Related to Sleep Disorders Memory Foam: Pros and Cons Considering a memory foam mattress or similar product? Read what sleep experts say about it. Few things feel as good as a good night's sleep. That's especially true if sleep seems to escape you, night after night after night. If you've heard about memory foam, you may wonder if it could improve the quality of yoursleep. Some people swear by it. Others are less enthusiastic. What exactly is memory foam? And what are its pros and cons? Here's information to help you decide whether memory foam is worth a try. What Is Memory Foam? First designed in the mid-1960s for NASA airplane seats, memory foam is made from a substance called viscoelastic. It is both highly energy absorbent and soft. Memory foam molds to the body in response to heat and pressure, evenly distributing body weight. It then returns to its original shape once you remove the pressure. In addition to protecting against impact, these properties make memory foam very comfortable.
After its "virgin flight" for NASA, memory foam made a foray into other applications. For example, it was used as cushioning in helmets and shoes. Medicine found a use for it in prosthetics and products to prevent pressure ulcers such as seating pads for people who are severely disabled. Then, memory foam really took off. It's now well known for its use in pillows, mattress pads, and mattresses, which come in different densities and depths. What Are the Benefits of Memory Foam? Could the special properties of memory foam enhance your sleep? Sleep specialist Donna L. Arand, PhD, says that objective studies supporting the claimed benefits of memory foam -- or the effects of any particular type of sleeping surface -- are lacking. This is true for a variety of reasons, she says. This type of sleep study can be expensive, if conducted independently. Or it is "chased" by a shadow of bias, if supported by industry. Also, some sleep technology, such as memory foam, is relatively new, so it hasn't been well studied.
But perhaps one of the more difficult stumbling blocks to testing the health benefits of mattresses such as memory foam is the subjective nature of sleep. It is simply difficult to measure. Sometimes the brain's electrical activity, measured with an electroencephalogram (EEG), and other findings recorded during a sleep test don't always match up perfectly with a person's subjective experience, says Arand, who is the clinical director of the Kettering Sleep Disorders Center in Dayton, Ohio. "They might say, ‘I had a great night's sleep,' but the EEG parameters might not really indicate that." Sleep is not only subjective, but preferences for sleep surfaces are individual, Arand says. "There's quite a bit of variability between individuals in terms of what type of surface -- whether it's firm, hard, or soft -- they prefer when they're sleeping," she says. "As far as we know, there is no rhyme or reason for that." Many of Arand's patients who use memory foam have offered unsolicited glowing reports like these about memory foam: "I'm sleeping great."
"Best sleep I've ever had." "I love going to bed at night." Arand says these anecdotal responses may be one-sided. That's because she and other staff don't ask all their patients about their sleep surfaces. "We may only be hearing the good stuff," Arand says. Kathy R. Gromer, MD, sleep specialist with the Minnesota Sleep Institute in Minneapolis, agrees that memory foam may improve sleep. "It can, if it relieves painful pressure points," she says. But Gromer adds that memory foam doesn't do anything for sleep apnea or other sleep-breathing disorders -- and sleep disorders are the primary complaint of most her patients. "When you lie on the memory foam, the heat from your body softens it in appropriate points," Arand says, "so this helps to support your body along the curves and natural lines of the body." Memory foam manufacturers claim this helps relieve pain and thereby promotes more restful sleep. And, though consumers often believe that very firm mattresses are best, more "giving" mattresses like these may lead to better sleep in people with back pain, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Although there aren't scientific data to support the hypothesis, Arand wonders whether memory foam sleep surfaces might be especially helpful for older people. For them, minimizing extra movement could reduce the number of times they awaken during the night. Being less aware of a bed partner's movements might be an extra benefit, she adds. "Without the coiled springs, you feel your sleep partner's movement less, and that might help, too." What Are the Disadvantages of Memory Foam? Gromer says that memory foam products may retain body heat, which could make them less comfortable in warm weather. However, Arand has not heard this complaint from her patients. "In our culture, most people can adjust their thermostats or blankets for the appropriate season," Arand says. When new, memory foam can produce an odd chemical smell -- a phenomenon called offgassing. To minimize this problem, the Sleep Products Safety Council, a sleep products trade group, recommends airing out the mattress or pad for at least 24 hours before putting sheets on it.
"If you follow directions, the smell dissipates quickly," Arand says, "But I've never heard of anyone having reactions to it." Are Memory Foam Products Safe for Young Children? "I would strongly recommend avoiding this and similar very soft materials for use in infants' beds," Gromer says. "That's because soft bedding traps [carbon dioxide] and increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) deaths."Caring for Someone with Terminal Cancer By Clare Absher RN, BSN I spent over a year caring for my dear beloved husband suffering with end stage cancer until his death. I have been a practicing RN for over thirty years, which many people say made me exceptionally qualified for the task. I have heard those without caregiving experience wonder how they could possibly care for a loved one with cancer. Although my nursing background adds some obvious insight to the caregiving process, it is by no means a requirement. I have witnessed many rise up to the challenges of caring for someone with terminal cancer, regardless of any former experience.
My focus in this article will be the "hands on" or physical aspects of terminal cancer caregiving. Pain management is your first priority Pain management and the comfort of your sick loved one is always your top priority as a caregiver and all else is secondary. Establish a good rapport with your physician communicating the need to prescribe all medications and combinations necessary to achieve optimal management of pain. Be sure your physician has a clear concise understanding of this priority with no room for disparity or another physician must be considered. You will need pain meds for milder pain and others for more severe along with sleeping meds and anti-anxiety drugs as needed. Pain meds supplies may also need to include different forms or routes of drug administration including oral, topical patches (through skin), sublingual (under the tongue), suppositories, injections and intravenous routes if applicable. Establish a written schedule to document pain meds keeping in mind the importance of maintaining a continuous blood medication level within your loved one.
Make sure to replenish supplies when running low and use medication boxes, egg cartons or whatever means necessary to accurately record all medications and avoid mistakes. Supplement pain management with home therapies Remember to supplement pain medication with tens units, massages, cold and heat therapy. A warm bed bath followed by soothing back rub can relax your loved one enhancing the effect of pain meds. Explore different hot and cold applications with ice packs, heating pads, hot and cold inducing topical ointments and skin patches to augment pain management. Tens units (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) are alternate useful devices to reduce pain that refer to non-invasive low risk nerve stimulation. Oxygen therapy is another consideration that may be prescribed to add to general comfort, allay anxiety and alleviate shortness of breath. Remember to take care of basic human needs Some basic physical needs of your loved one are hydration, nutrition, exercise, rest, skin and mouth care, urinary output and elimination.
Keeping fluids accessible by placing drinks next to loved one's chair or at the bedside is simple yet very practical. Small meals of fresh fruit, smoothies, hot cereal, and comfort soups are usual favorites. Find what foods specifically appeal to your loved one and offer them frequently realizing they are subject to change. Exercise may simply include passive range of motion to legs and arms while in bed, during bathing and assisting on walks to the bathroom. Rest is critical with emphasis on planned quiet periods of time. Keep well-meaning visitors away to avoid interruptions at naptimes. Brushing teeth and tongue or cleaning with moist swabs is vital to alleviate dryness and prevent potential mouth ulcers causing further discomfort. Should mouth ulcers occur request your physician prescribe special mouth rinses to numb mouth pain and aid healing. Frequent massaging of pressure areas to base of neck, lower back and heels and repositioning often in bed using pads, pillows and wedges is vital to avoid possible complications of pain caused by bedsores.
Use alternating air pressure pads, egg crate or memory foam mattress toppers to reduce the high risk of skin breakdown for those with terminal illnesses. Apply heel and elbow padded protectors, or hydrocolloid dressings such as Duoderm to reddened areas on coccyx (tail bone area) and others pressure areas at risk. Monitor bowel movements and urinary output Carefully monitor your loved one's bowel movements and intervene as needed to prevent likely distress from occurring. Be proactive with stool softeners, laxatives and enemas to alleviate constipation caused by immobility and pain meds. Remember that even when your loved one's food intake is limited that a certain amount of bowel movement should still occur. Urinary output needs to be measured also to monitor for "UTIs" (urinary tract infections) that require immediate treatment and other changes in kidney function. Fewer intakes of fluids and food will simply mean less urine output. Should urinary retention become an issue then you will need to discuss catheterizations with your physician.
If urinary incontinence becomes a problem then use of adult diapers, disposable bed pads and meticulous skin care will be necessary. Preferably use washable bed pads because they are more comfortable for your loved one and they double as a practical lifting or turning pad. Order all disposables including gloves, bed pads and diapers when possible in bulk to ensure there are always plenty on hand and also reduce costs. Make use of daily living aids in bathrooms and bedrooms Home medical equipment and devices are aimed at maximizing your loved one's safety and independence simultaneously as well as hugely benefiting you, the caregiver, with extra help and support. Security poles at the bedside or in bathroom along with grab bars are excellent devices to assist with your loved one's mobility. Bedrails and trapeze bars offer additional bed mobility. Bath seats, raised toilet seats and frames are critical to secure your loved one's safety and independence in the bathroom. Canes, walkers and rollators can all serve purposes at different times depending on your loved one's mobility needs.