Bonnie writes:
My husband & I have been searching for 2-3 years for a new Mattress. I have spent at least 6 hrs. or more in the stores lying on them with comfortable clothing, my pillows, and reading material, water and snacks. I go to stay a few hours. I have spent hours & hours On-Line reading & researching. We tried a Natural Latex bed that had a Trial Period of 1 year. After 3 months it kept getting softer(the Top Layer). My husband said it was too soft and I felt it was also for my low back. I am heavy around the hips and they felt like they were sinking into the bed and throwing my lumbar Area out of Alignment. We were looking for a new mattress and still are and the Company did refund our money back and told us just to donate the Bed, which we did. I think the Company was Habitat Furnishings or something similar and they were great to work with. Really nice people and great Company. When I was researching On-Line the Bed looked very similar to what my parents bought about 45 years ago at the Furnishing Mart in Lexington, N.C. Their bed was a "Dream" to sleep on. It was firm but not too firm and supported your back but was not too soft either. Anyway the Habitat Furnishings said they were going to keep the two different kinds of Latex separate since my husband liked his bed firmer, but she did tell me that the bottom layer was hard that it would feel like you were sleeping on the floor and she did not think I could sleep on the bottom part without the top layer and she was correct. But the top layer even got torn places where it was wearing out. It was only about 1 year old so we do not know if the top layer was defective or not.
Six months ago we tried a Tempur-pedic Contour Signature about and the first night I knew it was not going to work. It was thicker than our first Basic Tempur-pedic Bed and we just sank down really deep into it. When my body got as far as it would go it then felt to me that I was laying on a concrete slab. I woke up several times and my pressure points were "screaming" and my whole body felt like someone had thrown me up against a Concrete wall. I felt as if I had been in an accident. While I enjoy being "cradled" I had trouble getting out of the bed and trouble turning (Which hurts my low-back area). I did not say anything to my husband, but when he got up I knew he was having problems as he looked like he had been riding a horse for days. He was having trouble walking up-right. He said after the 1st night he did not think it was going to work and this man never complains. We bought an old latex 2 inch toper & it was a little better but after 3 nights of torment we had to get our neighbor to help my husband move it to the other bedroom so we could use the old bed. I just recently sent my Husband to a Sleep-Number Store in Texas where we live now to talk to a Salesperson. My husband returned with not much more information than I could find On-Line. I sent him because I read somewhere On-Line that a lady with Fibromyalgia bought a Sleep-Number Bed that was terrible and she exchange it for another Style. The salesperson told her that the other Salesperson should not have sold her the first Style with her Fibromyalgia. That she needed another Style and she Loved the Second one and it worked for her. Of course I cannot find that article anymore. But, I could not believe that my husband was told by the Sleep-Number Rep. that we we would have to "walk on it" to break it in and that it would take about 3 months. I cannot go 3 months in extreme pain and no sleep. I am almost "Postal" now with Sleep Deprivation and pain. I have never heard that one before. The last time I went to a Store was about 3 months ago. We spent about 1 1/2 hours looking and trying that day. We finally laid down on a Tempur-pedic that had the Air Mattress. It was not a new one that has the Temperature Gel in it but the Salesperson said it would not be as hot as the Basic One we bought 9 yrs. ago. I do not know if I was exhausted or what but after I adjusted my side(which only took a few minutes) I literally felt my body relaxing and the tension in my body just started melting away - (something I had not felt in a Very, Very Long time). I think I could have gone to sleep if the lights had been off and if the music had not been playing.
SOME HISTORY- The Doctors said They think I have Fibromyalgia, arthritis, insomnia, and I do experience pain in my neck, back, hips, calves ankles, feet and sciatica. When I have flare-ups the pain can go widespread all over my body from my head to my toes. I am in pain 24/7 & currently seeing a Pain Specialist. My husband has had one herniated disk and one back surgery.
I am so very discouraged & even depressed because we cannot seem to find a mattress that fits both of our needs. When trying beds I can usually tell if a bed is way too soft or way too firm after about 10-15 minutes. The ones I like are too soft for my husband and the ones he likes are way too firm for me. The last bed we tried (that I already mentioned) my Number setting & my husband's setting was such a drastic difference, which explains why we cannot decide on a bed. I do not like it softer all the time. If my back it acting up I will go to the very hard twin bed we have set up in the den when people come to visit as I have trouble sitting upright sometimes. But,the twin is so hard I cannot sleep on it for more than 3 hours or I will wake up in pressure point pain all over my body. It is a cheap coil spring bed on a platform that we bought for out Foster Children a long time ago. It is a separated Bunk-Bed. I was thinking we may have to do twin beds like my Grandparents did. I am 55 years old. I am overweight at 235 lbs./ 5ft. 8inches tall and my husband needs to lose a few pounds at 235lbs./6Feet 4 inches.
MORE HISTORY: Years and Years ago Before my physical problems I think we were sleeping on a either Serta Or Sealy Posture-pedic mattress. I called the Local Mattress Co. to replace it and gave them the information on the tag to find out they did not make it anymore. Back then I was lying on the bed a lot during the day because of depression & the Fibromyalgia & it finally after 5 years made a depression in it. We rotated it like we were suppose to. After I wore out my side I would sleep on my husband's side & when he had to go out of town I would sleep in the middle as it felt "Brand New". After not being able to find a Mattress I could sleep on back then for 400.00 to 600.00 (the amount my husband was willing to pay for one). I even checked out a friends Mattress that we slept on and I did not have any problems sleeping on it. It was a Sleep Health, Chiro- 532 Plush, Audrey(Timeless) made in Tenn. We would have to rent a truck and go pick it up ourselves at 639.99 for a King-Set. My husband was not willing to do that as we have to pay for the truck, gas and time to pick it up from N.C.(we were living in N.C. then). He would also have to take Vacation days.
I also looked into the Mattresses made for the Hampton Inn Hotels as I always slept well on those. I think those were about 4000.00 or close to it for a King-Set. My husband was NOT going to pay that much for a mattress. That is when I started to look at the Tempur-pedic 9 years ago. They had a in home 3 month trial and they were not as expensive as the Hampton Inn beds. If we did not like it they would pick it up but they did not tell me before ordering it that the pick-up fee was about 85.00. We could not buy anything Locally with a Trial Period. If you bought it you were stuck with it. So, we tried the very least expensive bed back then to try.
I had a Lumbar Fusion in my Low-Back area and sometime before the 3 months was up on the Tempur-pedic Mattress I felt a slight give around my Lumbar area and would have to change positions several times a night. My husband was okay until the 1 year from buying it. I called them before the 3 months to pick it up during the trial period and my husband freaked out about the pick-up charge & the Company told me to measure the depression and she told me if they came and it was not the amount in the Warrenty the men would not take it and we would still be charged the pick-up fee for them coming out to our house. My husband was very angry but would not call them or deal with them so I did not bring it up anymore and the 3 months went by and we were stuck with it.
So,#1 we started with either a Serta or Sealy Posture-pedic Bed before a Doctor thought I had Fibromyalgia. Then bought the #2 Basic Tempur-pedic 9 years ago(did not even last 5 years).But for the first month or two I slept about 10-12 hr.s a night, woke-up refreshed, my husband did not wake me up moving in bed or getting out of bed. I did like the cocoon feel. I liked the firmer feel of it in our colder winters but felt too soft in our warmer summers.(I wanted the Hampton Inn Bed) but my husband was not going to spend that much. Too expensive for not lasting 5 years. #3 Latex Brand Bed- from Habitat Furnishings-got softer and softer. #4- Tried Tempur-pedic Contour Signature. Too thick. Set off the Fibromyalgia Flare-Up in me and set both of our backs out. In between all of this we did buy 2 different separated Coil Mattresses that I could not sleep on that we ended up giving away and wasted our money which my husband gets so angry.
And Now we do not know what to do? Should we try the other Tempur-pedic Air Mattress? We still have 6 months at this one place to try any of their mattresses. If we cannot find anything they will give us out money back except for the pick-up fee. I do not know too many Companies that will let you try their Mattress for a year and still give you all of your money back except the pick-up fee.
One Mattress Rep. did figure out what would take some of the pressure off of my lower Lumbar area that no one has figured out yet. He tried me on a Bed that would raise the head of it ever so slightly. It was only about 2 inches. The pressure in my Low-Back disappeared. Even thought it would also help my reflux at night my husband has put his foot down and said we cannot afford it. So, I guess I can get a Doctor to write a Prescription for a Wedge. I had one before and use it for about a year or so and took it off after I lost a lot of weight. We keep sliding down to the foot of the bed.
My husband seems to have recover from his operation okay but he never learned to take care of his back on a daily basis (Using Good Body Movements, Proper way to move heavy objects(I still catch him pulling & yanking at something instead of pushing it). He can get it aggravated a lot. The Neurosurgeon told us about a very good Stretching Book that I did purchase and it is very excellent. John also is in a Job that is hard on a back. Sitting in a chair/desk/at a computer and in a car was a lot of things the Surgeon said would aggravate a back. The book has stretching exercises to do for everything even gardening & golfing etc. before, during and after. John does not do them. What can I say? You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink.
Oh, almost forgot. The Neurosurgeon said both of us had Degenerative Disk Disease. It was so long ago I cannot honestly remember if he said we had it then or that as we got older he thought we may suffer from it. I must have had a back prone to Injury as I had 3 Herniated Disks at the same place L5S1. I was the one that had the Lumbar Fusion because I thought that would fix everything but it made things a lot worse as Scar Tissue grew around the nerves in my back.
The soft Layer of Latex on the Bed from Habitat Furnishings was only 2 inches thick. I sleep on the edge of an old bed as it is so soft I feel as if I am rolling backwards. I have been telling my husband to put me in a Hotel for about a week so I can get a good nights sleep & let my back have some recovery time.
So, if you have any suggestions that would be great.
Sincerely, "At my wits End"! Bonnie
Hi Bonnie,
There was a lot to read an digest. In fact, I had to read it a couple of times.
You've accumulated a tremendous amount of bad information...mis-information designed to "sell".
It's difficult to buy a mattress today, that will hold up under average body weight. They, simply, aren't made all that well...right across the board.
About 10 years ago, mattresses went from being two-sided to being made only one-sided. So, right off the bat, you have half the mattress you used to be able to buy.
Over these past 10 years, the over-all quality has further diminished...using more and more memory foam....and pushing pillowtop models.
The reason for this is simple...MONEY. In fact, when you look at all the problems in our country and in the world, as a whole, the reason is money. Specifically, a small group of people who have amassed enough power to be able to gather unto themselves, a much greater share of the wealth.
The same scenario has also played out in the mattress industry. Instead of making a product that lasts between 10 and 20 years, they make a product that lasts only a few years...which enables them to sell a whole lot more mattresses than ever before. It's a real boon for the manufacturers and retailers. And, like any and every other game that's played by greedy people, there must be losers to balance out the ledger. The losers are the consumers....spending more and more money on increasingly crappier products.
You, like the vast majority of people in this country, follow the hype. You believe the advertising, the sales pitches at the stores and buy accordingly. The result is what you and countless others have experienced...a totally unsatisfactory buying experience that is more than just a financial drain, but also resulting in painfully sleepless nights.
A mattress, being an upholstered product, is pressure sensitive. That is to say, the more weight, (pressure), you place upon it, the faster it will wear and lose its shape, comfort and support.
But still, there's more to it. There's the complication of physical ailments that need to be addressed when buying a mattress. The right mattress helps to alleviate pain and discomfort, while the wrong mattress will make matters worse. And what you face in shopping at most stores, is a floor full of the wrong mattresses. They simply aren't made to offer proper spinal support. And, what they use for comfort, (memory foam andpillowtops), provide comfort that lasts only a very short time, while seducing you with their initial comfort.
This makes what you've been doing a monumental waste of time and money with the only person suffering is you, while enriching the retailers and manufacturers.
And, as complex and confusing as the industry has made buying a mattress, it really is a fairly simple process if you don't buy into what they're selling.
Your body needs two things...firm support for your back and a comfortable sleeping surface for the rest of you...providing pressure point relief, muscular relaxation and relief of blood flow.
In trying a mattress in a store, you might think the the mattress you're trying feels like it provides all that. Between that and the salesman telling you everything you need to hear to make the sale, you buy with confidence. A few months later, you find that the mattress has changed. You are no longer comfortable. Your spine is no longer properly aligned. The padding has compressed and the outside of your body feels the pressure points....all resulting in pain.
Not knowing any other way to go about this, you start the process all over again...and, with the same result, time after time.
What doesn't help any, is the comfort guarantees. You should be weary of this ploy, as they sucker you in. But with only lousy products from which to choose, you never get the right mattress.
Know too, that the manufacturers do not take mattress back for that reason. Stores offering exchanges often return them to stock and sell them to the next customer.
This means that you could, very likely, end up with a mattress that someone else had slept on and returned. It happens all the time. Doesn't sound so good anymore, does it?!
While the stores are busy selling worthless mattresses to unsuspecting consumers, we provide a haven...a place you can go to buy high quality products, using high quality materials, designed to provide to you a sleep system that gives your body everything it needs...purchased once...sleeping well and reasonably pain free...and lasting a good 10 years.
Even the best of materials won't fix what's broken in your body, but it will reduce the inflammation so that your body can heal itself.
In cases like yours, where you have continually fed your damaged body the wrong mattress, it will take a little time for your body to adjust to being properly supported and relaxed.
After so much damage and so much time sleeping on the wrong mattress, you can't expect immediate results. Even with the right sleep system, it will likely take a week or two for your spine to get used to being properly aligned and for your muscles to relax. Pressure point and blood flow relief, however, should be felt immediately.
There is nothing that compares to the comfort and durability of all-natural latex foam rubber. It has been the best material available since the 1920s.
My wife and I, both in the 220 pound range, use a 2" soft Talalay latex topper to soften the surface of our mattress. The topper is now 5 years old and still in like new condition.
I don't know what kind of latex topper you bought, but it sounds like you did not experience the same results. What we are using at home is the best available. It is also what we offer on our website. There are a wide variety of latex foams available and a wide variety of qualities to go along with them.
For pressure point relief, muscle relaxation and relief of blood flow, there is not now, or has been for the past 90 years, anything nearly as good as all-natural top quality latex.
Your body weight demands that the mattress be a strong one. It's a matter of simple physics. Someone who is 230 pounds, must have a stronger mattress than someone who is 115 pounds.
We have had available, for the past 5 years, two-sided mattresses that are very strong.
I went in search of a manufacturer who would be willing to make high quality two-sided mattresses. This, after receiving countless emails and phone calls asking for it.
None of the, so-called, name brands were willing to give up the one-sided goose that is laying the golden eggs.
Finally, I came across the people at Therapedic...who were not only willing to do so, but gracious enough to allow me to engineer them. After 9 months of back and forth to and from the factory, we gave birth to four models.
The Keepsake Cameo models use the same coil system as the Posturepedics, which have proven its value of quality over the last quarter century. The plush model Cameo is comfortable on its own, without the need for a latex topper. It was the first to be field tested and we did so under a 300 + lb. female. Flipped and rotated as I instructed her, the mattress is in like new condition, these 5+ years later. This ideal for anyone weighing up to 300 pounds.
When at the factory, I noticed they had something that I wasn't aware existed...a tufting station...a machine that hold and squeezes the mattress, while a worker using a specialized denizen gun, button tufts the mattress. Button tufting is something that had been done regularly many years ago...a procedure that was dropped because it became too costly due to being so labor intensive. However, a button tufted mattress is much more stable. Cotton pads are used in place of the buttons so that they are not felt by the consumer.
With this, we added the Medi-Coil Permatuft models to our line. They used the larger heavier coils that had been the work horse of the industry since the 1920s, which had still been used by Stearns & Foster until a few years ago. The plush model uses a layer of latex on either side to soften the surface. Even so, these are both firm mattresses, with the firm model being quite hard.
The strength of this mattress with the added stability of the tufting, make it an ideal choice for heavy people, with my heaviest customers using it, topping 500 pounds.
In the 5 years these mattresses have been on the market, I've received not one...that's "Zero" complaints.
All of these mattresses have No Memory Foam and No Pillowtops.
There is nowhere to try them, not that does you any good these days. However, they are the only mattresses that will hold most people for any real length of time. What's more, they retain their shape and support over many years....unlike the crappy memory foam and pillowtop mattresses that flood the sales floors.
What your bodies will not tolerate is an all foam mattress...with memory foam being the worst of them and latex being the best. With the combination of your back problems and body weights, you must have the more rigid support of an innerspring mattress. The air mattress you're considering will not work for you either, as it provides nothing in the way of push back support.
Air mattresses, like the old water beds, rely on displacement...which is terrible support for anyone with a back problem of any type.
It is the two-sided Therapedic Medi-Coil Permatuft Plush model that I recommend for you. At your weights, we recommend a combination of latex toppers. Each topper only 1.5" thick for a total of 3". They would be the 1.5" Soft Talalay used under the 1.5" Dunlop. Together, they provide all the support, comfort and durability you need.
When, and if, your husband balks at the price, be sure to tell him that this will be the last mattress you buy for quite some time.
They are the absolute best innerspring mattresses you can buy anywhere.
Here are the links to those products. Delivery is free and there's no sales tax.
Also, walking 30 minutes a day, along with deep tissue body massages, are known to relieve the pain of fibromyalgia.
Thanks, Pete
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