Thursday, June 5, 2008

Memory Foam Mattress: Providing Unrivaled Sleep

By Fabian Toulouse

Do you have trouble falling asleep at night? Do you toss and turn forever, feeling as if you get more exercise while you are in bed than you do during the day? Do you wake up in the morning feeling as if you have been hit by a truck, complete with a sore back and aching knees? For many people, getting a restful night's sleep is as illusive as the Holy Grail.

Buying a high quality mattress can eliminate a world of problems, from sleepless nights to painful joints. Unfortunately, most traditional spring mattresses do not provide the contouring needed for a restorative night's rest; they do not offer uniform support. Spring mattresses, therefore, put significant pressure on hips and shoulder joints, causing discomfort. In hospital and nursing home patients, in fact, that kind of pressure can cause sores and, in some cases, lead to gangrene.

A memory foam mattress, however, uses modern material to evenly distribute body weight, keeping pressure from being focused in one spot. The dense polyurethane foam was actually made by NASA. It was never employed in the space program, but it found its first application in the medical profession, helping to reduce the incidences of the aforementioned bed sores. At first, memory foam cost too much for the general public, but now these mattresses, pillows, and mattress "toppers" are becoming wholly accessible.

The foam works by reacting to body warmth to mould itself to the sleeper's form. It takes a few minutes for the denser mattresses to conform to your position, but the effect is well worth it. Replacing your existing mattress can make a astonishing difference, but it is quite possible that your old one is often acceptable with the addition of a mattress topper. As long as your existing mattress is solid and the springs are sound, a topper is a good solution. If your old bed is full of depressions and gaps, however, a topper will be of no help.

If you have forgotten what a full night's sleep feels like, if you despise waking up in pain or feeling like you have not slept a bit, a memory foam mattress may be just what the doctor ordered.

About the Author:


No comments: