wondering what sleeping in such a mattress (notice I didn't say "on"), is causing to my herniated disk in my lower back and other back problems.

I need a firm mattress, but I can't find one that lasts.

Janelle wrote:My husband wants a foam mattress but we just don't have the money to buy one.

...

I need a firm mattress, but I can't find one that lasts.

Janelle, you have my sympathies. You could probably put together a low-priced foam mattress on your own for relatively little money though and target the firmness you desire. The low-priced foam quality should last 5 years of normal use -- better foam costs more but would last longer.

I don't know the size of your bed, but I'll assume queen. For example, from jcpenny.com you could buy the 5" extra firm pad and the 3" firm pad to act as support layers then put a thin memory foam layer on for comfort for around $240. Buy a mattress cover to hold it all together and you've got a mattress that should feel quite good for under $300.

If you want it firmer, by all extra firm form. If softer, buy only the firm. If you want it more cushy, buy thinner foam for the support layers and find a thicker comfort layer (e.g. thicker memory foam).

However, I'm aware that for some people even $300 is a big chunk of change.

I know someone who has a bad back and is using JC Penny's foam with a memory foam comfort layer to great success, so I didn't just pull this "out of the air" without some idea of whether it would work. I considered doing something like this, but decided to buy better quality foam so it would last longer.

Janelle wrote: We've had the latest one for 2 months and there are indentations of our butts on each side. Since the warrantee specifies the "sag" must be over 1 1/2" (with no one laying on it) and we are still at an inch...

Sounds like you need a butt that's 50% bigger.

Have you tried the "air" beds?

I personally don't like how they feel, but at least when they sag you can just pump them back up.

I know this is an old thread but my wife and I have been considering getting a new bed for about a year now and still havent done it!

I have been sleeping on a waveless waterbed for the past 25 years!

I didnt like the memory foam (temporpedic) matresses because it doesnt work instantly or reshape instantly when you change positions.

We have been liking the Talalay Latex matresses. They are expensive but feel great. Anyone have one?

jackr wrote:I know this is an old thread but my wife and I have been considering getting a new bed for about a year now and still havent done it!

I have been sleeping on a waveless waterbed for the past 25 years!

I didnt like the memory foam (temporpedic) matresses because it doesnt work instantly or reshape instantly when you change positions.

We have been liking the Talalay Latex matresses. They are expensive but feel great. Anyone have one?

Yep. I made my own mattress using Talalay laters (I mean layers) with different levels of frimness (I mean firmness) and a thinner memory foam topper and it is difficult for me to sleep on anything else now.

EDIT: Since I do not use spell check and rushed with a response, I came back to fix before I get in trouble

I have a Select Comfort bed I bought 71/2 years ago. Love it. Hate to travel without it, so when I built my teardrop trailer, I built it to hold a queen-sized mattress. Now I even camp with a Select Comfort!!!!! Have to admit I put a 1 1/2 " memory foam topper on it just a few months ago and really like that. I use Tempur-pedic Pillows. Had them about the same length of time. Some nights I love them, some nights I wish for a different pillow. When I stay in a motel, or at family's when traveling, regular pillows are fine.

A few years ago my wife wanted a Select Comfort so we went to try one out in a large furniture tore. Neither of us liked it. I had heard about Temperpedics and convinced her to try it. We liked, but not the price. I searched online and found much cheaper ones that said they were comparable, but despite the 30 (or whatever) day return policy I was hesitant to do that. We found a knockoff at another furniture store, tired it at the sotre, liked it, bought it and as they say the rest is history. We love it.

In addition to molding to ones body due to the heat allowing the visco-eleastic foam to depress and supporting a correct sleeping posture, there is a big advangtage to not having springs. Even with the separate coil designs, the bed always bounced when either of us moved or got up or back in. The visco-elastic foam does not. Because of the heat molding feature I recommend the visco elastic over the latex foam, but other types of less expensive foam can be used as a base.

Our only problem now is our 120 lbs lab who starts off sleeping downstairs (to guard the door) and who then comes up and puts his chin on the edge of the bed and whines and waits for someone to wakeup and give him permission to come on board. So I have at least one wakeup every night on my charts.

We have an old waterbed with eight tubes and a stiffend foam top. Works well but will need replacing and I'm reading your advice closely.

Yardbird,
I'm glad someone else has to have buckwheat hull pillows. We even travel with them - can't sleep on anything else. They take some getting used to but are cool in the summer and work well with masks as there is a definite edge or you can create a mask-shelf for side sleeping. We have the half size as you just don't roll around with a buckwheat hull filled pillow. I just had new ones made at a custom futon store - $45 apiece for the half size (2x more for full size). We had the replaced pillows 8 years. You can get them for around $20 (plus shipping) at the HSN.com website but I wanted a certain fill level and verfied organic buckwheat hulls.

Chris

I've been reading about memory foam toppers and mattresses. Became overwhelmed with so much reading psitives and negatives so I've decided to give Target's 2" deluxe memory foam topper a try and if it helps a great deal, think about a mattress at some point. It is on sale this week for $120 for queen. It had good customer reviews and I think 2" will be comfortable support.

I've read here about foam pillows from target being used by some of you with success, so when I started to buy one, wasn't sure if it was the contour to get or standard pillow that would be best for wearing a mask. Opinions?

The $12.49 Target Shapeable Pillow is pure manna from heaven!!! Someone else here recommended it and I picked one up, figuring "What the hell...." for 13 bux. Its WONDERFUL!!! Been sleeping like a baby since!!!! Not memory foam or anything fancy. Just pure,sheer comfort!!! I like it MUCH better than the $75 "luxury" pillows that I got from the Westpoint-Pepperill outlet in Park City, though I do use my Target pillow on top of one of those luxury jobs.

Hope this helps!

Chuck

BTW, I am a confirmed side sleeper and I now faithfully use a ResMed Mirage Swift mask (which many find to be difficult in side-sleeping applications) with AHIs <0.5.

We LOVE our Tempur-Pedic mattress and pillows. I recommend getting the cervical Tempur-Pedic pillow if you can't afford the whole mattress. I have fibromyalgia and we have been sleeping on our Tempur-Pedic for 8 years now,....and we wouldn't be without it. My DH has OSA, and I have narcolepsy....we're a good combo! My fibromyalgia is so much worse when we are on vacation and on a different mattress.

amy

Thanks Chuck. I am a side sleeper and use the Activa, which seems to be working well just kinda bulky and getting the pillow just right is a pain. So I will definitely get the one you recommended.