The ProblemIn recent months I’ve suffered from pain in my right hip and mid to lower back. I attribute this to age, having a sedentary job (writing), having put on some pounds and lack of exercise to lubricate my joints. I sit on a high density cell foam donut as I write this. The donut relieves pressure from the coccyx, something I learned when I was pregnant many moons ago. I’ve learned to contort my body to the left when I rise from a sitting position in order for the pain in my hip to not bring me to my knees. Having this condition checked out by a doctor is out of the question. When I retired from the corporate world I also relinquished my rights to company paid health insurance. So I make do. However, sitting is not my only uncomfortable position. Although I bought a new mattress recently, I awaken with a sore back and my right hip screams with every movement. Do I need to tell you I’ve not been sleeping well? Oh, I guess I just did. The fact is I sleep in 3-hour shifts because my body wakes me up.
Oh, what I would give for just one night of uninterrupted sleep! Something had to be done. I can’t afford medical diagnosis or treatment. Going through Advil like candy is not good for my innards and doesn’t fix the problem anyway. Buying one of those high end mattresses that “have your number” is also out of the question. So, what does a not-so-young-but-not-so-old struggling writer do to alleviate the pain? Ingenuity is the answer, my friends; that and watching the paper for sales on mattress toppers. The SolutionSometimes commercialism comes in handy. It seems everything under the sun goes on sale just before holidays. Memorial day is one of those holidays. My local Big Lots had a flyer in Sunday’s paper. They advertised a ‘famous maker’ 3” gel memory foam mattress topper for queen beds at a doable $99.99. The next day I went to Big Lots in hopes I wasn’t too late. Sure enough, they had plenty in stock and the ‘famous maker’ turned out to be Serta. Well, shoot, if the sheep on TV fear Serta because the public no longer has need to count them (the sheep) in order to go to sleep, that’s enough reason for this little girl to give the brand a shot.
Not only did I make the purchase, but I treated myself to a new set of sheets (in my favorite color, although it doesn’t match my bedding!). I came home excited that, perhaps, I can now get a good night’s sleep. I rolled out the Serta Rest 3” gel memory foam topper and encapsulated it in the accompanying fitted cover (thank you Serta!). I spent the rest of the day washing bedding, including my comforter. I was really looking forward to bedtime! Although, by the looks of my freshly-made bed, I’d need a step stool to get my 5’2” body up on the bed and under the covers! FeaturesUpon reading the instructions (yes, I read the instructions. My name is Shauna, not Shaun!) I was a little disconcerted to discover it may take up to 72 hours for the mattress topper to conform to my bed. I was absolutely delighted when it rolled out flat and fit my bed perfectly! The comfort gods were definitely on my side. In addition to that, I was elated when I read that the gel in the foam is formulated to be cool and regulates itself to your body temperature.
As a post-menopausal woman, I still suffer from night sweats. Well, not really night sweats so much anymore as night heat. That’s another reason I don’t sleep comfortably. I need to have my bedding cold in order to sleep well. It’s a good damn thing I sleep alone; my queen size bed allows me to switch sides when I become too hot – which is another reason I don’t sleep well. By the way, when does that shit end?? Oh, I almost forgot to mention that this product is made in the USA. Way to go, Serta! My rating of this product Do you suffer from back pain? What do you do to alleviate back pain? I take drugs, man! I suffer with it. I exercise and never sit for too long. Nothing yet, but I'm going to try a gel memory foam mattress topper. I prefer to bitch about it. The ResultI’ve only spent two nights on my new set up, but I am tickled to death with the results. I have awakened just once each night - which is a blessing - and I’ve been able to go right back to sleep.
Unfortunately, my body puts out some heat when I’m trying to sleep. Nevertheless, the gel memory foam topper is living up to its promise. The verbiage on the box reads “adds support and comfort – eliminates pressure points”. I can attest to that. In a mere two nights, my pain is at a much lower level. I no longer have to contort my body when I get up from the couch in order to avoid pain in my right hip. Now, if the night heat I still experience would just go bother someone else, I’d be a completely satisfied customer. But that’s not Serta’s problem, is it? If any of you reading this experience discomfort while you sleep for any of the reasons I have mentioned, I highly recommend Serta Rest 3” Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper. It’s an inexpensive solution to what could turn into an expensive and debilitating problem. Try it and rest easy. I did and I now rest when I sleep. DisclaimerI am neither an employee of, nor have I been compensated by Serta to post this review.
A topper can also prolong the life of a mattress AND it’s a lot easier to clean or replace, keeping your bed nice and hygienic. This one's simple - choose a topper to fit your mattress. We've got single, double, king size, superking and emperor in stock and ready for delivery. It's important to match the size to your bed - unlike duvets, which you can scale up - because our toppers feature elasticated corner straps to hold them snuggly in place or they’re made in the same style as a fitted sheet – either way, they are made to fit. Natural feather and down is a popular choice as it provides a combination of softness and support. Feathers give bulk and support while the soft and light down (found on the bird’s breast) gives softness and comfort. So the firmness of your topper depends on what went into it: the more feathers, the firmer the topper. Bulkier down like duck makes a firmer topper than goose down. The feathers used in toppers are often fairly large as a topper needs to offer a lot of support.
To prevent these from poking out, feather and down toppers are often made in two sections. The bottom chamber is filled with chunky feathers and the top with fluffy down. Some toppers have a removable top layer for easy cleaning. If you suffer from allergies then you should steer away from feather and down, but there are other natural choices available that are a lot friendlier to allergy sufferers. Wool and silk are two natural fibres that make great toppers. These toppers are not as thick and fluffy as ones with feather and down or synthetic filling and they tend to have a firmer finish. They offer a thin layer of warmth, protection and support – ideal for a mattress that’s already in reasonable condition. Synthetic toppers can vary dramatically in firmness and support and it all comes down the thickness of the fibres. Hollowfibre will offer supportive qualities while microfibre offers softness and comfort. The two fibres are often stuffed into toppers in a similar way to feather and down (the supportive hollowfibre in a bottom chamber and the soft microfibre in the top one).
Good quality microfibre toppers are sumptuous, hypoallergenic and breathable. They are usually quite thick so can be a rescue remedy for an old and tired mattress. If you're looking for serious support, then take a look at memory foam. This high-tech material was designed for NASA and is now used to provide specialist spine and neck relief. Memory foam toppers soften under your body to provide customised sleeping support. The movement is so localised that you won’t be disturbed by your partner moving in the night. But be aware that a memory foam mattress will keep you quite warm. If you’re a hot sleeper and you want a memory foam mattress, you could get a lower tog duvet to balance your temperature. How firm can you go? The greater the density of the memory foam, the firmer the topper will be. It will also be more durable and keep its original properties for longer. (Watch out for manufacturers who put additives in their memory foam products - we don't - to artificially boost their density.)