Tempurpedic Mattresses, generically known as Memory Foam, are becoming
more popular every day. However, with all the different choices and
prices of foam on the market, the consumer should know about the major
differences between these products before paying a major amount of
money for a bed they will be sleeping on for many years. It adapts to
the contours of the body much better than an innerspring mattress. Each
person has different preferences due to weight and sleeping habits. The
best thing to do is to visit your local bed store and try laying down
on a few different models. (When the sales staff have to wake you up,
you know you've found the right brand.)
The importance of a good night's sleep can't be overstated. No-one
functions well on lack of sleep. The majority of people in the western
world are sleep-deprived, and sleep deprivation is a significant cause
of accidents. Remember the Exxon Valdez? That accident took place in
the early hours of the morning, and industrial accidents peak on the
midnight shift. Students who are sleep-deprived learn poorly. Chronic
sleep deprivation affects the appetite centers of the brain, causing
overeating and subsequent obesity. Any bed system conducive to a
deeper, more restful sleep improves your quality of life.
There are several advantages to memory foam over a conventional
mattress: it's hypoallergenic, molds to fit anyone's body, and provides
some insulation on cold nights so you need fewer heavy, dusty blankets
and comforters. All the pressure points that cause discomfort, and
subsequent tossing and turning, are eliminated.
Tempurpedic is the brand name of the pioneer of memory foam, a company
in Sweden. It's the top-of-the-line product, but expensive, and there
are dozens of cheaper competing brands, some made in America, some in
China or other countries. HOWEVER, be warned: not all memory foam
products are alike, as with any merchandise, you tend to get what you
pay for, both in quality and longevity.
Memory foam is visco-elastic, and it responds to temperature changes
much as bubble gum does. Good quality memory foam has a wide range of
temperature responsiveness, but some of the cheaper brands can become
as hard as wood if you let the bedroom go below 60 degrees. Eventually,
as you change position the foam warms up and responds to your body
shape, but this can take a few minutes, during which time you will be
uncomfortable and may wake up. And cheaper brands may become too soft
on hot summer nights, offering no support. Better brands of memory
foam, such as Sensus and Temperpedic, specifically state their
consistent performance through a wide temperature range.
Another issue is the longevity of the memory foam before it finally
breaks down and loses its springiness. Better memory foams offer longer
guarantees, 20 years, whereas the cheaper brands offer 10 years.
So, in summary, you don't have to buy the most expensive product, but
don't buy the cheapest either. You'll spend many nights regretting your
decision. A few hundred dollars extra isn't really a lot when spread
out over decades of memory foam mattress use.
As well as differences in quality, there are also differences in memory
foam mattress construction. Mattresses can have either 3 or 4 inches of
memory foam over a denser supportive core, and more is not always
better, because if the top layer of memory foam is too thick, you'll
sink in quite far before hitting the supporting layer underneath.
Stomach sleepers should buy 2 inch foam, side sleepers and medium sized
people should purchase mattresses with 3 inch memory foam, very large
people or back sleepers should buy the 4 inch.
The base of the bed can vary as well. Some models feature loose sheets
of foam of different firmness levels that can be arranged to the
sleeper's personal taste, others are laminated together. Also, man-made
(petrochemical foam products) are about 1/3 the cost of natural latex.
People who are sensitive to out-gassing of man-made products should
consider a natural product. |
