Hello everyone,

I've been up since about 5am today, due to the usual inability to stay asleep. This has been going on for years. I've had a sleep study done (no apnea), make sure I'm in bed by 11pm every night, etc. I have no problem falling asleep but I wake up at least 10 times a night to reposition myself because my arm / shoulder or hips are falling asleep or aching. Yes, 10 times, minimum, wide awake, staring at the ceiling. My health and well being is deteriorating and I have a strong feeling it is due to my sleep issues.

Today I just decided to stay awake and try to dig around for what it is that is keeping me from sleeping. I didn't think it could be my mattress. I've got a relatively new Bergad/Isoform Luna bed... about 6 months old now. Prior to this I had a classic Bergad Isoform bed for about 6 years. I've had these sleep problems for just about as many years and never put 2+2 together! I'm excited to read about latex toppers and how they can potentially alleviate the type of problems I'm having as a side sleeper!! I was just about ready to chuck this mattress and buy a very soft pillow top mattress... 

I'm 5'11, 200lbs, athletic build.

I'm thinking of buying a 2" 32 ILD talatay pad but would like some input from someone with experience. Is this soft enough to give me the circulation I need? Is this thick enough?

Jasondub,

I am very impressed with the feedback you have received from this group.  I believe they are pretty much spot on!  I also agree that 32 ILD will be too firm to use as a topper.  However, you may want to add a softer one of maybe in the mid twenties on top of your 32 ILD.  Yes I am saying add to your 32 ILD.  the reason is you are good size and since you are of athletic build I think you will benifit from the increasing firmness and support.  One more thing - I think you will find that 3" (Two of mid 20"s and the 32 you have now.) will be dramatically more comfortable for your shoulders.  I know this gets exspensive real quick so if you can increase thickness an inch at a time - assuming this is a cheaper way to go.  I would however suggest the ligher ILD on top of the firmer ILD - you seem as you are pretty solid so you you might be suprised and pleased with the results.  By the way, the firmer pillow is a very good idea - amazing how much strain a head tourqing down can strain on a shoulder joint!

 

Gunman

I get nightmares if any part of me gets uncovered (exposed to air) during the night. 

Yes, good luck Jason; I know the feeling of long sleep deprivation. For over a year I had a Comfortaire (like sleep number) that pinched my arms/shoulders unmercifully (side sleeper) no matter what I did or what expensive toppers I tried. I was, like you, waking up constantly all night long, every night. Finally got rid of it about a month ago and sleeping better (not great, but better) on a regular innerspring beautyrest w/ no pillowtop.  (Still working on the right mattress pad though).

Phoenix wrote:

 

Thanks for the reply. I totally missed your first post asking what could be preventing the foam from melting! I think I skimmed by it and being on a few hours of broken sleep I can barely comprehend anything today.

All I had on top of my mattress was a fitted sheet and some old generic cotton pad. I just took the cotton pad off and now have the sheet directly over the mattress (it has a "cooling" zip cover). I wonder if that cotton pad (or whatever it is), probably a 1/8" thick, very smashed and old, was preventing me from actually feeling / melting the memory foam. The sheet I was using was also very thick, 1200 thread count I believe. This combination was probably a bad one. I've got a thin sheet on there now.

I toss and turn all night long because my shoulders start killing me. Circulation feels cut off to where my shoulder or arm begins to get tingly and numb or achy, more so achy. My left shoulder is worse than the other, even during the day now... primarily the side I feel most comfortable sleeping on.

Thanks again for the advice... I'll be digging around the site a lot more for some knowledge!

The cotton pad and sheet is probably having only a minor effect on the memory foam but let us know what if any difference you noticed with the changes you made.

Phoenix

Well, after taking the pad off and using a thinner sheet, the bed does feel softer and a bit more comfortable. 

I did add a new pillow. The rejuvinte restora latex pillow. This seemed to help quite a bit to be honest! Even when my head was on the pillow and my arm was underneath, it didn't seem to have that "crushing" pressure like every one of my other pillows allows. My arm didn't fall asleep or lose circulation... no aches this morning either.

I still woke up a few times to readjust and go to the bathroom, but only 4-5 times (1x for the bathroom), which is a significant improvement!! I can typically keep from going to the bathroom at night by taking a calcium / magnesium supplement during the day along with my ZMA stack at night, I just forgot to take them yesterday.

 

It's early, so I won't get too excited yet. Looks like I'm on the right track!

So far so good :)

Next step lets see what happens with the 1" latex topper. Keep us up to date on how you sleep in the next few days.

Phoenix

jasondub wrote:

Jason, your nightmares-on-back and getting up to use the restroom during the night have me wondering about your sleep study results...they were negative for apnea?

Angel wrote:

Yup, no apnea at all. My girlfriend says I don't snore or wake up gasping for air either.

do you receive you latex topper yet?  and how does it feel to you?

Just following up. I received the latex topper last week and have been using it for just as long. It actually feels pretty nice, it's about the same firmness as the softest foam layer of my isoform luna mattress... maybe just a little firmer. Overall I've been sleeping pretty decent. I'm still not 100% sure whether it is the latex topper or the rejuvinate pillow that is the most beneficial. I'll update again in about a week!