Sleep Like A Baby On A Memory Foam Mattress

A balanced diet, exercise and healthy lifestyle apart, a good night’s sleep holds its own even today. Though there are “owls”, who love foregoing their sleep and being up all night, most people need 6-8 hours of sleep to be in good shape.

A restful sleep is not only physically and mentally rejuvenating but is also restorative in that it readies you for the day ahead. Ask an insomniac, who will resort to probably every trick to catch some sleep. In fact, even a power nap can also freshen you up. 

Though the market is awash with many conventional bed types, many people are switching over to memory foam mattresses for better comfort and sleep. From what is a memory foam mattress to how to cool memory foam mattress, here it is.

Advantages and disadvantages of the memory foam mattress

Working Hard To Feel Comfy

For a truly relaxing and rejuvenating sleep, we certainly need to begin with getting prepared. Probably, we all know about a peaceful room, dim lights, relaxing music and light dinner for good sleep. But we are missing out on the bed, our home for one-thirds of our lives. It creates the ground for the entire superstructure of sleep, making it sensible to invest time, understanding and money in finding a comfortable bed.

What Does It “Remember”?

Sorry to disappoint you here but memory foam has no “memory”. But it does have brains and an interesting history in that NASA got it designed for better aircraft cushion safety. With its thicker and squashy exterior, it takes longer to return to shape, hence “memory” foam.

Its open-cell structure foam equalizes the pressure put on it by the person touching it, thus allowing it to return to original shape. The foam has a matrix of open bubbles, which permit the air to pass through. Furthermore, it becomes soft upon getting in touch with body heat, which lets it mold itself to a warm body.

Then and Now

Though initially expensive, it has become more affordable now to be used for household mattresses, pillows, and blankets. Its higher density offers more support and heaviness. Therefore, given its properties, it’s not surprising that it has plenty of medical applications – wheelchair cushions, hospital pillows and padding for chronic pain – since its preserving heat helps alleviate pain. 

Later versions came with open cell structure for enhanced breathability and moldability, which relieve pressure points and prevent sores.

Does It “Gel”?

However, the latest generation i.e. gel memory foam has a gel-visco foam combo to bring down the trapped body heat, accelerate the coil back time and make it even softer. Since gel changes its phases, it can stabilize the temperature by changing to liquid, thereby changing its heat absorption properties.

Besides, other materials – aloe vera, rayon, green tea extract and charcoal have also entered such mattresses for odor reduction, comfort and aromatherapy.

The Hard Truth About Softness 

The hard-to-soft firmness of memory foam determines the comfort it offers. Though they are chemically similar, their density and thickness results in different “feels” they give. In general, high-density mattresses enjoy better compression.

Happily Ever After?

Such mattresses may create more respiratory irritation than other mattresses due to their emissions. Further, it can burn like other polyurethane mattresses. As a result, several US states have laws mandating ignition-resistant memory foam items.

Besides, concerns have been voiced over the high levels of PBDE, the fire retardant used in memory foam, which could pose health hazards. Therefore, PBDE is no longer used in bedding foams. Finally, you need to be wary of leaving babies unattended here, as it may suffocate them for they find it hard to turn around.

Should You Snuggle Up?

No Pressures Here

First things first- memory foam mattresses can prevent pressure sores and pain in sensitive body areas as they adjust to your contours. Contrarily, springs and other materials push back the sleeper.

Evening It Out

You will get even support to all body parts as you spread yourself on the bed, thereby permitting your spine to remain in a neutral posture.

Pain Out

Pressure point relief and support relieve the back, hip and shoulders pains and prevent them, too.

Happily Ever After

Excellent durability and lifespan make them last up to 8-10 years. Besides, they sag lesser.

Each to Their Own

Memory foam mattresses can adjust to any sleeping posture as visco-foam adjusts to every body part evenly.

Bye! Mites

With them, you can say good-bye to dust mites which thrive in every bedroom and cause allergies. They also prevent other allergens like mold and pet dander from entering the mattress.

Flipping? What’s That?

It’s a low-maintenance item. Besides a few annual rotations and vacuuming, you wouldn’t need to do much here.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

4 × five =

Scroll to Top