Ratings > Mattress Type Comparison Unbiased Comparison, Analysis Based on 22,584 Owner Experiences 1. About 8% of people report that their mattress significantly and regularly retains heat and, consequently, sleeps hot. About another 12% say that their mattress sleeps warm but usually not to an uncomfortable degree. 2. Mattress heat retention often results in excessive sweating, restlessness and poor sleep quality. 3. Main factors that affect heat retention include mattress firmness, sleeper weight, mattress type, and comfort layer composition. 4. To combat heat for your current mattress, see temperature control. Due to the fact that a person sinks significantly into a softer mattress, air flow around the sleeper is thereby restricted often resulting in greater heat trap potential. By contrast, a person tends to sleep on top of a firm mattress thereby having greater air flow. However, highly conforming firmer mattresses, such as certain Tempur-Pedic models, have above-average heat trap potential due in part to their ability to strongly contour to the curves of a sleeper's body thereby restricting airflow between the mattress and the sleeper.
Heavier people tend to have greater potential for sleeping hot. This appears to be due to the fact that a heavy person sinks farther into the mattress where there is less airflow. It may also be due to the fact that a heavier person expends more energy when moving compared to a lighter person and this expenditure often creates more body heat. Nearly all mattress types can sleep hot, but some do so more than others. Keep in mind that the following chart represents what is often, but not always, the case. model or individual mattress may go against these findings somewhat. About 9% of memory foam mattress owners report sleeping hot to an uncomfortable extent. An additional 15% report their bed being warm but at most times not uncomfortably so. In other words, the clear majority of memory foam mattress owners report no heat problems. Keep in mind, however, that these numbers may be affected by the fact that memory foam is often known to sleep hot for some people.
As a result, people who are naturally hot sleepers may avoid buying a memory foam mattress in the first place – making the rate somewhat lower than it otherwise would be. Owner experience data suggests that main factors affecting memory foam heat retention – as discussed below – are foam density, foam composition, and cover material. Memory foam used in memory foam mattresses can have low to high density. Mattresses with high foam density tend to have at least two times the number of reports for bothersome heat retention than do mattresses with low foam density. This appears to be mainly due to high density foam having less open space to allow for air flow. (Learn more about how density affects memory foam mattress characteristics in the memory foam density comparison.) For how specific memory foam mattresses compare in density, see the memory foam mattress reviews - summary. Many memory foam mattresses use memory foam infused with millions of gel beads. This gel-infused foam is designed to sleep cooler longer than regular memory foam.
Owner experience data shows it to reduce heat-trap complaints significantly for all memory foam densities – by as much as 30%. Nevertheless, about 6% of gel memory foam bed owners still find gel-infused foam to sleep hot. Several memory foam mattresses use a moisture-wicking cover such as a Coolmax® or Outlast® fabric. The material is designed to let perspiration quickly evaporate allowing for cooler sleep. Owner experience data suggests that such a cover is often at least somewhat effective at reducing heat problems. Memory foam hybrid mattresses are spring-based mattresses with at least two inches of memory foam in the comfort layer. About 12% of owners report sleeping hot – a higher than average rate due likely due to the presence of the memory foam. An additional 20% report above average warmth but not to a bothersome extent most of the time. Latex mattresses are second only to memory foam / hybrid mattresses for having the most complaints regarding heat buildup.
Most complaints, however, are for all-latex beds as opposed to latex-hybrids. Airbeds with a three-inch or thicker comfort layer have nearly twice the likelihood of retaining heat to a bothersome extent than those models with a less-thick layer. Three-inch thick or thicker comfort layers in some cases consist partly or entirely of memory foam. Innerspring mattresses – especially medium to firm models without memory foam or latex – have relatively few heat-related complaints. Waterbeds do not have a significant sleeping hot issue because the water inside keeps the temperature down. In fact, if the beds do not have a heater to warm the water, there may be a sleeping cold issue especially in cooler climates and during winter months. Sleeping hot does not tend to be a noteworthy problem for futon mattresses. Models with memory foam likely sleep hotter than those models without. 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.