Help Turek purchase a mattress

In My Humble Opinion
1

Ok, I’ve had it, and I’m looking for Dopers to help me.

For the past couple of years I’ve been struggling with mattresses and the mattresses are winning.

Several years ago, I bought mattress. It wasn’t too expensive, about $600 for the mattress and box springs, and it was a name you’d recognize (although I’ll be durned if I can remember what it was). After a couple of years, maybe 3, the mattress had developed a significant sag in the middle and I noticed my back was hurting when I’d go to get out of bed. Now, note: I’m single and I only weigh about 130 pounds, so it wasn’t as if I was putting a lot of stress on the mattress.

So, I went to where I bought it and they agreed to replace it with a new model. Yoohoo, I thought, a new mattress so my back won’t hurt.

I’ve been sleeping on the new mattress for about 2 years not. It’s not sagging, but my back hurts when I get up.

This is where the story gets ugly.

I decided to give into hype and try one of the heavily advertised mattresses: The Sleep Number bed. Everyone I spoke to (or who posted on my thread here) said they liked theirs, and since I could return it and get my money back, I figured it couldn’t hurt to try. So try it I did. After a couple weeks, I decided I hated it. At the setting I was most comfortable with (25, I think), the bed basically swallowed me. I was sleeping on a layer of air about an inch thick and laying abou 4 inches below the surface of the bed. And it wasn’t even that comfortable. It felt like I was camping in my bedroom. So, I sent it back.

I moved my mattress back into the master bedroom and slept on it for several more months. My back would still bother me when I got up.

Once again, I gave into hype, only this time I purchased a Tempur-Pedic, again on the recommendations of others. Ok, I’m sure this is a quality product. I’m sure it’s very comfortable for some people. For me, it’s the worst thing I’ve ever slept on. I toss and turn all night, trying to get comfortable, I’ve developed purple bags under my eyes from not sleeping, and when I get up, it feels like dragons have been using my back for a trampoline all night. I’m calling them today and telling them to come and get it, and once again moving my old mattress back into the master bedroom.

Ok, so here’s my plea: Please, please, PLEASE, either teach me what I’m doing wrong when buying a mattress, or recommend a GREAT conventional mattress to me. All I want is a good night’s sleep and to wake up not feeling like I slept twisted like a pretzel.

2

Well, I’ve been going through the same thing recently so I can sympathize. My I suggest a couple of things? First, go to a good mattress/department store in your area and spend a lot of time laying on samples. Plan to spend at least an hour, and spend a good 10 minutes at least on the two or three you think you like the best. If the salespeople try to rush you, ignore them. If they try to pressure you into buying right away, ignore them. There are always sales, always a deal, so it really doesn’t matter that much. Oh, and if you know there’s a store that doesn’t pay its sales people by commission (here in the NYC area, I found that Rockaway Bedding is on that model), consider trying them first - their salespeople are more likely to be low key, I’ve found.

Ok, that’s all procedure. Mattresses are so highly idiosyncratic that it’s hard to give advice, but I can say what’s worked for me: individual coil beds, of which Simmons is the best-known brand. There’s a key difference in mattress architecture: most conventional mattresses have coils in a connected grid. But most Simmons mattresses, and a few models from other brands, use individual pocketed coils. It gives a very different feel to the bed, because it isolates the sleeper more - you don’t feel like the whole bed is moving with you. I’ve always liked it, and now that my b.f. is sleeping over a lot I appreciate it even more. But some people hate it.

Another option to consider: using a platform instead of a box spring. It has the effect of making the mattress feel even firmer, because a box spring gives a bit more than a platform does, but I’ve found I really like it. You do have to be careful about which mattress model you buy, though - some of them have warranties that only work with the matching box spring.

Lastly, if you’re having a lot of low back pain, the real problem may be more the ergonomics of your workstation than your mattress. Assuming you’re a desk worker, try elevating your computer monitor, playing with chair height, and sitting up straight the way Gramma told you.

Good luck! – Oxy

3

Thanks OxyMoron for some good advice.

The pain I get is more middle-to-upper. I’d put it about an inch or so below the bottoms of my shoulder blades.

4

You may want to try a firmer mattress if you’re having back problems. The softer the mattress, the less support your back is getting. For a firm mattress with a soft feel, you may want to try a pillow top mattress. I think several different companies make them. We’ve had ours since we got married, just over three years ago, and we still love it. Not too hard, not too soft, just right! Good luck!

5

Agreed, you need to go firmer. Many people don’t feel like firm beds are comfortable enough, but then they wonder why they have back problems. Firm beds are better for you, and once you get used to them, you will wonder how you used to sleep in a soft bed. Nothing is as comfortable as having your spine correctly aligned when you lay down, taking all the pressure off your back muscles. Your hips should feel like they are at the same height as your ribcage.

Sleep number 25 is way too soft. I tried out those SelectComfort beds and my sleep number was in the 80’s.

A previous poster recommended a platform over a box spring. That will add firmness but it will also shorten your mattress life severely, since the mattress will be absorbing all of the shock placed on it. This is especially a factor if sitting/kneeling on the bed.

Here’s a good buying tip: Always ask if they have an older model of the same bed in the back at a discounted price. Mattress manufacturers often change the model #'s of the beds every couple of months, but the only actual change to the bed will be the color of the cover, internally the bed is exactly the same. Once you find the bed you like in the store, ask if any of the stores in their chain have the previous discounted model… I saved $200 that way.

6

We just bought a mattress. Firm, too. Works great for us. I don’t have too much advice, since we basically just walked in, tried a few out, and bought the one we liked. I don’t know if you have a store near you, but we went to The Mattress Firm and they were great. The salesguy showed us where everything was, then left us to poke and prod and sit on the mattresses. No hassle or anything. I highly reccomend them.

7

Wasn’t there a study not too long ago that tended to disprove the “firmer is better” claim?

Anyhoo, you might want to check out a Dux mattress. Expensive as hell, but very comfortable. YMMV, of course.