UKC

I've a very old mattress and am now waking up through the night and in the morning with back ache and a sore neck. Don't know whether to invest in a new conventional mattress or go for a memory foam toppper and memory foam pillow?
Anyone suggestions?

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:

We're about to buy a memory foam topper but our mattress is fine - it's more to give it a softer smoother feel. I'm not sure a topper will change an old mattress that's giving you back and neck problems. May be wrong on that of course...

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:

New mattress where the (integrated) top-layer is memory foam?

Seriously, go try out some mattresses, it's not as simple as one type being better than another as there's huge differences in quality (and price) and you need to figure out how soft/hard you want your new mattress to be. If you can't sleep properly, it's time for a new mattress and a topper alone won't be enough I reckon.

In reply to Steph-in-the-West: We spent £100 on a decent thickness memory foam topper and also spent the next year moving the bstrd thing back to place cause it kept sliding around (ahem... with some help...) Id say invest in a new mattress.

In reply to Jamming Dodger:

Have you found a way from stopping it sliding around (apart from abstinence, that is)?

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:
Get a new mattress, a foam topper won't add the necessary support to a knackered mattress.

In reply to jon: Yes. We bought a new mattress.

In reply to Steph-in-the-West: Buy a new matress with an in built memory foam top. I did and its like sleeping on a cloud and never had back ache again.

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:

Get a new one. Old mattresses start collapsing and sagging in places (mostly the middle) which a topper won't remedy. Get a decent one and it'll last about 10 years (with care). We did this recently and made a huge difference! Spend a while trying them in a shop and don't rush it.

In reply to Steph-in-the-West: New mattress. As for the memory foam, I like it but not everyone does, it does make you feel very hot.

In reply to Steph-in-the-West: We bought one of these memory foam mattresses a couple of years ago and I have to say I have never slept in a more comfortable bed ever! I can't speak for the pillows though. They don't really seem right to me.

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:
We got a new mattress recently to try and help my partner's back and hip pain. Went for memory foam and has definitely helped him a lot. I hated it for 3 days (felt too soft) but now wouldn't swap it for anything

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:

A couple of years ago we changed ourr mattress for a faily high density spri=ung one with MF topper after suffering back pain...little change basically. It felt nince n firm in the ship but quickly lost that initial feel - and it was quite a denet one too. next time I'll just fork out more for more springs

Chain hotel beds often seem good - try finding their makes!

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:
New mattress, also check the base is giving correct support.

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:
I got one of these. Goes straight onto a fixed base, no need for a base with extra springs.

It is FAB, have never looked back. Great to sleep on, to have breakfast in bed on, to lounge on and read...to..er...'bounce' on.

The cost is not cheap, but it has a minumum of a ten-year life.

It is actually a high-density foam, with specially sculpted laser-cut blocks and channels that allow the sticky-out bits of you (shoulders, hips, etc) to sink in while the rest remains supported; the channels allow moisture and heat to flow away, thus allowing you to stay non-sweaty in bed (and allows the mattress to air out, thus avoiding the unpleasantness of various small creatures sharing your moist mattress with you!)

There is also an option to have the same mattress wiht a tempur-type foam topper built in.

I found the tempur-foam pillows to be useless- like lying on a brick, once it mouled to shape. I had to chuck mine and go back to a normal pillow.

Sxx

In reply to Sarah G:
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A minimum LOL, it will be minging, people sweat roughly a quarter pint per night never mind other bodily fluids + skin cells and whatever, you may put a mattress protector on and it may have a washable removeable cover, but the core will be lousy. Would you wear a pair of Pyjamas for 10 years?

Hi Everyone - thanks for all your advice. It seems that a new mattress gets most votes, so I guess it's off to the nearest furniture store and some serious lying down this weekend......

In reply to sjc: I had the same mattress from age 2 to age 18. My current mattress is past the 10-year mark, OH thinks it's wearing out, but he's heavier than me. Do you really worry about the hygiene of your mattress that much? does anyone?

In reply to ceri:

Do I, no as I change mine every 6/8 years. Does anyone, probably not, but do they realise how filthy they are, also I bet there are a lot of people who would be ashamed to show there friends there mattress, all stained with 10 or 15 years worth of sweat, urine, semen and blood, lovely stuff

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:

I have had lower bakc problems for yers now and recently got a new matress. About as firm as I was able to get without going to hospital suppliers and it's brilliant.

I really loathe memory foam - I find it good for nothing, based on the few beds/matresses (maybe 4-5) I've slept on which have had it.

In reply to ceri:

I know a lot of folk who are pretty fastidious about matress hygeine. You'd be shocked if you saw even a 2 year old one through a microscope! Haven't you seen those documentaries on tv?! Personally, I'm not too bothered, but I don't kid myself it's not an issue.

In reply to Steph-in-the-West: We bought memfoam mattress after weeks going around all the bed store/shops and memfoam pillows as well, all i can say is Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz every night.

In reply to sjc:
people sweat roughly a quarter pint per night

Isn't it nearer 1 pint lost in sweat?

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:

A downside of a topper is that fitted sheets don't fit properly anymore and keep coming adrift. I had to get king size sheets to get enough tucked in underneath the normal size mattress

In reply to sjc:
>...stained with 10 or 15 years worth of sweat, urine, semen and blood...

My god, what do you do in your bed? On Second thoughts, I think I'd rather not know.

I'm sure most people would be shocked to see most things under a microscope, it doesn't mean you should change your mattress every few years. I think the western world's going a bit soft, there's probably more people in the world sleeping on the floor than on plush new mattresses. Get a new one if it's giving you back pain but getting a new mattress because it's got some bacteria in it is a lame reason. Unless you get up to the same bedroom activities as sjc, maybe invest in a waterproof cover as well, keep the worst of the blood and urine off.

In reply to Sharp:
Sweat we have agreed on.
Semen, well we are all grown up.
Urine, people do have little leaks apparently.
Blood, you know when your girlfriend gets a bit moody, well sometimes she might leak a little as well.
And a wareproof cover just makes a mattress feel horrible.

In reply to sjc:

Pretty good argument for keeping other people out of your bed! Either let the stork do the work or have sex in the basement.

In reply to sjc:
What, and you buy a new mattress every year, do you?

In reply to Sarah G:
Come on Sarah, read the thread, I said every 6 or 8 years, but I would love it if people bought one every year.

In reply to ceri:

Nah. It has a protector on it under the sheet, and no obvious stains on the mattress itself. I have no intention of looking at it under the microscope - sure, it might look scary, but then so would lots of other things in the house. I'll consider replacing it when it gets uncomfy (which it shows no signs of after 10+ years - OH and I are both quite light, which I imagine helps....)

In reply to sjc:


There is this wonderful invention called a mattress protector. You put it on and then wash it ever month or so. It means your mattress remains nice and clean and all the blood, sweat and tears are washed away.

In reply to sjc:
I did. You were being silly.

Sxx

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:
Had neck/back problems for 20 yrs, so have to get this right for me. Loved Tempur memory foam, but latest one softened after 4yrs, and not so supportive. Tempur 10yr warranty worthless as softening is apparently 'normal'. Getting rid, and instead bought non memory-foam mattress - (Watterlatex Vision Deluxe) from a London back care shop.
£500 delivered for King size. Persuaded 4 other people with back problems to do the same, and they have all had best sleep in years, with alleviation of pain, stiffness, and less waking up/moving during night. Essential that mattress placed on a good slatted base, or limiting yourself to just 50% gains. Long term comfort comes from good posture, not from initial judgement as to whether mattress comfy, soft, or whatever.

In reply to monkeys:

This sounds what I need - do you have a web-link or store name? How did you know what firmness to get?

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:
Back2 are in London. There are other great products and retailers out there too. Tempur/Memory foam WAS king in back-care industry, but no back-care specialists sell any more, as better products available at lower cost. R&D and materials have moved on.
Firmness - took advice from Back2, and went for mid-range level.
Feels v.firm compared to memory-foam, but as mentioned earlier, long term comfort comes from good posture, not firmness, and for specialist products, the firmness will never be so much as to impair dynamic qualities of mattress.

2yrs ago, my brother spent £800 on 'comfy' mattress from bed shop. Slowly, developed neck/back problems from body responding to mattress, rather than other way round. Now has mattress mentioned earlier, and has sorted his posture.
Good luck. Take your time making right decision.

In reply to monkeys:
Also recommend M-Line pillow for neck problems. Spent £££hundreds over last 2 decades, and this is best so far. V.expensive at £130, and not for everyone. Choice of pillow probably far more individual than choice of mattress, and there are LOADS to try out at specialist retailers.

In reply to monkeys:

Hi - thanks for great advice - I'll have a good look at these....

In reply to Steph-in-the-West:
Hi,
the Watterlatex Vision Deluxe is a completely different concept to the Memory foam type mattress, in that the main advanatge of the Memory foam types of which Tempur is one of the better (but overpriced) examples is that it is pressure relieving (they are really called Visco Elastic - Memory foam), the pressure releiving qualities are particularly beneficial if you suffer with things such as Arthritis, Sciatica and other things where pressure is an issue.
The Watterlatex Vision Deluxe however is actually a more sophisticated product in that it is non pressure relieving but it is Zoned so that it can give different levels of support to different parts of your body. A big advantage of the Watterlatex Vision Deluxe is that it can and should be turned, usually you would put it Winter side up about a month ago and rotate it once a month and then as we get to March flip over to the summer side and keep rotating, this means that wear patterns are kept even. A memory foam mattress cannot usually be turned as they are one sided, and in my experience tend to last 5/7 years where as waterlattex matts do tend to last 10/12 years but I would change after 8 as they are starting to lose resilencesupport and joking aside are getting unhygenic.
It is also very important that your mattress has correct support, a slatted base is ideal so long as the slats are close enough together, and a platform base is okay but watch out for ventilation problems causing mould (airing once a week is a great idea) and an OLD sprung base is just about the worst thing you can use as it will not give support and it will be filthy.
Cheers sjc

In reply to sjc:

Hi - thanks for your info on this one - hadn't heard of it, so I'll research this along with the other one
Cheers - Steph