Make your bed every morning and smooth the topper with your hands for a flat, even surface come nightfall. A memory foam mattress topper adds a plush layer to your bed that conforms around your body to create a cocoon-like effect. But cold weather makes it difficult for the foam to release the indentation left by your sleeping form, and if you place the topper over a lumpy or sagging mattress, it imitates the shape of the mattress just as easily as it does your body, resulting in a lumpy, uncomfortable surface. For the best results, address the problem from two angles. Give the memory foam the space it needs to regain its shape and treat the underlying issue causing the uneven surface. Remove the memory foam topper from your bed. Take this opportunity to vacuum your mattress with an upholstery brush attachment, removing dirt and dust mites. Relocate the mattress topper to a warm room and lay it flat on the floor. If you see any noticeable lumps or indentations, massage the area with your hands to warm up the material, smoothing it out.
The material is flammable, so do not use an iron, hair dryer or other appliance to heat the foam. Memory foam responds well to the heat of your hands. Let the topper sit for 24 to 72 hours: The more distorted the surface, the longer it needs to release the lumps and indentations. Memory foam naturally reshapes itself when left alone on a flat surface. The warmer the room is, the faster the process will go. Rotate a single-sided mattress 180 degrees, moving the current head area to the foot board. This prevents uneven wearing in the mattress, and any indentations causing lumpiness will work themselves out over time, provided the mattress itself isn’t damaged. Repeat this process every 4 to 6 months. Flip a double-sided mattress over and rotate it 180 degrees. This moves the flat, smooth surface previously sitting on the box spring or platform to the top and the lumpy side of the mattress to the bottom, while relocating the head of the mattress to the foot. The weight of your body and the flat surface of the box spring or platform will smooth out lumps on the previously slept-on side over time.
Rotate the mattress again in 4 to 6 months, and flip it over every 8 to 12 months. Cut a piece of plywood to the size of your mattress and place this in between the box spring and the mattress. A worn box spring causes sagging and promotes the creation of lumps in the mattress; the plywood acts as a solid, firm barrier, increasing support. Remove the pillow-top portion of the mattress, if possible, and machine-wash it according to the care directions on the tag. Dry the pillow-top on low with two to three tennis balls to flatten out any lumps. Reinstall it on the bed. Adjust the temperature in your bedroom if possible, at least during waking hours. An excessively cold space causes the memory foam to seize, making it difficult for it to return to its normal, flat form during the day. During the day, open curtains, allowing sunlight to naturally warm the space. Temperature preferences are personal, so use your best judgment. If your mattress is in good condition, yet the memory foam still shows your body shape after sitting all day, adjust the temperature by 2 to 4 degrees and gauge the topper's response.
Things You Will Need Vacuum with upholstery attachment Measuring tape 1/2-inch plywood Table saw Laundry detergent Clean tennis balls References Sleep Innovations: Frequently Asked QuestionsSTL Beds: Top Ten Problems With Memory Foam Photo Credits Andrew Olney/Photodisc/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionPicking A Foundation For Your Visco Memory Foam Bed If you're set on memory foam beds you've got two options -- buying a mattress and foundation set or buying them separately. Both could qualify for a free home trial. But is a foundation really necessary for a visco memory bed? With regular beds, foundations do more than simply provide support. The shock-absorber effect you get from a box spring also helps extend the life of the steel springs in your bed. Because memory foam beds already absorb shock, using a foundation is not essential. The only reason, then, to use a foundation is to get the bed some 8-9 inches up off the floor. If you do intend to use a foundation with your memory bed, however, here is what the best foundation should look like.
Why Memory Beds Don't Work With Box-Spring Foundations There are two reasons why regular box-spring foundations should not be used with visco beds and mattresses. First of all, all foam beds are designed to easily shape to whatever's applying pressure. The custom shaping effect of Tempur beds -- or of any other brand, in fact -- means that memory beds shape to uneven surfaces even better. A memory foam bed used with an uneven foundation becomes uneven itself. The mattress takes the foundation's shape and becomes an unhealthy sleeping surface. However good memory foam may be, an uneven bed surface does not allow your muscles to relax the way they are supposed to and you may still wake up in pain. Second of all, visco foam mattresses and beds are designed to absorb shock and relieve pressure points. When you lie on a regular innerspring mattress, your own body weight pulls you down. Springs react by pushing back against you. The skin and blood vessels are caught in the middle, squeezed between the gravity force of your weight and the upwards force of the mattress.
Pressure points constrict circulation at the area of contact. The result is discomfort and even pain over time. When you lie on a visco foam bed, however there is no air left in the cells to push back and cause discomfort. Air is spread to adjoining cells and the viscoelastic bed simply 'melts' under you to provide balanced support. It is this very lack of spring-back force in memory foam beds that help relieve pressure. If you use a box-spring foundation with the memory bed, the pressure-relieving properties of the visco foam change. The foundation's resilience ads a spring-back force where there was none previously. The spring-back force in the foundation is transferred to the bed which then starts to push back as if had springs. This pretty much defeats the purpose of memory foam beds. You're more than likely to dislike memory foam if you try this during your home trial period. My Foam Mattress Has Memory! A Critical Eye On The Latest Mattress Technologies
3.5 lb vs 5.5 lb densityWhich to choose from a 3.5lb visco elastic memory foam mattress topper 5.5lb visco foam matress comparison? Higher density alone does not make a quality sleeping surface. The formula behind the best sleeping surface uses best quality, high-density foam that responds to body temperature. Known BrandsWhat is the secret behind Tempur mattress technology and why is it in the top 5 most popular brands alongside the likes of Sensus, Isotonic, Bergad and Sealy? The answer is that it uses good quality, high density, heat responsive foam. Top Memory Foam ComplaintThe most commonly reported problem consumers have with memory foam mattresses is that they sleep hotter when compared to conventional sleeping surfaces.But sleeping conditions are influenced by environment temperature, the material's heat sensitivity and your own body heat. 5.5 lb vs 6 lb densityWhich to choose from a 5.5lb memory foam matresses 6lb visco elastic mattresses comparison? You are here: Home > Buying & Using Advice > Picking A Foundation For Your Visco Memory Foam Bed