Memory Foam Mattress
What is a Memory Foam mattress?
The Memory Foam (or viscoelastic) mattress was developed originally for NASA (about 30 years ago), but has made a resurgence amongst buyers who are after a good night’s sleep.
The reason it is called “memory” foam is because the mattress contours to the person’s body shape, providing support evenly over the body rather than have pressure concentrated around certain points of the body like hips, feet and shoulders. The mattress is pressure or temperature sensitive and has the ability to compress to a new shape, and remember this shape even after the person has left the bed. It will eventually revert back to the original shape, but after quite a while.
A memory mattress is denser than normal foam, which makes it more supportive.
What is it made from?
The secret of the Memory Foam Mattress is that they are not like other foam mattresses. The polyurethane (combined with other chemicals) is what the mattresses are made of and forms springy resilient material, which is slow to recover back to its original shape. Memory foam material is also heat sensitive.
What are the advantages of this type of mattress?
A Memory Foam Mattress is extremely comfortable. Many people swear by it and say that and the foam mattress minimises partner disturbance, gives people a better night sleep and can help improve interrupted sleep patterns. Those who are true believers say that once you sleep on a Memory Foam bed, you will not to sleep in anything else.
The fact that there is less resistance to the joints of one’s body has made this style of mattress popular with young and old alike. In fact, hospitals and nursing homes use them to help prevent pressure ulcers on patients who are forced to lie in the same position for a length of time.
A Memory Foam Mattress does not need to be turned as normal ones do and are considered a huge thing in the orthopaedic and health care markets.
What are the drawbacks?
Whilst many find these foam mattresses very comfortable, there are others who do not. Some complain that the
mattress is too firm and not comfortable if you like to change positions during the night.
There have been cases of some less than reputable companies putting inexpensive fillers into the foam, rather than the more expensive fillers that are used normally. You are then getting a second rate mattress without the comfort it is designed to bring. Safety standards have probably improved by now, but there have been concerns in the past about the flammability of the materials.
Memory foam mattresses are more expensive than other foam mattresses, but that is offset by the quality.
Types of Memory Foam Mattresses
Tempurpedic matresses (which are high density viscoelastic foam) are very expensive because they are made of a raw material called resin, rather than air.
The Bamboo memory foam bed is made of 100% bamboo pulp fibre that is bio-degradable. Like the Bamboo Shades, this natural product is becoming a very popular eco-friendly mattress.
You can also buy Memory Foam Mattress toppers. These are great for adding an extra layer of comfort to that guest bed or your own.
Usually manufacturers of the Memory Foam Mattress will offer a life time guarantee because they are so sure of their product and the therapeutic benefits of owning one. Normal mattresses may last 10 or so years, and a Latex Mattress may last 25 years, but these particular mattresses are for life.
