Originally developed by NASA as a versatile material for astronauts, memory foam has made its way into bedrooms all across the country. Memory foam is frequently one of the most expensive options available to bed buyers, but its benefits for those with back pain may be worth the extra money. Memory foam mattresses are known for their ability to conform to the body. When you lay down, the memory foam softens, bends and relaxes to support every part of your body including your spine. Fully supporting the spine keeps it in proper alignment, relieving back pain issues resulting from poor alignment during sleep. Memory foam also keeps the rest of your body in alignment, reducing stress on your hips and shoulders that may lead to back pain. The visco-elastic nature of memory foam mattresses allows them to conform to any pressure points on your body. Memory foam reacts to the warmth of your body to become softer and more conforming. Pressure points are small surface areas which handle a large proportion of body weight.
Traditional pressure points include the hips, shoulders and knees. Memory foam helps cradle these pressure points, which provides additional comfort for your back. Back injuries require adequate rest to heal. The body heals most efficiently when sleeping and as a result, an uninterrupted night of sleep is vitally important to healing back injuries. Memory foam mattresses offer several qualities that increase comfort. They are temperature sensitive, dissipating or absorbing heat as needed to keep the mattress at a comfortable temperature. They are hypo-allergenic which benefits those who suffer from allergies while sleeping. Finally, because they absorb energy and pressure so well, the movements and shifting motions of others will not wake you up, allowing for more restful sleep. Consider using a standard mattress with a memory foam topper. Most bed and bath stores will carry simple, thin memory foam mattresses that you place on top of your mattress. Memory foam toppers come in sizes from 1 to 5 inches thick.
Memory foam toppers are also more affordable than full memory foam mattresses yet still provide many of the same health benefits. They are available in the same sizes of standard mattresses including twin, double, queen and king. Memory foam is not just found in mattresses, but pillows as well. Memory foam pillows are a significant change from the soft feather pillows most people are used to. However, the firm memory foam pillows may provide additional neck support that many people need for a good night's rest. For those who have neck soreness after sleeping or difficulty with sleep apnea, a memory foam pillow may help to elevate the head and support the neck. Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week Recommended Mattresses for Children What Firmness of Mattress Is Best for a Toddler?
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This, however, doesn't apply to everyone as we're all different and require sleeping surfaces suited to each and every one of us. But first, here's what you must know about home mattress trials and what makes a good foam mattress. Topper Recommendations from Doctors Many customer say in reviews that memory foam pads have helped them with apnea, fibromyalgia, insomnia as well as back and hip pain. There are no solid studies to back up these claims which is why doctors reserve judgment and many choose not to recommend memory foam mattress toppers as medical treatment. This doesn't mean that they don't work, it just means scientific proof is yet to be found that they do. Egg crate foam toppers, on the other hand, have been known to receive more endorsement from doctors, especially since many hospitals use this type of pad for recently operated patients. Some doctors even suggest that patients take the egg-crate mattress topper home and continue sleeping on it after being discharged from hospital.
The convoluted shape of these foam toppers can prevent and help heal skin ulcers, eliminate bedsores, reduce pressure points, allow air to flow and prevent your body from becoming too hot during sleep (fever is notoriously dangerous for recently operated patients). Low quality egg crate pads, on the other hand, may be dangerous as they are a source of toxic formaldehyde transmissions. These two types of mattress pads work differently in offering support and comfort. Support is one of the major criteria when buying the right sleeping surface. Visco memory foam toppers provide proper support as long as they are the high-density type, are layered over a firm, flat mattress and is the heat-sensitive type. Egg crate pads, unlike memory toppers, cannot, on their own, offer proper support since they are very light and thin at the dips. It all depends on the kind of mattress they are placed on. The foam pad will offer necessary support and proper neck and spine alignment if placed on top of a firm mattress.
Health care specialists say that to be labeled as providing pressure relief, a mattress has to have the pressure of 32mmHg or lower, whereas pressure reduction performance is agreed to occur between 32mmHg and 50mmHg. Good quality visco memory foam toppers like Tempur-Pedic overlays were shown to reduce average pressure to around 15 mmHg from nearly 30 mmHg. We couldn't find any numbers related to the pressure exerted by an eggcrate mattress pad on the body, but considering its shape and doctor-endorsements, we believe that these toppers do relieve pressure points. Allergy And Topper Choice Just like there are no allergy-free mattresses, there are no regular allergy-free pads (except for the ones manufactured especially for people suffering from allergies). Since egg crate mattress pads are also made of foam, they are just as prone to host dust mites as memory foam toppers are, even though foam is generally not a source of food in itself. The only way to keep dust mites out from your mattress topper, be it the memory foam or egg crate type, is to use dust-mite resistant encasings and covers.
When I laid on it, I couldn't imagine anyone wanting memory foam. Once on it, I could barely move and turning over was a real challenge. I also could see how this could get very warm at night. The mattress was firm and soft at the same time (as advertised), and we woke up with our backs feeling all springy and stretched out. We did notice that the temperature of the bed was warmer than with our old mattress, but taking off one layer of blanket solved that problem. We also could let the house get colder in the winter nights which might save energy, though to be honest, we didn't track it. My wife now sleeps through the entire night. It did not heal her back, it just provides great support to assist her in obtaining a good night's sleep. The material forms/molds to the body like a parent holding an infant child. I tried an egg crate mattress recently with my 9 mo. because she refluxes and has a hard time sleeping. I thought it might help her. My Foam Mattress Has Memory!