Need Help To Sleep? - Try a Memory Foam Mattress

Do you ever wake up feeling that because you haven't slept well, you really don't want to get out of bed and start the day with a happy smile? The reason might be that your body didn't relax properly because it can't find a comfortable position to sleep in, one that gives support in all the right places such as your knees, hip, waist and neck. One possible solution to this problem is to start sleeping on a memory foam mattress. Unfortunately this option is expensive, so you might want to try a memory foam pillow or mattress topper before you go for the mattress?

In the 1970's NASA developed the first memory foam product for use in the seats of spacecraft. The reason for the foam was to absorb some of the high g-forces that astronauts experience on take off and landing. This was to make it more comfortable for the crew and leave them in a better condition to do their jobs. It wasn't available to the public until the 1990's when it was developed commercially into products such as mattresses. The market has grown quickly since then especially since doctors have been recommending it to relieve complaints such as pressure sores and back pain.

Tempur-Pedic (R) was the first manufacturer of memory foam products which were originally mostly used in hospitals. It wasn't long before they found that patients using the memory foam products appeared to sleep better. They seized the opportunity and began to sell their products to the public. There are a lot more manufacturers in the game nowadays with some of the larger players in the Far East and China.

So, how does it give you help to sleep? Memory foam is visco-elastic which means that it responds to temperature change by becoming softer when it is warm and harder when it is cold. That means your body warmth softens the immediate area of foam and moulds to your shape.

Word of warning - with the cheaper, lower density foams, when the real cold weather sets in, the foam can become as hard as a board or it might turn into soft goo on hot summer nights! The more expensive brands guarantee that they will perform in the way they should through a wide temperature range.

If you're still not sure that sleeping on a memory foam mattress will give you more help to sleep then you might want to try one of the cheaper solutions first. Memory foam pillows are very popular and appear to receive good reviews from users. You can also take a pillow with you on trips. A memory foam topper that you simply lay on top of your existing mattress is another lower cost possibility. Some of the better manufacturers will offer you a trial period to allow you to take the product home to try out and return it if you don't like it. They must be confident that you are going to like it.

Find out from the retailer how the mattress is constructed because there are some important differences in the way they are made. As a general rule mattresses are made with a layer of memory foam about three or four inches thick on top of a denser supportive core. Don't be fooled into thinking that thicker is better; it should be the right thickness for you. If it's too thick then you may sink too far into it, which is not desirable. If you sleep on your front then you should be looking to try out mattresses with two inches of memory foam. Three inches of foam is more suitable if you sleep on your side or if you are of average size. If you are a large or heavy person or you tend to sleep on you back a lot then look for mattresses with four inches of memory foam.

Memory foam does unfortunately have some disadvantages. For one thing, It's expensive. When it's new it gives off a toxic gas that has an odour that some people don't like. The gas is released from the foam when it's new and the effect does wear off quickly when it's used in a room with good ventilation. This could be one of the reasons why it was never actually used in spacecraft because the gas would not have been able to dissipate. If you are sensitive to this gas then perhaps you should be considering alternatives such as a foam latex mattress, which is a natural product.

Make sure that you try out memory foam mattresses in your local stores until you find the one that you like the best. Don't be afraid to lie on them for a reasonable time because it takes a while to mould to your body shape properly. Try not to fall asleep while you are doing it though. When you've found the one you like the best, shop around and use the Internet to find you the best prices and guarantees.

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Steve is a software engineer and invites you to visit his website The Memory Foam Mattress www.thememoryfoammattress.com