Memory foam was initially developed by NASA to use in the space program when they were looking for something to help absorb and distribute the pressure placed on astronauts during takeoff of the space shuttle.  It never made it into the space program, but because of the pressure relieving properties it found a new home in the medical field.  Doctors found that patients experiencing back pain or recovering from surgery were much more comfortable and were able to get a higher quality rest on memory foam mattresses than on the typical innerspring bed.

The reasons for this are because of the inherent properties of memory foam.  Memory foam is a conforming material.  Instead of “pushing back” against your body when you lay down on it, memory foam absorbs your energy and slowly conforms to your body’s natural shape.  This allows you to sleep at a better posture and also allows for significantly improved circulation.  Memory foam also offers significantly reduced motion transfer.  I’m sure that by now most of you have seen the Tempur-pedic commercial with people jumping on one of their mattresses with a wine glass on the other side.  The reason for this is because of the nature of the open cell memory foam.

There are other advantages to owning a memory foam mattress.  For one, memory foam offers a consistent feel.  After the initial break-in period (usually about a week), your mattress should feel exactly the same every night when you go to bed until the cells give way and begin to degrade.  On the memory foam products that we offer (Sealy Trueform, Simmons Comforpedic and Tempur-pedic) that is approximately 20 years, which also coincides with the length of the product warranties.  Memory foam mattresses also are hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant.

There are many different memory foam manufacturers and types of memory foam.  There are two main factors you can use to compare different memory foam products, foam density and ILD (Indentation Load Deflection). ILD is a measure of how much pressure it takes to compress the foam 25% of its’ thickness.  The higher the ILD rating, the more firm the foam will feel.  In general, the more dense the foam, the higher quality it is, but you usually want to have a good combination of density and ILD.  For example, Tempur-Pedic’s memory foam (Tempur foam) has a density of 5.3 lb/ft3 and an ILD of 14.  Tempur-pedic and Sealy Trueform memory foams generally are slightly higher in ILD and are slow recovery memory foams.  What that means for you is that it will feel a little firmer and will take about 1-2 minutes to fully contour to your body shape.  Simmons’ NxG memory foam is a quick recovery foam and is lower in ILD, which means it will feel softer initially and will react more quickly to your movement.

As I previously stated, new memory foam mattresses are going to have a slight break in period.  During that time, you may also notice that your mattress will have a slight smell to it.  This due to the product being bagged and packed so soon after being manufactured and typically subsides within a week or so.  The best way to speed up this process is to leave a window open in your bedroom with your sheets and blankets removed from your mattress and to turn on a fan.  This typically helps to alleviate the smell within 2-3 days.

With all of the advantages to memory foam, there can be some drawbacks.  Because you are dealing with solid layers of foam, memory foam can sleep warmer than your typical innerspring or latex mattress.  This has been a recognized issue in the past and manufacturers have made significant strides in reducing heat retention.  Tempur-pedic utilizes air flow systems between the layers in their mattresses that allow hot air to more freely escape.  Sealy Trueform utilizes Outlast technology, which pulls your body heat away from the surface of the mattress and releases it later as the surface begins to cool.  This helps to keep the temperature of their mattresses constant throughout the night.  Simmons Beautyrest NxG models contain Simmons’ proprietary NxG memory foam, which is non-temperature sensitive and is able to dissipate heat more quickly.  As well, the feel of memory foam isn’t something that everyone likes or gets used to.  If you aren’t sure if a memory foam bed is right for you, see if there is a way you can try it out first.  Tempur-pedic has a 90 night comfort trial on all of their mattresses.

When looking at memory foam mattresses, it is best to look at it is an investment in your comfort and overall health.  After all, you spend approximately 1/3 of your life sleeping, so don’t you want to make the most of that time?

Blake Bevard
Director of Internet Operations