Solutions for Cooling Down My Memory Foam Mattress? Q: I have Graves Disease and that makes me generally warm, I have a memory foam mattress, and sleeping on foam is ridiculously warm. I wake up so over heated I have to get out of bed and cool down. It's really impacting my sleep. I want to buy a new mattress, but don't have the money so I thought maybe there could be some sort of mattress pad that might insulate me from the foam. I bought one, but despite the claims, it doesn't insulate any better. Editor: Please share your ideas and suggestions with Wolsey in the comments below - thanks! • Got a question? Email yours with pic attachments here (those with pics get answered first)Children need a good night's sleep more than any other age group. Constantly growing both mentally and physically, night time is when a child's brain brings together everything it's learned through the day, and it's at this time when the body as a whole – including the bones, hormones and the physical makeup of the brain – develops most rapidly.
Picking a great mattress for your child is really important, so here's everything you need to know when shopping for one. There are all sorts of things to bear in mind when picking a mattress for a young one, from how firm it is, to whether it helps with particular issues your child might have – bedwetting or allergies, for example. As with adult mattresses, children's mattresses come in open-sprung, pocket-sprung, memory foam and latex foam varieties, each offering various benefits to different sorts of sleepers. Children need support when they sleep. As well as keeping the spine and bones aligned – a very important thing to bear in mind concerning their growth – supportive mattresses will reduce rolling, fidgeting and discomfort, allowing your child to sleep more soundly (every parent's dream!). Babies and infants generally need firmer mattresses though, due to the speed and way in which their bones develop. The most supportive varieties are pocket-sprung, memory foam and latex, though each features aspects some children will benefit from more than others.
Pocket-sprung mattresses often feature comfy tufted covering layers, while memory foam mattresses, being dense and body-forming, will reduce how often restless children wake up during the night. Latex foam mattresses are very breathable – great for warm homes and kids who hate hot temperatures come bedtime. When looking for a sprung mattress, it's important to check how high the spring count and coil gauge are. Higher spring counts mean more support, while lower gauge numbers indicate thicker coils and a firmer mattress as a result. Foam mattresses – latex and memory – are measured by density. Quality memory foam mattresses usually have a density of four to five pounds: the higher the number, the firmer the sleeping surface will be. Certain mattresses offer other benefits, but also pitfalls that should be looked out for. Memory foam mattresses, for instance, can sometimes release gases from the foam – a process known as off-gassing. If you experience this, simply let the unit air out in a ventilated room for three to four days, this allows the fumes to be released, and this will normally eliminate the issue.
Children who have allergies may benefit from synthetic mattresses as their fibres are less likely to attract bacteria and mites, although the same effects can be gained with natural latex, cotton, pure wool or silk – these are naturally hypoallergenic, so if your bed doesn't contain them, think about using these in the future. That's not to say open and pocket sprung mattresses are a no-no for children with allergies though – antibacterial, hypoallergenic mattress protectors will also stop symptoms in their tracks. The same goes if your child has problems with bedwetting – both mattress protectors and washable bed pads will help protect the mattress you choose to buy, whatever the variety. Memory foam mattresses, for instance, can sometimes very occasionally release gases from the foam – a process known as off-gassing. If buying for babies or toddlers, these beds will require smaller mattresses than usual. Given how quickly children of this age grow, it can often make more sense – especially from a cost perspective – to skip these varieties all together and go for a single-sized bed.
Most mattresses have a lifespan of around ten years, so by regularly flipping and rotating the mattress every six months, you'll get the most restful nights for your money, setting the scene for a change when they hit double figures. There are also a few price differences between the different types of mattress – a very important thing, bearing in mind how speedily children grow. At the most expensive end of the scale are pocket-sprung and latex mattresses. Prices here are mainly impacted by how many springs make up the pocket mattress, and whether or not the latex is natural. The middleweight mattress is memory foam, being synthetic yet very comfortable, while the cheapest options available are open coil and futon mattresses. These final two are cheap, but not particularly durable and sometimes uncomfortable. Buying a mattress for your child isn't a quick decision to make, but we hope this guide helps you to buy the right thing for you and your kids.Home / Housekeeping / General / How To Clean Bedwetting Stains From MattressesHow To Clean Bedwetting Stains From Mattresses 12 Comments Print EmailThose of us that don’t have toddlers or young children in the home may think tips for cleaning bedwetting stains won’t apply to us, but over the holidays I was pulling out this information when visiting family with children caught me by surprise ;).
The first tip is to plan ahead. If you know children will be staying the night, prepare their bed before they arrive. It’s nice to do this when they’re not around since no one will know what you’ve been up to (most kiddos are sensitive about their accidents so it’s nice to do this covertly).Preparation:There are a couple different things you can do. You can buy a plastic cover or lay a garbage bag down the middle of the bed (first split it open and make sure the bag covers the width end to end). If you have an old vinyl tablecloth that you don’t use, you could lay that on instead (if fabric backed–leave the fabric side up).On top of the plastic lining, lay a large towel to cover. Then put on the pad and then the fitted sheet.With this setup, chances are the little ones won’t even know you’ve prepared for potential accidents.If you were caught without your mattress protected, here are a few ways to cleanup the mess (you can use a blacklight to see what size of area you’re dealing with, the urine will glow):Method #1Mix a pourable thick paste with cornstarch and water, stir until there are no lumps and make enough to cover the entire area.
Pour the cornstarch mixture over the spot and leave it for several hours to dry. You can do this overnight if you like.Once the cornstarch is dried thoroughly, vacuum off.Use your blacklight again to see if you caught it all. If not, reapply a fresh batch of cornstarch mix.Method #21 part white vinegar 2 parts dishwashing liquidLift up as much of the urine as you can with paper towels blotting and soaking up the spot.Next mix the vinegar and dishwashing liquid in a container and apply over spot with a wet sponge, dab it on generously. Let the soap sit for 30 minutes.Take a wet sponge and pull up as much of the soap that you can.Sprinkle wet area generously with cornstarch and leave for several hours–then vacuum up.Method #3This one’s from the page for cleaning cat urine (found here).1 16-oz. bottle Hydrogen Peroxide 1 TBS Baking Soda 1 tsp dish detergent (liquid)Mix ingredients into an old plastic container and stir well with a plastic or wooden spoon (do not use metal utensils or metal dishes).
Once powder is dissolved, pour liquid into a plastic squirt bottle and squirt on urine spot, completely saturate the area. Do not scrub or touch the spot, leave the solution to set and air dry for at least one hour.After it’s completely dry, vacuum the spot–there may be baking soda residue. You can wipe with a rag if needed.Lingering Odors: If you’re concerned about lingering odors, you can also spray some vinegar & sprinkle baking powder over the now dried and cleaned stain before making a fresh bed (wait for vinegar to dry before making it up).Bedding CareWash it all as soon as possible after an accident, using a good 1/2 cup of vinegar per load (cider vinegar if you have it). This will help kill the smell.General TipsThese are for general mattress care:Use a cover to protect it and wash at least once a month.Remove stains by lightly dabbing with liquid dish detergent that has been well diluted in water. For toughies like blood spots, try blotting with hydrogen peroxide.When stripping the beds down for laundry, freshen things up by sprinkling a thin layer of baking soda directly on top of it.