Body Changes Causing Sleep Changes? Add a Mattress Topper!

This is my 45th year in the bedding business. I have developed a theory for how to determine the best mattress for changing bodies.

Nobody, no salesperson, no doctor, no chiropractor, can tell you what mattress to want or need. That being said, there are two parts of your being; subconscious and conscious. When picking out a new mattress comfort for changing bodies you want to satisfy both.

Think of your subconscious body. It’s the part that wakes up in the morning and says “I feel great”. That’s you feeling “I had a good night’s sleep”.

Your conscious body as the part that lies down on the new mattress in that mattress store and says “Ahhhhh! That feel great.”

Now every mattress should feel good right away. You’re in the market for a new mattress because your old one is shot! The challenge shopping for a new mattress is getting past the conscious part. Don’t get caught up in the “ahhhhh factor”. Because you need to get through to the subconscious part of your body.

It can take 15 minutes, or even longer, of laying on the bed before you truly feel a mattress. That bed, which felt so good at first, may no longer feel so good.

I believe the subconscious you is looking for an alignment that comes from the core of the mattress. That core is usually about 6 inches of the mattress and hasn’t changed much in the last 100 years or so. It can be springs of various types, foams of various types, even air or water. The alignment needs of your body don’t change significantly, even as we age. The conscious body is looking for the cushioning (the ahhhh factor) that we want for our shoulders, hips, knees and even ankles. Once the correct core support (firm, extra firm or plush) for your subconscious body is determined, choosing the comfort layers to satisfy your conscious body is pretty easy.

Bodies change. If you’re 25 you may not know this, but if you are getting a little wisdom in your hair you already do.

What you like today may be different 5 years, or 10 year from now. If you are buying one of these “can’t flip” mattresses that only last 3 to 5 years, it probably doesn’t matter; but if you are buying a mattress, like a solid botanical latex, two-sided mattress that can last 10,15, 20 years or longer, you might consider buying what I call “close to the core”.

Determining the core support your body needs for alignment and then adding the comfort layers as separate toppers is a great approach. When you need new comfort for changing bodies, you can replace or add toppers to suit your needs without losing your investment in the important part of the mattress; the core!

Update:

In order to ensure a lifetime of comfort for changing bodies, we’ve focussed on zipper construction. By retaining access to the inside of the mattress, you don’t have to buy a whole new bed. So, if the topper approach is not for you, there is an alternative.