Re: Want to hear from foam experts with bad backs.... - cloud9
Jan 27, 2008 12:41 AM
Jim, if you're game for a little more experimentation you might try some mattress surgery on that Sealy. Since you are planning on tossing it you haven't got much to lose by removing the top and replacing just the foam. You probably have a perfectly good innerspring inside. Like most S-brand mattresses today the low density PU foam over the springs has compressed and sagged. Many people with lower back pain do better on an innerspring mattress than all foam because the springs provide the rigid support their lumbar spine needs.
Sounds like you have lots of foam to play around with so you may not even need to buy any more. Keep the fiber mat over the springs and just take out the PU foam. Try building the mattress up in thin layers with the firmest foam on the bottom. Try the firm HR foam you already have on the bottom...
Re: Want to hear from foam experts with bad backs.... - BeddyBye
Jan 28, 2008 9:12 PM
I read here where someone sliced the top off their mattress and then added their own foams or latex. But it had a pillow top. I imagine you can do the same thing. Try to do a search and see if you can locate the post.
Thanks for the info BeddyBye, that answers a lot of questions. I thought maybe I needed a lot more foam over the springs. If all I need is a thin layer of hard HD foam, that is cheap and easy to get! Then I already have 2 layers of 1" 24? ILD Talalay to play with and some memory foam. So all I need to do is buy a layer of harder latex - I think I'll try to get a natural latex since I have always found Talalay to be a weird feeling to lay on. I...
Re: Want to hear from foam experts with bad backs.... - BeddyBye
Jan 27, 2008 8:21 PM
Cloud9 gave you an excellent suggestion, jimsocal. But, like she said, you definitely will need a firm HR layer of PU foam as a base over the springs. Maybe about 3/4". Then maybe a medium 1" layer of medium ILD talalay latex (around 32-36 ILD.) Or a firmer piece (44 ILD), depending on your needs. And, you could top that with another 1" of a softer ILD latex or even memory foam, depending on the "feel" you want. I happen to have about 3 inches total of latex and PU foam on top of coils in zippered cover over a matching foundation. The sacroiliac pain is unrelated to my mattress as it turns out, but at the same time, if it's not comfortable, it will exacerbate the pain. So, I'm still trying to find a good match for my back.
I recently took off all the toppers I had. There...
Re: Okay foam experts, I'm looking for specific ideas now... - mccldwll
Jan 30, 2008 2:42 AM
"In fact the resilency of Talalay could be aggravating the nerve endings in your back and contributing to your pain. I had that very thing happen to me when I tried to sleep on a Talalay latex mattress."
There is no way 2" of soft talalay is doing anything other than cushioning, and adding to the overall softness and depth (which allows the hips to sink even further relative to the shoulders, kinking the spine, and exacerbating your nerve problem). Dunlop may work better for support, but zoning really is the answer (or go firm with a lumbar pad, and learn to sleep on your back).
Before cutting, try some folding/layering/zoning. Standing at attention, have spouse take a magic marker and yardstick and draw a line of dots down spine from neck to tailbone. Then lie on mattress and take a few deep breaths (you want to sink as much as...
Re: Okay foam experts, I'm looking for specific ideas now... - jimsocal
Jan 30, 2008 1:00 PM
Jim, looks like we moved to your back pain thread. My first impression is that you have WAY too much foam on your mattress, and way too much soft foam, which is probably contributing to your back pain. I don't recommend memory foam any thicker than 2" because of the hammocking factor. To top that off you have 2" of soft latex over that! 5" of very soft non-supportive foam. Ouch! No wonder your back is killing you after a few hours.
Since your mattress is sagging all by itself, I think you should attempt the mattress surgery approach and go from there. Also, because you have the additional problem of neck and shoulder pain you may really need to zone your mattress reconstruction. Softer in the shoulders and firmer for your hips. I'm not convinced one size will fit all for you.
Be aware that Talalay is...
Re: Want to hear from foam experts with bad backs.... - jimsocal
Jan 28, 2008 8:55 AM
Thanks for the info BeddyBye, that answers a lot of questions. I thought maybe I needed a lot more foam over the springs. If all I need is a thin layer of hard HD foam, that is cheap and easy to get! Then I already have 2 layers of 1" 24? ILD Talalay to play with and some memory foam. So all I need to do is buy a layer of harder latex - I think I'll try to get a natural latex since I have always found Talalay to be a weird feeling to lay on. I seem to recall the natural latex having a better feel.
As to putting the memory foam under a layer of latex, or HD foam, I'll be curious to hear if this works for you. I think I have tried it before and as I recall what it does, is it just makes the...
Okay foam experts, I'm looking for specific ideas now... - jimsocal
Jan 27, 2008 8:07 PM
Here's the deal:
We have 2 twin Sealys side by side due to my wife moving around a lot during sleep (restless leg syndrome) and me being a light sleeper. This way her bouncing around doesn't wake me up. For now we're going to focus on my bed and leave her's alone. We just fixed her up with a 4" memory foam we had laying around on top of the box springs, covered by a 1.5" memory foam topper. Seems to be working for her, at least for now. The 4 year old CostCo Sealy was giving us both lower back aches.
So for me, what do I do?
I have arms that get stiff and tingly at night. No one knows for sure what it is; I'm still looking into it and seeing a doctor again this week. I am fairly sure it's something called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome which has to do...
Re: Want to hear from foam experts with bad backs.... - jimsocal
Jan 27, 2008 6:56 PM
Jim, if you're game for a little more experimentation you might try some mattress surgery on that Sealy. Since you are planning on tossing it you haven't got much to lose by removing the top and replacing just the foam. You probably have a perfectly good innerspring inside. Like most S-brand mattresses today the low density PU foam over the springs has compressed and sagged. Many people with lower back pain do better on an innerspring mattress than all foam because the springs provide the rigid support their lumbar spine needs.
Sounds like you have lots of foam to play around with so you may not even need to buy any more. Keep the fiber mat over the springs and just take out the PU foam. Try building the mattress up in thin layers with the firmest foam on the bottom. Try the firm HR foam you already...
Re: Want to hear from foam experts with bad backs.... - jimsocal
Jan 27, 2008 6:51 PM
I have right sided Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction and I wonder if I'm ever going to find a comfortable mattress for my back at this point. I'm going to keep trying, though! That's why this forum is so great. I enjoy the ideas and tips. And, maybe one of these days I'll find the perfect match for my back. In the meantime, I'm going to look into seeing a physical therapist.
Nice to "meet" you, BeddyBye, sounds like we are in a similar boat.
I just keep trying to find the solution to my back /neck /arms problem AND find a more comfortable sleep system for myself. Now that our old Sealy has officially "died" (too much sagging) I am back here getting ideas for foam experimentation!...
Re: Latex topper on traditional spring mattress - jimsocal
Jan 27, 2008 6:36 PM
"In any case even if it's just the foam layer sagging on the mattress, placing a latex topper over it is only going to excentuate the sagging."
This thread is not about putting a latex topper over a sagging mattress. It's about a latex topper over a coil support system instead of over a latex support system, and how long the coil system will last. In such case, not only would the latex topper not accentuate the sagging since the latex would better distribute the loads, it would help prevent sagging in the first place. However, you would need to start out with a minimally padded coil mattress.
Further, while it is generally assumed that putting a latex topper over a sagging coil mattress won't help (like putting lipstick on a pig) that's not really true. While a uniform ILD topper won't work (think Princess and the...
