Please take a few moments and consider how these four criteria affect your well-being
A mattress that does not support your spine sufficiently can lead to backache. The ideal position of your spine while lying is the same as while standing. A mattress that is too hard will tend to push on your shoulder and hip while not supporting your lower back or side. Soft mattresses often sag, causing your spine to follow the curve of the mattress. Only a mattress that can conform to your body without sagging will give adequate support. This support should be felt evenly along the length of your body, especially at your waist and lower back. Latex foam is an ideal material for mattress making because it supports the body evenly, flexing in the shoulder and hip regions to provide ergonomic comfort
The pressure on your skin should be as low as possible. High surface pressure can result in capillary shut-off when the pressure on the skin exceeds 29 inches Hg. The body attempts to reposition itself to counteract the discomfort leading to increased tossing and turning. Tossing and turning is the hallmark of poor quality sleep. Hence one performance objective of a good mattress is even weight distribution to minimize areas of high surface pressure leading to reduced tossing and turning.
A latex mattress that conforms to the shape of your body will distribute your weight evenly and eliminate high-pressure areas. This allows your body to relax into the deeper levels of sleep, which provide the greatest recovery for the body. This pressure can be measured scientifically to assure proper circulation. You can also test for yourself by lying on your side and feeling the pressure on your shoulder and hip.
Many types of foam will perform fairly well when they are new; therefore most mattresses feel good in a mattress showroom. The real test is how they perform through time.
The dimensional change in a material as a result of compression is called compression-set. Unlike polyurethane foams commonly used in mattress construction, latex does not take a compression-set.
Genuine Talalay latex foam rubber will keep its shape and elasticity for many years and not become dished out like ordinary inner-spring/polyurethane mattresses. Therefore, Talalay latex foam mattresses represent a better long-term value for our clients.
Being too hot or too cold and a damp feeling can also cause tossing and turning. During the night our bodies naturally emit moisture as perspiration. This dampness interferes with our body's ability to regulate its own temperature. The most effective materials adapted to regulate temperature and facilitate the dispersion of moisture are a combination of Tallalay process latex foam and wool.
Tallalay process latex foam has an open cell structure that breathes. Excess heat is drawn away and the mattress remains fresh.
Wool can absorb up to one third of its weight in moisture without feeling damp. It also dissipates moisture much faster than down, cotton, or polyester.
Surrounding the body with absorbent natural materials promotes tactile comfort; an important factor in sleep comfort. These natural materials keep you warmer in the winter and cooler and dryer in the summer. Your heartbeat slows, and you relax into deeper more restorative sleep.
Generally, conventional bedding fails in two areas. First the padding, which consists primarily of polyurethane foam, will soften and show body impressions. Polyurethane foam will lose 20 to 40 % of its resiliency in ten years, causing a proportionate increase in surface pressure. Secondly, as the springs inevitably weaken, the mattress sags in the middle, distorting the natural curve of the spine.
We have found no other material that can match the resiliency and the performance of Talalay process latex foam (named after the inventor of the process: Leon Talalay). Talalay process latex foam, a product made from the sap of the rubber tree will lose only 4 to 6 % of its resiliency in ten years, even in softer densities. By combining layers of foam that vary in density, optimal spinal alignment and low surface pressure can be achieved and maintained for years with consistent performance. We are sure you will be able to feel the difference.
In our more than 12 years experience selling latex mattresses we have concluded that there is no single mattress design that is good for everyone. Indeed why should there be. Among most couples there is a significant difference in the weight and build between the partners.
That they would react identically to a single mattress design is pure wishful thinking (usually performed by the mattress salesman). Also buying a mattresses based on some numbering system that attempts to correlate your comfort with measurements of foam density and deflection generally confuse more than clarify.
One needs to spend time trying the various constructions to determine which mattress style is most suitable to their needs.
This doesn't work very well over the telephone or internet. Your relationship with your mattress will be first hand, selecting one should be too. Visit our showroom when you have some time that you can dedicate to the selection process.
Please don't be afraid of encountering high pressure sales tactics that you might associate with mattress dealers - Think of the process more like being fitted for a pair of athletic shoes.
We have recently introduced mattresses that have two sleep zones; one for each partner. No longer do you have to compromise to find the mattress that is right for you. Visit our showroom to find out more about this important development in mattresses design and construction. More
Link to article in "Health on the Net" on mattress comfort
sleep medicine site
Editor:Michael J Thorpy MD, Director, Sleep-Wake Disorders Center, Montefiore Medical Center, and Associate-Professor of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
links to other Web sites dealing with basic research, clinical research and clinical practice, as well as other sleep-related activities