Tempurpedic Mattresses, generically known as Memory Foam, are
becoming more popular every day. However, with all the different
choices and prices of foam on the market, the consumer should
know about the major differences between these products before
paying a major amount of money for a bed they will be sleeping
on for many years. It adapts to the contours of the body much
better than an innerspring mattress. Each person has different
preferences due to weight and sleeping habits. The best thing to
do is to visit your local bed store and try laying down on a few
different models. (When the sales staff have to wake you up, you
know you've found the right brand.)
The importance of a good night's sleep can't be overstated.
No-one functions well on lack of sleep. The majority of people
in the western world are sleep-deprived, and sleep deprivation
is a significant cause of accidents. Remember the Exxon Valdez?
That accident took place in the early hours of the morning, and
industrial accidents peak on the midnight shift. Students who
are sleep-deprived learn poorly. Chronic sleep deprivation
affects the appetite centers of the brain, causing overeating
and subsequent obesity. Any bed system conducive to a deeper,
more restful sleep improves your quality of life.
There are several advantages to memory foam over a conventional
mattress: it's hypoallergenic, molds to fit anyone's body, and
provides some insulation on cold nights so you need fewer heavy,
dusty blankets and comforters. All the pressure points that
cause discomfort, and subsequent tossing and turning, are
eliminated.
Tempurpedic is the brand name of the pioneer of memory foam, a
company in Sweden. It's the top-of-the-line product, but
expensive, and there are dozens of cheaper competing brands,
some made in America, some in China or other countries. HOWEVER,
be warned: not all memory foam products are alike, as with any
merchandise, you tend to get what you pay for, both in quality
and longevity.
Memory foam is visco-elastic, and it responds to temperature
changes much as bubble gum does. Good quality memory foam has a
wide range of temperature responsiveness, but some of the
cheaper brands can become as hard as wood if you let the bedroom
go below 60 degrees. Eventually, as you change position the foam
warms up and responds to your body shape, but this can take a
few minutes, during which time you will be uncomfortable and may
wake up. And cheaper brands may become too soft on hot summer
nights, offering no support. Better brands of memory foam, such
as Sensus and Temperpedic, specifically state their consistent
performance through a wide temperature range.
Another issue is the longevity of the memory foam before it
finally breaks down and loses its springiness. Better memory
foams offer longer guarantees, 20 years, whereas the cheaper
brands offer 10 years.
So, in summary, you don't have to buy the most expensive
product, but don't buy the cheapest either. You'll spend many
nights regretting your decision. A few hundred dollars extra
isn't really a lot when spread out over decades of memory foam
mattress use.
As well as differences in quality, there are also differences in
memory foam mattress construction. Mattresses can have either 3
or 4 inches of memory foam over a denser supportive core, and
more is not always better, because if the top layer of memory
foam is too thick, you'll sink in quite far before hitting the
supporting layer underneath. Stomach sleepers should buy 2 inch
foam, side sleepers and medium sized people should purchase
mattresses with 3 inch memory foam, very large people or back
sleepers should buy the 4 inch.
The base of the bed can vary as well. Some models feature loose
sheets of foam of different firmness levels that can be arranged
to the sleeper's personal taste, others are laminated together.
Also, man-made (petrochemical foam products) are about 1/3 the
cost of natural latex. People who are sensitive to out-gassing
of man-made products should consider a natural product.
Are you looking for help to sleep but don't want
to spend out on a new mattress? Is the new mattress
you bought recently harder and therefore not as
comfortable as you hoped it would be?...
