Experience with Tempur-Pedic-type mattresses?

Hi,
I just bought my 2nd memory foam mattress. I bought a queen a while ago because I was having body aches. I am less achy sleeping on the memory foam mattress so, I bought a king and moved queen into the guest room. You really need to lay on them long enough for your body temperature to “soften” the foam before you can really pass judgement. The brand I bought was NovaForm…or NovaFoam…something like that…bought at CostCo.
-Bed

I have back issues and have learned that extra firm mattresses are best for me. When I’ve slept on Tempurpedic mattresses, I’ve had to have help getting up from them because my back stiffens up so much while laying there. They are very soft and provide almost no back support for me.

We have a king-sized Tempur-Pedic in our vacation house and a queen-sized regular mattress in our regular home. We sleep much better in the Tempur-Pedic but I’m not sure if it is the size or the mattress.

I was fortunate enough to have a friend give me a king-size tempurpedic bed. This bed has changed my life. I LOVE it. However, not having to spend 2 grand on a bed probably has a lot to do with it!

The things to note: it gets incredibly hot since it traps heat. I live in Florida and it causes me to have night sweats quite a bit. Also, if you are suffering from any back ailment that needs support, you will not enjoy this bed.

Otherwise, best bed in the world.

My neighbor has one and it’s a dream. She has many aches and pains and cannot stay put too long, and it works for her. You will want to consider that some memory foam mattresses out-gas a toxic fume, which can take a while to dissipate. (she left hers in the garage to unfold and out-gas there.

Here’s one fume free company: “The MemoryFoam.com Company® uses soy based foam, which is eco-friendly, allergen free and free from noxious fumes that are a common complaint in some memory…”
http://www.tempurpedicmattress.org/memory-foam.html

You will also want to get a dust mite cover to protect it from filling up with the little critters over time. They will limit the life of your mattress.

My SO has a tempur-pedic and it is wonderful. I sleep so well on that mattress it is unbelievable. FYI, I have never felt “marooned” in a position.

a friend of mine has one and swears by it.

I love them.

I have back problems, and purchased the extra firm. It feels strange for me to lay on a coil mattress, and I do notice pressure points that I hadn’t before.

I also had a fear of being “sucked in.” I imagined it would be very hot in the summer as well. As it turns out, both of those thoughts are false and it has been one of my best purchases ever.

I haven’t tried a memory foam mattress but i have used a tempur pillow which was amazing!, I fell asleep in minutes!

I’m seeing mixed findings here and am not sure how to apply them. My husband has permanent ongoing back pain as a result of spine and rib fractures following radiation treatments. He likes firm support

I have lumbar and cervical issues and such pain in my right shoulder that it takes complicated arrangements to lie on my right side even for an hour or two. If something could ease the pressure on that side, it would make a world of difference. Would it help with that?

Can’t sleep flat on my back because of constant fear of sleep paralysis, a terrifying phenomenon I would not wish on anybody.

Two issues made me decide not to have one. One, as mentioned was the heat issue, and the other is that I sleep on my stomach often, and my face would sink gently into the mattress. Not a good thing. If it wasn’t for those things, I would have one.

@Jeruba Most of my back problems are in my thoracic spine, but I do have cervical and lumbar issues as well. I found it eased my discomfort. Again, I have an extra-firm memory foam, and I couldn’t see having one with less support.

In all honesty, I think you need to find a way to spend a night on one to see if it’s comfortable for you and your husband. I know Tempur offers 30 or 60 day money back guarantees, but I don’t know the fine print. Perhaps you could try a local hotel that has memory foam mattresses? Everyone I know that has them loves them, except for one couple… They despised theirs. After reading this thread, I have to think it’s somethign you either love or hate without much in between.

@JilltheTooth I’m a stomach sleeper, too! This may seem obvious, but do you use a pillow?

@Taciturnu : Only when I sleep on my side. On my stomach, no. I tried that in the store, made me nuts. damn

i also get pain when i sleep on my right soulder and also suffer from regular sleep paralysis (i hate it, i often get it 4 or 5 times some nights) but i found with the tempur pillow some of the pressure on my shoulder was released and found it much more comfortable on my shoulder.

@JilltheTooth Interesting. I have to sleep with a pillow or four. I honestly just never thought there was another way. lol! It makes perfect sense though, and you’re probably doing your back more favors than I’m doing mine by foregoing it. Kudos to you. :)

I have stayed in hotels that have them, and I hate them. I turn over a lot during my sleep and with those kind, once you sink into them, you cannot turn over at all..

@YARNLADY,

> once you sink into them, you cannot turn over at all

That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. I wonder if that depends on their degree of firmness.

We have a TemporPedic brand memory foam and I think that this, along with someone to do our taxes, has kept our marriage intact. I am a flopper in bed. I turn, I shift, I shuffle, I curl up and then straighten out. This disturbed by husband who is a very light sleeper. Once we got this mattress he was no longer disturbed by my flopping. I did all this weighing 203 pounds and never once felt like I “couldn’t get out of a hole.” (I mention weight because I’ve heard that very overweight people have felt stuck in them.) I have a suspicion that this might have to do with the brand. However, I’ve never slept on any other foam mattress, so I can’t answer that question.

Yes, they can be warm. We solved that by using lighter and/or fewer covers.

I think that if you can find one to sleep on for a night or two, you would be able to tell if it is for you.

I’m curious about something, though. My husband and I decided not to buy one and bought a Sleep Number instead because we thought that one would do this. Does the mattress remember your body shape and begin to hold the shape? Obviously it is a bit too late for us to buy one, but to save money when we need.a second bed. Would the mattress retain the shape of our bodies?

@GracieT No, not on a day to day basis. I haven’t had this problem, but I know a couple people who have had a sunken bed. As @tedibear mentioned, I think this probably has something to do with brand, as well.

Do you like your Sleepnumber? I tried it in a store once, and thought I’d love it. I slept on one in a hotel and HATED it.

@Jeruba – I sleep on my stomach and toss and turn all night, never have a problem with either of those on the Tempur-Pedic. Also, I do not find it hot; I find sleeping next to my husband on the queensize at home much hotter!

Yes!

I LOVE my memory foam mattress.
It IS warm, holds the heat, but is also awesome…no movement from a partner disturbs you.

I bought mine 4 years ago and I STILL, every single night when I lie down say out loud..‘I LOVE my bed!’ haha

Mine has a 20 yr. warrenty…it might outlive me!

Plus, they are hypo-allergenic and never sag.

The cats like it too. lol

No. The mattress does not retain the body shape unless you are sleeping on it.
It goes right back to it’s original form a few minutes after your body leaves it.

And…no, I have never had a problem turning over. You do ‘sink’ into them but, it is not a hinderence to change posistions. Maybe cheaper or inferior brands, I don’t know.

I think mine is extra firm too, sort of like laying down in sand, forms to your body, but not total sinkage.

I wake up feeling grrrreat!

true about the night sweats, if you’re there, but, that will happen anyway regardless.

I have my ‘superbed’ and so glad I do. It has a layer of some kind of super foam beneath the memory foam so it doesn’t retain as much heat, so said the saleslady. I’ve never found it too warm. The memory foam feels as though my bed is hugging me, so hard to get out to pee in the middle of the night! I have such arthritis and this bed has been worth every penny.

I have a temerpedic and even did an infomercial for them. I love it. The only negative I have is that once we put a sheet on it it changed the way it reacted and formed to my body. It seemed harder and I was expecting it to be a bit softer. It’s still the most comfortable bed I’ve ever had.

I really wanted one but since we live in the tropics was talked out of it by clerks at 3 different bed stores. I did get one for my old akita and he hates it, will not go near it, sleeps beside it, but the other 2 dogs love it. Who knows. It is a shame you can’t rent one for 6 months to see if you like it before you invest that kind of money.

There are a few Hotels that have them. I did the infomercial at The Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach, Ca.

@rooeytoo is on to something! I’m pretty sure that Tempur-Pedic has a 30 day moneyback guarantee so you could try it and return it if you don’t like it! Check into that.

What great comments and suggestions! Thanks, everyone. I love the idea of staying at a hotel that has them. Wonder how you find one, though. Just call dozens of hotels and ask?

I think a free trial might be a great way to go—and it might be wise to do it during the warm weather, to see what the heat problem might be like at its worst.

The store I bought mine from offered 30 day trial. They would take it back at the end of that time- no questions, as long as you used the mattress protecter pad- kind of raised a question or two!

Here you go, @Jeruba. Not definitive, but there are a few hotels mentioned in the posts. Apparently, sometimes there are 90 day trial periods. I think a 30 or 90 day trial period makes a lot of sense.

Oh, thank you, @janbb! You library goddesses are so clever with your research.

It’s all in the wrists.

or the flippers?

If you choose to do the 30 day free trial, be sure to keep your own springs and mattress in case you don’t like it!

@Jeruba

Remember the heat ‘problem’ is a two way street.

My experience is that I really don’t feel the heat differential in the summer.
However, now, in the dead of winter, I turn my heat down to about 55 at night and am cozy as can be, often with just one light blanket.
I usually climb into my bed and pull up the blanket and comforter, but will toss off the comforter later in the night.

I like the extra warmth in the winter and it saves on utilities too.

So @Jeruba – did you purchase one and do you love it?

No, I haven’t moved ahead on this. Rather, I’m looking for a chance to stay in a hotel where they have them. We’re not going anywhere while I’m still recuperating from fractures and surgery.

It is such a big decision, I would hate to spend all that money only to find out it wasn’t as wonderful as I had hoped it would be!

Keep us posted when you do have the opportunity to try one.

@Jeruba I was allowed to have my bed for a period of time with a no hassle return if I didn’t like it.

Yup – I think you have a 30 day money back guarantee.

I would rather try one for one night somewhere than have to figure out what to do with my current mattress for 30 or 90 days while I try one out at home.