Rest of the Sleep Disorders Forum Posting

Posted by Honest Expert on May 11, 2002 at 13:46:09:

In Reply to: Re: mattress--calling Honest Expert posted by corky on May 09, 2002 at 18:31:24:

Hi Corky,

It sounds like you have been working at solving this problem for a while. I hope I can help in some small way.

Just an opinion: Don't buy a mattress from anyone who does not have at least a 30-day comfort guarantee. Don't buy a mattress from anyone whose comfort guarantee does not allow for a full refund (except, perhaps, freight charges).

The mattress you sleep on is very important for the quality of your sleep and how your body feels all day. As you clearly know, a mattress that is not doing the job is a poor choice, regardless of brand, construction or price.

~~NO ONE~~ can know with absolute certainty if a new mattress will be a great choice until you sleep on it for a while. And no one should be stuck with a mattress -- regardless of price -- that is not working for them after 30 days (Within reasonable limits, of course).

In other words, I don't think a "comfort guarantee" is just a good marketing tool, I think it is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY for a store to offer!

When stores DON'T offer a 30-day-plus comfort guarantee, I tend to question whether they are serious about helping their customers find the RIGHT mattress ... or just trying to sell stuff. Less than 30-days is not adequate, because it takes many people 30-days to get used to the feel of a new mattress. Shorter comfort guarantees reduce the return-rate for the store, but do nothing for many customers.

Sealy Crown Jewel:

This is a category of beds, not just a specific model. There are various models under this banner.

As a rule, I believe Sealy is using better materials in the Crown Jewel line, than the rest of the Posturepedic line (It is actually "Crown Jewel Posturpedic"). The two most significant innovations in this line are:

1) The springs have a "pigtail" extension to them that shapes more specifically to the body than the regular Posturepedic springs. These should aid in providing comfort and MAY have some advantage in support (by allowing more surface contact with the body).

2) The Micro-Tek Foundation is far more durable than their regular torsion-bar foundations. As much as Sealy will hate to have me say this, once you have a Micro-Tek foundation, you will probably NEVER need to buy another "box spring," as long as you are not changing sizes. (Spring mattress manufacturers LOVE to have you have to buy a new foundation every time you buy a new mattress. They DEPEND on it!)

I think it is safe to say, if you find a Crown Jewel mattress you LOVE the feel of, it would be a good purchase. The quality of materials are good and Sealy has a very good reputation.

Simmons World Class:

Like the Crown Jewel, this is a line of mattresses, not a particular model.

Simmons claim to fame is the "individually pocketed coil" mattress. This design allows the springs to have more freedom of movement to shape to your body than tied-together coils. (It is this same type of "shaping" that Sealy is trying to achieve with the Crown Jewel's "pigtail" design).

It is my belief, generally, that individually pocketed coils give a little more comfort than tied-together coils, but at a sacrifice of some support. To allow the coils to shape more specifically, they must use a softer spring. If they use a stiffer spring for better support, the mattress becomes too firm for most people.

BUT! This does not necessarily mean the support is inadequate! That will depend more on the individual person, rather than the design. Any one person may lay on both types of mattress and get plenty of support, but perhaps find the individually pocketed coils more comfortable.

The World Class line means these beds are at the upper end of Simmon's selection. Within the "World Class" designation, they have sub-groups like "World Class Exceptionale."

Pretty much any model having the "World Class" designation will be a pretty good mattress. If you find one you LOVE the feel of, it might be a pretty good choice.

I offer only this one warning: I think the "coil-on-coil" designs used in their most expensive models are a gimmick. I think it is a way to improve the STORY they tell, without adding any performance or quality to the mattress! Unfortuantely, those are also the models where they are using their best padding materials, so you may STILL find the feel to be best in them.

Here is my best advice:

1) Dont worry too much about brands, unless you will be moving during the life of the mattress and need to be concerned about warranty coverage. Most mattress manufacturers get their building materials from a few select suppliers, so there are far fewer differences inside than most people realize.

2) Shop around for mattresses based on feel rather than price. Consider only mattresses you LOVE the feel of. There is no point in considering mattresses you don't LOVE ... and price is unimportant on mattresses UNLESS you love them!

3) Spend some time on the mattresses in the store. Lay on the ones you LOVE for 15, 20, or 30 minutes. Pay close attention to how your body feels. Lay in all the positions you likely would at home: Back, side, etc. Mostly, ignore the salesperson, except when they are giving you pertinent information about YOUR sleep needs ... and to have them help you find other models in the store that might have a similar feel.

In other words, keep control of the situation. Don't let the salesperson dictate what you try or how long you try it.

4) Once you find a couple of mattreses you LOVE the feel of, buy the least expensive of those (Whether it is air or "memory foam" or spring; whether it is a national brand or a regional brand).

5) Be sure the store has at least a 30-day, money back comfort guarantee with no loop-holes (like, "after one exchange, you are stuck with it!")

Last 3 things:

First, A fiber-fill body pillow will be cooler than a foam one. I am not surprised you are too hot with a foam body pillow, since you are "insulated" too much on too many sides. I wouldn't let this discourage you from considering a "memory foam" mattress, since, with the right mattress, you may not need the pillow.

Second, neck and shoulder pain is often more a sign that the pillow you sleep on is not working well, rather than the mattress. It may be allowing your neck muscles to be stretched -- or crunched -- throughout the night. A good pillow will continually support the neck and allow the head to rest flat. Mostly, contoured pillows work best for this, whether foam or fiberfill.

The significance of this is: over-working the neck and shoulder muscles can cause other muscles to try to compensate for the irritation. The result can reach all the way to the lower back, causing pain there. Also, if you are irritated in the neck and shoulder, you will almost certainly toss and turn more at night, which is accomplished -- to a great extent -- by using the lower back muscles! You MIGHT be getting too much EXERCISE at night!

I can't tell you how many people I have talked to around the country who have had lower back pain subside because of finding the right pillow (not to mention relief of the neck and shoulder problems)!

Lastly, I'm afraid I cannot tell you a single thing about "Sleepy's." I am not familiar with them. As you can imagine, there are thousands of stores nationwide that I have had no contact with. People in your area would be the best resource for finding about their reputation.

I hope this has been some help.

Good Luck,

Honest Expert

Follow Ups:

• Re: mattress--calling Honest Expert Sandmama 18:26 5/11/02 (2)
  • Sandmama.... Honest Expert 17:17 5/17/02 (1)
    • Re: Sandmama.... figgy 10:52 6/24/02 (0)

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