* Are you looking for help to sleep but can't or don't want to spend out on an expensive new mattress? * Have you just purchased a new mattress but now find that it's too hard for you and not quite as comfortable as you thought it would be? * Are you looking for something to make your comfortable bed an even bigger pleasure to sleep in? Although memory foam mattresses, especially the Tempur Pedic (R) brand, are the ultimate in providing the help to sleep you are looking for, they are quite expensive. You might want to take a look at other products that are available that can make your life more comfortable without having to spend a lot of money. If the alternatives make a big difference then you can decide whether to invest in a new mattress at a later date. The most common alternative products to try are memory foam pillows and toppers. If you have a hard mattress then you can put a memory foam topper on top of your existing mattress to make your bed softer. However, don't try this if your mattress is too soft for you in the first place because a topper or memory foam pad will only make it softer. It must be just right for you, not too hard and not too soft. If you have problems with aching neck and shoulders when you wake up then the first thing to do is to try a memory foam pillow. You might find that the additional support that you get from a memory foam pillow rather than a softer traditional one can make a lot of difference to you. Memory foam pillows come in two basic types, there are traditional shaped pillows and those that are shaped to fit into the curve of your neck and support your head. The pre-formed pillows are usually sold with a fitted cover but you can also use standard pillowcases with them. My mother gets a lot of pain in her shoulders and neck because she has cervical spondilitis. We bought a shaped memory foam pillow for her to see if it would make any difference and help with the pain. She took a long time getting used to the new pillow but now she wouldn't be without it. She says that it helps her to sleep far better than the old pillows ever did. She even takes it with her when she goes visiting. You only need the one pillow for the correct amount of support so don't buy more than one. You can get memory foam pillows that are the normal pillow shape but they tend to be slightly more expensive because they use more foam and they are not likely to be as supportive. The same high-density visco-elastic foam that is used in the construction of mattresses is used in toppers and pillows. Its density governs the softness of the foam with 4lbs per cubic foot being softer than 5lbs per cubic foot. Tempur Pedic (R) appear to use foam with a density of 5.34 lbs per cubic foot which is high quality and one of the reasons for the higher cost. You can get toppers in different thickness but typically they tend to be about 2 to 3 inches thick. This is approximately the same thickness as you might find in a mattress construction with the foam layer bonded to a firmer core. Memory foam is too soft to be used on its own in a mattress so a firm supportive core is always used. As for cost, the less dense the foam, the cheaper it is, but to get the best benefit, it is recommended to not use a density of less than 4lbs per cubic foot. |
