Recently, we’ve started to experience back discomfort, lack of sleep, tiredness, and other physical issues that are largely brought on by the bed we sleep on. To help their patients sleep well at night, orthopedics have started recommending memory foam mattresses. Because they provide a soft, firm, and customized level of comfort unlike other conventional mattresses, memory foam mattresses have been very popular over the years. Memory foam mattresses are incredibly comfortable, long-lasting, and assist your body to have a restorative sleep by properly aligning your posture.
Types of Memory Foam Mattress
Traditional Memory Foam
If you are looking for affordability over comfortability, then a traditional memory foam mattress is the right choice. They are made up of petroleum-based polymer (also known as polyurethane), that retains the heat that comes from your body and produces a slow response to movement, as a result, would be a disturbance for restless sleepers.
Plant-based Memory Foam
Plant-based foams have been introduced to address the concerns arising from traditional memory foam i.e, chemical off-gassing and slow response time of the foam. These kinds of memory foam mattresses are 30% plant-based (mostly soy) and 70% petroleum-based, which constructs an open-cellular structure for breathable foam as well as being more responsive.
Gel Memory Foam
Gel memory foam mattresses are regarded as the best since they maintain a long time and provide moldable support, stability, and back pain therapy depending on the firmness level. This memory foam mattress is made either by adding gel beads (swirling liquid gel) to the foam or by adding gel on top of the cushion layer, both of which contribute to cooling by absorbing body heat and regulating warmth when the body’s metabolic rate slows.
Open-cell memory foam
These types of memory foam mattresses are designed with spongy passages that let the heat escape as you sleep. Open-cell memory foam reduces sound waves more efficiently due to its thick and soft materials.
Copper-infused memory foam
A recent innovation on the market is copper-infused memory foam mattresses, which function by absorbing the sleeper’s body heat and dispersing it evenly throughout the layer of the foam mattress.
Advantages and Disadvantages of using a Memory Foam Mattress
Pros
The following is a list of benefits of choosing a memory foam mattress over others.
- Since nighttime tossing and turning is the main contributor to poor sleep, they are probably to lessen it.
- Their uniform weight distribution adequately supports your body and prevents unpleasant pressure points.
- Because memory foam mattresses don’t press against sore spots on the body, injuries might heal more quickly.
- Unlike ordinary mattresses, which after a few years of usage might have up to 10 million dust mites within, these mattresses are designed with materials that are immune to allergies.
Cons
Memory foam mattresses have received significant criticism throughout the months. These have consisted of:
- Heat: Sometimes buyers of memory foam mattresses lament the fact that the material gets heated at rest, which might be pleasant in the cold but is ultimately unpleasant, notably if you tend to get warm at night. A cooling system is now included with certain memory foam mattresses, though.
- Harsh chemicals: also when memory foam mattresses had first been produced, they were contaminated with a variety of hazardous substances, including formaldehyde. Less harsh chemicals are utilized today because of government laws and public awareness. Memory foam isn’t always as ecologically responsible as other traditional comforters, though.
- The quicksand result: Some people claim that they feel trapped and as though they are sinking into their beds because memory foam conforms to the shape of the body. Others find it confining, even though for some people, sinking into bed could be comfortable. This common problem is most often caused by temperature-sensitive memory foam.
What to consider while buying a memory foam?
Before purchasing a memory foam mattress, there are a few crucial factors that must be taken into account. Those crucial factors are listed below.
- Firmness: Despite being cozy for many, some people have complained of vague feeling sort of stuck or as though they are sinking deeper into their beds due to memory foam’s flexibility to conform to the person.
- Overheating: Limiting ventilation due to curving out around the body has the potential to heat accumulation on the flesh and in the memory foam mattress.
- Mattress thickness: Particularly for young couples and expectant women, a longer and thicker mattress could be more comforting and happy. But for people with restricted mobility, a flatter mattress might be a better option because it might be simpler for them to get in and out of than a thicker one.
- Longevity: Memory foam mattresses typically have an eight to ten-year lifespan.
- Allergies: The substance of a memory foam mattress largely prevents bed bugs, dust mites, pollen, and dust from infiltrating the mattress.
- Mattress base: Memory foam mattresses function well with platform beds, slat foundations, or adjustable bases rather than boxed springs.
