Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Feb 7, 2010 3:31 PM
Joined: Aug 17, 2009
Points: 542
I will try to keep this short, as I have not finished my experimentation.

I have been experimenting with mattress topper's. I have a FloBeds all natural latex mattress. It sleeps wonderfully for me. I originally put on as a topper, or cover if you prefer, my old left over from my waterbed days very thin cotton protective cover. I had no problems with it sleeping hot. But I decided since it was wearing out to try out a new thicker all cotton cover. I made the mistake of not washing this new cotton cover and then stretching it too tightly over the mattress. This was uncomfortable. It firmed up the sleeping experience to a much greater degree than I thought possible.

So I decided to try sleeping right on top of the mattress with only a sheet between me and the mattress cover. This felt great at first as it was a softer experience. Then one night when it was quite cold I turned up the heat on our furnace. I normally sleep in a bedroom that is 69 to 71°F. This night the temperature got up to 74°. I woke up in the middle of the night with the bed feeling quite hot. I turned the temperature back down and this corrected the problem. But I decided to put back on the old mattress cover, or protective topper if you prefer to call it that. This put everything back the way it was originally.... quite comfortable. I was going to wait and make this report after I once again tried the new mattress topper that is 100% cotton, since I have washed it and we'll put it back on without stretching it tightly over the mattress. I'm hoping this will work. But if not I will go shopping to replace my old wore out cover with something as similar as I can find.

The point to all this rhetoric is the fact that a lot of folks are having some kind of difficulty finding a comfortable configuration vis-à-vis beds sleeping too hot or being too soft,or being too hard. What I'm finding is that the cover we sleep on, what it's made out of, how thick it is, and how tightly it is stretch over the mattress can make a great deal of difference in the way the bed feels to us. It's a very interesting conundrum.

The beat goes on!
This message was modified Feb 7, 2010 by eagle2
Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #1 Feb 7, 2010 4:10 PM
Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Points: 850
it certainly is amazing (especially with a latex mattress) how much the cover can effect the comfort.  the very best mattress pad I have ever carried is actually made with an organic jersey stretch knit.  its thin, but just thick enough to keep dead skin and oil from accumulating over time,  but because it stretches, it moves freely with the rubber cores of the mattress.  it's also pricey being a little over 350 for a queen size protector but it is incredible.  when it comes to heat you can take even the worst offending beds and make them very comfortable from a heat perspective. 

even a Tempur-Pedic doesn't sleep hot if you use a wool or cotton filled pad, and with a light weight silk duvet.  Sheets as well, a light airy lower strand count cotton sheet, or even better real linen sheets are the coolest sleeping you can possibly get.
Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #2 Feb 7, 2010 5:53 PM
Joined: Aug 21, 2009
Points: 486
Budgy, can you tell us more about that mattress pad, e.g. brand?
Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #3 Feb 7, 2010 6:28 PM
Joined: Oct 15, 2009
Points: 966
Yes Budgy, anything that minimize the heat buildup I would be interested in.  I have tried a number of things, and nothing made a huge difference.  I have never tried silk or a thick wool pad (I did have the Flobed wool cover and a wool filled Natura mattress pad).  It seems to me that body contact will start to warm up about any surface, approaching body temperature of 98.6. 
Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #4 Feb 7, 2010 6:44 PM
Joined: May 3, 2008
Points: 827
For $350 I think I will sleep hot!
Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #5 Feb 7, 2010 7:05 PM
Joined: Aug 17, 2009
Points: 542
Leo3 wrote:
For $350 I think I will sleep hot!

$350 is way too much for me to pay for a mattress topper. I don't care what it's made out of. Although it would be good to know what this one is actually constructed of.

However, having said that, if it were the only answer to tossing and turning all night and not being able to get more than 15 to 30 minutes sleep at a time, then....... well may be,..... $350 might be a good deal.
Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #6 Feb 7, 2010 8:42 PM
Joined: Aug 17, 2009
Points: 542
I want to emphasize again that my problem arose because I allowed the room that I sleep in to get too warm!

As I stated in the opening post, I turned the temperature down in the room and the problem went away!

I am quite curious to find out what this will feel like come summertime. Where I live the temperature can get very hot in July and August. I am counting on our air conditioner to keep the room quite comfortable therefore I do not anticipate having any kind of a problem. Time will tell.

But I think it is best for the longevity of the mattress cover to keep some kind of a topper on it. The thinner the better, and I am assuming, at this point in time, based upon my limited experience, that either cotton or wool is the best material for this topper.
Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #7 Feb 7, 2010 9:54 PM
Joined: Oct 15, 2009
Points: 966
Yes Eagle, I think your problem was the room temperature and the mattress cover probably had little to do with it.    The only way to test for sure would be to leaver the room normal temerature without the mattress cover and see if it get too hot.

I would pay $350 to never get hot at night under normal temperatures.  I am skeptical of any miracle cures at this point.

Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #8 Feb 7, 2010 11:29 PM
Joined: Dec 17, 2009
Points: 850
the cover is made by Green Sleep.  I assure you although 350 is a pretty high price it is unlike any mattress protector you have likely ever seen.  although i personally like it more than any other more so from the flexability and comfort of it.  if you are sleeping HOT, then you should really look at a silk filled duvet, its basically just for people that sleep so hot they would rather have nothing over them, but are not comfortable without some weight on top of them.  there is not one person I haven't been able to correct the heat issues associated with Tempur Pedics with a good natural fill mattress pad and/or silk duvet. 

Actually we just had a long term customer today come back and get some bedding from us, and he was absolutely raving about the silk duvet he got from us a year ago.  He sleeps on a Tempur and found it quite hot originally.  He is now such a believer in the bed clothing making such a huge difference he is basically changing everything over to highly  breathable items to complete his setup.
Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #9 Feb 7, 2010 11:29 PM
Joined: Aug 17, 2009
Points: 542
Sandman: I believe that those of us who enjoy a latex mattress must be very careful about what we put on top of it. If we want the benefits of latex, (I.E. it's not too soft and not too hard feel that lasts over time and doesn't need to be flipped) then we need to stay close to its surface. But at the same time I don't think very many people who have slept on latex would support a contention that body heat build up does not matter. It does matter. Some people find it more irritating than others, but I have felt it and it is uncomfortable.

Therefore, some kind of medium needs to be between the sleeper and the mattress that will allow air circulation. My FloBeds has an excellent mattress cover with about an inch of wool sewn into it. And if my room is kept cool then I can sleep directly on the mattress cover. But let the heat in the room exceed approximately 72- 73°F and it can become uncomfortable. Therefore I need a very thin cotton stuffed mattress topper. I am looking forward to trying out the new thicker cover when I change the sheets the next time. I will report back on my experience.
This message was modified Feb 7, 2010 by eagle2
Re: Latex mattresses sleeping too hot..... or whatever!
Reply #10 Feb 7, 2010 11:56 PM
Joined: Oct 15, 2009
Points: 966
Budgy, just so I am clear.  You are suggesting something like a wool filled cotton covered mattress pad over the mattress and a silk comforter/duvet above the sleeper.  I have tried wool over latex (the Flobed came with a wool filled cover and I had a Natura wool filled cotton mattress pad (not that thick though)).  That alone was still too warm for me at times.  I have not tried any silk.

I have also seen a few sillk filled mattress pads, so maybe that would be an alternative to wool.  Any other good choices besides wool, cotton, silk on top of the mattress?

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