Ever since I dropped all this weight, I totally hate sleeping in our bed.  Apparently, my fat used to provide much needed cushioning because I now wake up with pain in my back, my shoulders, my hips, and sometimes even in my neck.  All of a sudden, I even feel pain in my ribs when I roll out of bed in the morning. Granted, that my ribs are starting to protrude for the first time in my adult life, but for the life of me I never expected to feel pain from sleeping.  The mattress is a four year old top of the line Stearns and Foster that came with a steep 3K+ price tag. At the time I was close to 400lbs and thought that the firmer the mattress, the more resilient it would be to my weight.  That was before I decided to have RNY and lost so much weight.

Now I'm in the market for a new mattress, so my wife and I went out to test out some plush and ultra-plush inner spring mattresses, and after trying about 30 different ones, we came to the realization that even the most plush inner spring, with the most luxurious pillow-top, still causes a ton of pressure and pain.

While moving from mattress to mattress in the store, we unintentionally landed on a memory foam mattress which was pretty firm at first touch, but didn't create any pressure on my sore spots.  The sales person then led us to some "plush" memory foam mattresses and I have to admit that I really liked them a lot more than the inner spring variety.

Unfortunately, I know so little about memory foam that I left without making a new mattress purchase, but at least I have something to research now.  I'm going to do some research, and thought I would post here and find out if anybody has any experience with memory foam mattresses.

If you sleep on one, please let me know your impressions.

Thanks,
Jim

 My mom has a bad back and she sleeps on a memory foam mattress..she hates sleeping anywhere else. She has mentioned that they are warmer(but they also live in Texas) so she has an extra fan in room. Best of luck!

Hi Jim,

They sell memory foam toppers for your regular mattress, so you might want to try that out before investing in a whole new mattress. It was enough for me to use with my last bed. I also LOVE the sleep number bed. Have you tried one of those yet?

Happy Shopping!
Kat

People I know who have one, really love it. I have a mattress with a memory foam top and it is really comfy. I like how it cradles you.

Hey there!

I've got a bad back and wake up every morning with issues... and I'd LOVE to have a memory foam mattress except for one thing.  Another person mentioned that they are hot... and yes, they are.  I had a mattress topper that was awesome and didn't make me hurt, but I swear, I'd wake up bathed in sweat.  It comforms around you so well that you barely move... and the heat just builds. 

I've heard that there are supposedly ones that aren't as hot due to some ventilation system/coring built in, but I haven't done much research into it yet.  I might at some point, because the foam really did help... even though I have to sleep on my side to avoid my lower back hurting worse, I end up with my hip and shoulder aching each morning, as well as my ribs, too.  So trust me, I hear ya on this!

Good luck... hope you figure something out!


tori

I have a sleep number bed. You should try it. They are super comfy! I live my bed!

 I too have a sleep number bed and you can change it as needed!

I too feel your pain!! I bought a foam topper for my bed and it made all the difference. It came with its own cover that extends down over the mattress. I imagine if I only used that cover it would be hot. I use a basic quilted cotton matress pad under my fitted sheet and I don't get overheated. I never have to use the AC here, so if I don't get hot you probably wouldn't get too hot.
The foam topper is pretty reasonable, $140 at Costco.
Good luck figuring it out!
Sara in Maui

I just spent an hour researching mattresses online. Now I've decided that I want a new mattress too.

I get pain from pressure points in my bed but I wanted to hold off on getting a new one until I lose weight. I don't want to prematurely wear out a new bed while I'm still heavy! I'm thinking a topper might extend the life of mine and make it tolerable until I'm ready for a new one.

Darn you, Jim, for making me want to spend money! lol jk

I'll be interested to know what you end up purchasing. It may help me make my ultimate decision.

I feel your pain, literally!!  What I did was buy a 4 inch memory foam pad and topped that with a feather bed that has the sides that cover the mattress. I recently moved and my brothers were laughing hysterically calling me the "princess and the pea" . Bony people need sleep too!

If you decide on a new mattress that is memory foam, a cover is definitely a necessity as they do hold the heat.

I haven't had surgery yet but I have a Tempurpedic mattress and love it. I have had mine for about eight years now, I wouldn't sleep on anything else. My parents just purchased one and they love it. I heard that they have gone up in price since I purchased mine but well worth it.

 I used to think memory foam was hot, but that was before surgery. Now it feels much cooler and I sleep like a baby. Wouldn't change for anything!

Yep, a new mattress was needed at my house after surgery as well.  We bought the sleep number mattress and I have to admit that I absolutely love it, as does my hubby.

You really need to check out Sleep Number. They have a new Memory Foam bed called the M7 that sleeps cool due to gel being infused with the memory foam and it  allows you to change the softness and firmness with the touch of a button!  Its really the best of both worlds.

 Another mattress system you might want to check out is Natural Form sleep systems.

sorry kind of long....

I had to get a new bed due to very large herniated disc in lower back..i had slept on a water bed for oh so many years and sleeping on a regular bed just plain HURT everything...so i went bed shopping, i tried them all...the reveiws on the sleep number bed were good..but for some reason there was a problem that was sited alot, something about the pump thingy and that it was not covered under warranty....the repair was like $200.00 or so..i know personally a work friend that had the sleep number and had to have the repair done...my parent had the same type of bed, and they too have had problems with theirs..they had the adjustable base and each side of the bed has a problem...like my dads side the feet wont go up and on my moms side, the head wont go up....so i got a memory foam bed....adjustable base...you have to get 2 xtra long singles put them side by side....i make the bed with deep pocket king sheets and we look like just one bed...i did not get the tempurpedic as that was too much money....i got a 10 inch memory foam bed...i did invest in the tempurpedic water proof cover for the memory foam....i call it i a skin, its that thin, like when you pull off dried glue from your hand..its that thin...but works great...the only problem with the memory foam bed and that was on the reviews also was that you sleep HOT, and you do....the foam forms to fit your body and you just get snuggly wuggly in the bed and you do wake up hot and sweaty...so i that is why you need that "SKIN thing" to protect your foam..i only wash my skin like 1-2 times a year..i did get a down filled mattress pad to put ontop of the skin and that gets put in the dryer every time i do the laundry, i spray it with so.me spray and just dry it with a dryer sheet and then wa**** like 1-2 times a year, i have to take it to the laundry matt as they have huge washers for that...
i sleep with my head up at an angle, and my feet up so kinda like in a V shape, but not that drastic...hubby sleeps flat, that is why you need the deep pocket sheets unless you are going to buy the xtra long twin sheets, but most of them are for kids or college kids so not the colors and styles i wanted....and i wanted the look of just one king bed...
i got my girls the 4 inch memory foam bed topper from wal mart for christmas and they both just love their meds..i did go and get the skins from the bed store as they are worth the money spent on the skins..since they are water proof and you do sweat..i am thinking about getting the stay cool sheets, but thats like $200.00 so just not worth it right now...

email if you have any more questions..sorry this was so long...but with the purchase of a new bed is a huge cost, and like my hubby said, we are going to die in this bed that is why we got the adjustable bases, i love mine, will come in handy when we get to our golden years later one...but coming out of a long term water bed sleeper of like 35 years, going into a regular bed was mind blowing....
hope this helps
debby

"impressions"  - I get it - ha ha ha

 

The sleep number bed is now coming out with the memory foam topper, so maybe you can get the best of both. We have a memory foam topper from Costco for about $100 on sale. I could not afford the sleep number bed. If I were rich, I would buy one you can tilt the head up and down like a hospital bed made of foam. Last I checked on them they were $6,000. Way to much for a poor boy.

We have a sleep number bed that my husband and I both like. We tried out the adjustable one in the store and I didn't think that it was comfortable when adjusted so we went with the regular sleep number bed.

My SIL has a craftmatic bed she swears by and she has considerable skeletal problems.

Good luck on finding a more comfortable bed. I always say "sleep is important." It's our time to recharge and heal and "perchance to dream."

I had a Sterns and Foster mattress too and it had a STEEP price tag.  Like you I went with a really firm mattress because of my weight.  My parents have a Sterns and Foster that they have slept on for YEARS and they love it so I considered it money well spent at the time....

But I've had to have it exchanged THREE times in the last year because of defects and warranty issues.  After the third exchange, I requested a refund on my money written by a friend that's a lawyer.  I then purchased a sleep number bed that was 1/2 the cost and I LOVE that mattress!!!

If you can, go to a sleep number store and try one out.  Then...order it online for the discount...QVC sells them and they have easy pay so no interest on your credit card!