New memory foam

[englishrose67]

Hi I've just bought a memory foam mattress to help my joints as also got osteoarthritis but slept in it for first time last night and it was really firm but in the shop it was lovely and soft.😢 will it get softer ? As I have always needed a soft bed x

[PMRpro]

I don't really know - it's an expensive mistake when it's wrong isn't it? Did you get it from somewhere with a money-back guarantee?

However the memory foam warehouse says:

"The mattress will need around 4 – 6 hours to fully expand from being tightly rolled up. This process will be faster if the room is warm, as memory foam responds to heat and the material will become more pliable. The mattress may well have been stored in a cooler environment, so this time period will allow the mattress to warm and soften all the way through.

...

Once your mattress has been allowed to fully expand, you can make up your bed and use your new mattress as normal. You will not need to do anything to break your new mattress in apart from sleep in it as you normally would. If memory foam is unfamiliar to you it might just seem a little firmer than the mattress you were used to. Don’t worry, your body will just need some time to adjust to the additional support that it provides; some people can experience mild aches and pains, as with any with any new mattress, but this should subside quickly.

...

The mattress will also soften, particularly within the first two weeks of use. For this reason we recommend that you sleep on your mattress for at least a month before drawing any conclusions as to whether it is suitable. There will also be a very gradual, natural softening over the course of its lifetime, with a typical softening of up to 20% in the first twelve months."

My suspicion would be that the temperature in the shop was higher than in your bedroom - so it would be softer. I imagine too that lots of people have lain on it and softened it up a bit. As they say - any new mattress is a different shape to the one you threw out and your body will notice.

I wonder if maybe an electric blanket on it before going to bed might soften it up a bit - or try laying a duvet on top between you and the mattress to make the top surface a bit softer for now. My daughter benefited from a friend's similar purchase - she got a fantastic mattress for peanuts as he couldn't sleep on it. I never liked memory foam - until I tried hers!

[babssara in reply to PMRpro]

Hi,

I too have just bought a new memory foam mattress. Had mine for two weeks. At first I really thought I didn't like it. But now, my back loves it. Stick with it. As PMRpro says your body will probably adjust to it.

Good luck

Babs

[AnnNY]

I recently also got a new mattress. It is a latex coil hybrid. I got it because it stays firmer longer than memory foam. I tried sleeping on it as it was, but it was a bit too firm. I had been using a memory foam topper on my old, lumpy bed and didn't throw it away. So after trying to get used to it, I pulled out my old memory foam topper and that has helped. But it is still not "just right." So I'm thinking of getting another thinner topper. Anyway, yes memory foam does get softer. You can get a less dense memory foam topper until it softens, if you can afford it. Memory foam comes in different densities. It is a balancing act to get something firm enough, since sinking in will get painful, but I know I need some softness on the top, because it's also painful if the bed is too hard. (Princess and the Pea syndrome!) Fortunately, there are a lot of things out there to make some adjustments.

I have 3 tempurpedic pillows. The oldest one has softened considerably, and it is now perfect as a pillow, but it would be too soft I think as a bed.

Memory foam does soften with heat. Usually, your own body softens it, when you get in it. Do you have a very cold room?

I would give it some time to see if you can get used to it. If you can't get used to it, you might try a thin less dense topper, because the mattress will likely get softer in some months.

[Wendy39]

Hello. I suffer from osteoarthritis and we bought a memory foam mattress about 4 years ago now. Took a long time to get used to it but now we both love it! When we go and stay away from home, we both miss it. You will get used to it. Give it a chance.

[happytulip]

I couldn't cope without my memory foam mattress. I had a problem with mine and it turns out that I was pulling the sheets too tightly over it. It needs room the flex and move. My old school Ma had taught me how to make a bed with hospital corners that Florence Nightingale would be proud of. Maybe try and loosen the bottom sheet and if it's a stretchy corner sheet you may need a deeper one. It solved my problem. Good luck

[Daisy1991]

Hi yes starts to mould to your body shape after a while. I wouldn't be without mine

[Hidden]

I have a heavy winter duvet over the top of mine under the fitted sheet - helped considerably!

[SLEEPINGDOG]

We tried out one, but when I sank slowly down into it, the foam held me so tightly I found it claustrophobic, then I found it difficult to get out of, and when I did ,I sat on the edge to put my socks on, and the edge slowly collapsed sliding me on to the floor, but my wife, who loves a soft mattress rather liked it.

[englishrose67]

Thanks for all your comments.I've now got used to my mattress and thinking about a memory foam pillow to help osteoarthritis in neck.Anyone else tried the pillows or the shaped ones ? Thanks x