The right sheet set and pajamas can help you stay cool. Today’s memory-foam mattresses don't sleep as "hot" as older models did, thanks to air-circulating layers and ventilated toppers that keep the foam from absorbing and retaining all your body heat. But a certain insulating effect is unavoidable when you're sleeping on a foam block. If your memory foam mattress leaves you sweating at night, a few remedies can help turn down the heat -- if only by a few degrees. Top It Off Anything you can do to distance your body from the memory foam will help keep you cool. Place a non-foam topper or pad over the mattress, or use sheets made of breathable material -- such as cotton or bamboo -- with a high thread count. Both remedies reduce the amount of body heat that penetrates to the foam. Turn It Down Lower the ambient temperature by turning the thermostat down, opening a window, or changing into lighter-weight, breathable pajamas. While these might not be the most convenient solutions, they're less expensive than purchasing a whole new mattress.
Switch to a Topper If you just can't stay cool on a memory foam mattress, consider switching to a non-foam mattress. You can always layer a memory foam topper over the mattress for comfort, while still enjoying the other mattress's greater breathability to help keep the foam cool. : Memory Foam Mattress FAQ Photo Credits Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionWhat are the top memory foam mattress problems? Here's answers to the most common Tempurpedic style bed concerns including smells, bad sex rumors, sweaty sleep and the effects of sleeping on synthetic chemicals. Odors are near the top of memory foam mattress problems. They are very common in cheap mattresses that are delivered in compressed vacuum packaging. The mattresses are usually not left to air out at the manufacturer long enough to let off gassing take place completely before they are compressed and sealed for delivery. If you notice an odor, leave the doors and windows open to let the mattress air out.
The odor usually dissipates within a couple days or weeks. If the odor really bothers you and it's not getting any better, exercise the return option on your guarantee. You did read and approve the mattress trial period options in your mattress guarantee didn't you? Sex on memory foam is not necessarily worse, but it is different. You may be a bit more sweaty than usual afterwards. You can solve this memory foam problem by choosing one of the newer models that have a mattress cover or top layer that wicks away moisture. Your mobility will be reduced a bit. Since memory foam sinks rather than pushes back, you might not be able to roll around as energetically as you are accustomed to. But you can also try almost anything without worrying about a limb falling asleep due to pressure points. There's no 'rebound' to help you acquire a rhythm and speed but...since the partner on the bottom is going to be gripped or cupped by the mattress, you'll use less energy and concentration in maintaining your 'aim'.
Now you only need to tie them down if you both enjoy it. You won't have to worry about squeaking springs waking kids or neighbors. Only you and your partner can determine whether you like sex on memory foam. Make sure you get a good return policy, because this is one thing the Maniac does not recommend testing at the mattress store. This used to be the most common memory foam mattress problem. Because memory foam gets softer and 'cups' you where you're warm, heat can become trapped and cause a sweaty spot. Many newer mattresses have specially designed top layers that dissipate heat more efficiently and covers made with fabrics like CoolMax that wick moisture away from the body. This is absolutely true. On the other hand, with less pain and numbness caused by pressure points you'll feel less need to turn over and you may wake up fewer times at night. The same properties that allow visco elastic foam to get softer with your body heat do cause memory foam to be a bit slower to respond in cooler environments.
Most people do not notice this effect unless the bed is in a basement, or an RV or semi-trailer sleeping cab in the winter. This is much less noticeable in newer models. Some people worry about memory foam mattress problems attributed to polyurethane. The jury is still out as to whether it causes health problems for more than a handful of ultra-sensitive people. The Maniac's opinion is that people have been sleeping on polyurethane based visco elastic foam for about 20 years. You'd think that would be enough time for long term exposure problems to become evident. If you're concerned with this issue, there are some newer, so-called natural memory foam mattresses like Tandalay that claim to reduce or eliminate these problems. These 6 complaints are the most common memory foam mattress problems. Others, including 'memory loss', lack of durability and cracking used to be common in visco foam mattresses. But now these problems are usually only found in cheap memory foam mattresses.
So, if you feel you can live with these possible problems, go right ahead and purchase your new memory foam mattress with confidence that you'll be getting a great night's sleep. 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.