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Hi. Got a Simmons BackGuard last week after returning an NXG 250 Firm which turned out to be both too soft and too hard at the same time (butt sank too much, back was pulling while shoulders were in pain and arms went numb). The BackGuard has zones (thinner coils under hips and shoulders and very firm for lumbar support) that I can distinguished with my ribs when I lay on my side after a minute or so (I weigh 250 lbs). Every morning, I wake up in pain (shoulders, ribs, back) so I'm looking for a topper but don't want to go overbaord to avoid making it too soft. Budget is limited so I'm leaning toward Foambymail latex topper. Don't know if I should go for 20 or 32 ILD. Any advice? Also, does anybody know how bad will their topper smell? How long before it dissipates? This message was modified Dec 7, 2010 by ZZZZ
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There is no doubt in my mind (with the limited testing we were able to do with the materials you have) that YES your mattress is both too soft and too hard although it is a little more than just ILD as well. I also have no doubt that the materials you have in any combination will not be suitable and we have gained about as much information from using them in different combinations as we can. I would just use them as best you can for now until you are able to take the next step which is when we can actually move towards fixing the "issues". It sounds like it been quite a journey for you but at least now I would have some hope that you can make some real improvements. Phoenix This message was modified Dec 7, 2010 by Phoenix
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Just went through another miserable short night and long, painful day. Picked up a used futon sofa for 150$ that I put in the basement. It's about 10 years old, but it's quite clean. Just tried it for one hour and although it's still too firm to be comfortable, it feels straighter and slightly softer than my new Beautyrest, with 3 inches of foam on top. Will give it a try tonight. It can't be a long term solution (too narrow to sleep in any position other than my side and too short to spread my legs completely) but I'm curious to see how my back will feel tomorrow. Got my complete radiology report today and found out I have sacralization of the L5, a transitional vertebra at the lumbo-sacral and degenerative retrolisthesis at L4-L5. I now realize I have no choice but either get a 3 inches topper or get a new bed, once again. Phoenix, do you think that a 3 inches of latex topper would feel straighter and sag less in the middle than my actual setup? Is it worth trying or should I just invest more and get a new bed altogether? I'd hate to spend 400$ on a topper that I can't return and find out that it doesn't work. |
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There is no doubt in my mind that you will need a thicker topper. 3" may not be enough by itself but with what you have you would still be able to "adjust" it in increments which is why I believe 3" would be best. A 1" adjustment with known and appropriate materials can sometimes make a huge difference. In other cases it could make very little. Putting all the layers you have on the futon would also give some valuable feedback as this would be ... or should be ... different from your mattress. I am still "very aware" of he affect that the foam on top of your mattress may be having on your results and I do believe that it is a total of 1 3/8 inches which is certainly enough to make a difference in alignment ... and perhaps even support issues ... for someone as sensitive as you are. The futon with no foam may help refine things a bit ... even though the layers you have are really not enough and are somewhat unknown. I would put the layers on the futon in the order of softness (softest on top). I am really sorry to hear about all your diagnoses ... even though you already knew there were some issues there. I am hopeful that fixing your mattress will make your journey back a little easier. Before you order, I would check to see if you can get an appropriate topper from somewhere that would allow you to exchange it at a very reasonable cost. While I am guessing that around 24 would be the best only because heavier weights create a perception of softness in slightly firmer materials, the layers we have been using for testing make it really difficult to know for sure. If it can be ordered with an "exchange" then the expense would be well worth the relief it can provide. Phoenix This message was modified Dec 8, 2010 by Phoenix
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Turns out my tender half had decided to wash the covers of the futon (you can unzip them) late last night, so I had to wait for them to dry. Meanwhile, I tried another experiment: remove the cover of the Ikea pillow top to see if using its foam uncovered would feel any different. It’s quite a tough foam, not soft all and very resilient. By itself on top on the mattress, it made the bed feel a little harder than the bare mattress. I then layered the latex, the egg crate, mattress pad and quilt. Right away, I noticed the bed was much flatter so I guess the cover of the pillowtop, which is loose enough to make the bed sag a little in the middle, was the culprit. One minute later, I had bottomed out to the Ikea foam, which as I said, feels harder than the bed itself. I tried to sleep a couple of hours but I kept being waken up by the pain. I then moved to the basement; put the covers back on and slept the rest of the night on the futon. I still had to toss quite a bit but it was definitely less hard than the bed, even if my shoulders still went numb at times. Today, I still have quite a bit of pain but since I didn’t sleep the whole night on the futon, I’ll give it another try tonight. I may try throwing the egg crate on but since it’s just a narrow sofa, it will probably be awkward to use. |