Shopping with the Hive Mind, horizontal edition

[stakebait]

Am considering buying a new bed in case that might help my &*$#@! back. Naturally I need y'all to help. No, this will not involve a slumber party. At least not yet.

[Poll #1411107]

Comments

[zortified.livejournal.com]

We got a sales floor model. It only took 1-2 years off the mattress' lifespan, and it knocked a good amount off the cost of the mattress.

Memory foam seems awesome, but it reflects body heat like a MOFO. If your body generates any heat at all, you will have to move around constantly to stay cool. Also, sleeping on memory foam cut off my circulation to hands and feet pretty badly because of the whole "molding to your body" thing.

My most comfy bed ever was a captain's bed in the college dorms, which a twin sized frame, solid wood frame (no slats, just one piece of wood) and a thin (about 5 inch) mattress. No springs or anything. God, that thing was comfy.

[litotease.livejournal.com]

I sleep on an ancient cotton futon, and fantasize about the day when I can replace it. Also, I said I'm a side sleeper, but that's only because my doctor said that tummy sleeping is BAD for bad backs, esp. when sciatica is an issue. Criminy, do I miss sleeping on my stomach.

::dreams of snuggling into pillow::

[calliopes_pen]

I've had the same one since I was a baby. I don't think the mattress has been changed in 27 years, since it's still good. It's comfortable, so I'm keeping it as long as I can. It's not too hard, and it's not too soft.

[missionista.livejournal.com]

I can't remember if mine is latex or memory foam. I know it's something like that. Anyway, I got it about 10 years ago from Dixie Foam on 17th (or 16th) st., between 6th & 7th Aves. I can't tell you how much I adore this mattress. I haven't ever loved another one as much, although I am starting to love a partner's mattress. Hers is some sort of non-traditional waterbed.

[snippy]

I've slept a few times on the beds at the upscale Marriott Hotel chain, and that's what I'd buy (from the floor up, sheets, comforter, everything) if I had the money to spend.

I've taken a nap on a memory foam at a friend's house and loved it, but I get hot at night and therefore it's not a good idea for me.

[iswari.livejournal.com]

I lovelovelove the "Heavenly Bed" at the Westin. I didn't want to get out. It's pricey, though...

[wesleysgirl.livejournal.com]

I really liked the sleep number bed at the hotel where Muskrat Jamboree was. It was TOTALLY comfortable.

[marchek.livejournal.com]

I've had minor problems with my lower back and more major problems with sciatica for years. I'm a back sleeper and I find that a really firm bed helps alot, none of this pillow top business. Sleeping on the floor is far more preferable than sleeping on a soft bed in which I might not be able to move from the next morning due to the pain. I just bought a new bed several months ago from Macys. I think it's a Sealy?

[redbird]

I generally like futons, but this one is inferior and should have been replaced some time ago; inertia is not our friend.

I should ask adrian_turtle what kind of mattress she has, because I like it a lot.

[sweetmusic-27.livejournal.com]

I kick and roll in my sleep if I'm not sleeping well, so we have a double-thick extra-firm futon so I'm not in danger of rolling anywhere. It works pretty well, but I think I'd like something thicker (there's not really anywhere for my hips to go when I'm on my side, y'know?)

If you can find a plain foam or pad/pallet mattress without springs that is still firm (Ikea has some, but I've never tried them, though I'd like to), they're cheap and durable, easier to move and flip, and less likely to need as much flipping as spring-mattresses do.

I'm sure you already know that the preferred position for those with bad backs is on your side with a pillow between your knees. Though I can only sleep on my stomach, I always start out on my side to relax my back before turning over, and I've found that wrapping myself around a body pillow is even more effective than a single bed-pillow between the knees. Thicker, comfier.

Good luck, sweet dreams!

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

Definitely try mattresses out in the store. I realize that would require moving on your part so it might not be possible. But when I got my new mattress I did my research, went to the store, and realized the one that sounded good on paper sucked in person.

You might want to ask your doc for recs too. S/he might know what kind of mattress is most helpful for your kind of back problem.

ETA: And you can get mattresses that are a coil/foam combo, which is what I have.

[lynnenne]

I have a memory foam mattress and I hate it. I wake up every morning with hip pain. Too stiff! :(

[marcmagus]

I sleep on a firm futon and like it.

In my old apartment, I had two different friends with back problems sleep on my floor and remark that they'd gotten one of the best nights' sleep they'd ever had when doing so. They were sleeping on an old fairly shallow-pile carpet on a carpet pad on hardwood. *shrug*

[ocean-song.livejournal.com]

i really do adore my sleep number bed. and it has made a huge difference in my back and hip problems (which are pretty major) it is also a boon, as I have always liked firm mattresses and my man likes them soft as piles of leaves. Have you tried them before?

[justhuman.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't trade my sleep number bed for the world. When I went shopping for my mattress 6-7 years ago, this is what my chiropractor recommended - she sleeps on one too.

I have mild back problems. I used to wake up with a sore back -- although usually not so sore that I had to take time off work. All that changed with the sleep number bed. Not every morning is perfect for my back, but life is better.

I'm a fannishly shaped women in the 200+, 5'3" range. On a regular mattress I can only sleep on my side. This knocked the hips and knee sour of alignment and then everything else up the spine. Back sleeping was impossible because it hurt my lower back.

Now I only sleep on my back. Heck, I've gotten to the point where I politely turn down the spare beds at friend's houses and sleep on a thick air mattress, just so I can sleep on my back.

One of the myths about mattresses is that "firmer is better" -- what it should be is "supportive is better". Firmer got a good rep because people were comparing it to old worn out mattress. Basically firm meant that there was nothing under my lower back supporting it. My air bed is about 40% inflated - every part of my back is being supported.

I know you're hurting, but if you get out to a store, you can check out sleep number beds at high end stores. There are a lot of mom and pop operations that make good quality knock offs. I bought the this one -- but I only paid about $800 for my queen! They've gotten way too expensive. Although I have to admit that the air pumps on my knock-off were noisy. Fortunately once you get the settings you like, you hardly ever adjust it.

I have friends who recently bought from a place in upstate NY and are very happy with their mattress. I can get the name if you're interested.

Some cool side facts:
*These type of beds typically come with a 20 year garuntee -- why not it's not like they'll ever get a butt sized imprints

*The mattress arrives in two oversized boxes via UPS. Most of it's air, so it can be taken apart and reassembled.

*Basically the mattress top zips onto the body of the mattress. This means that you can send the top of your mattress to the cleaners -- it's really the size of a large comforter.

*All the pieces inside the mattress can be replaced if they become worn out or break. I suspect that the part that will die first on my bed is the giant foam bats that make up the sidewalls - the form a box around the air bladders. But their foam - any re-upholstery place should be able to make me a new one

*As opposed to camping air mattress, these bags are made out of seriously tough plastic that should go beyond the 20 years. They're surrounded by 6 inches of foams on the sides, another 2 inches of eggcrate foam on top, and then the pillow top over that. No cat can claw the air bag.

[spiffikins]

I bought a futon when I was in university, and *loved* it - dragged it from place to place and didn't really realize how old it was until I'd had it for over 10 years.

I got rid of it, and the next time I moved, I determined to buy a Real Mattress now that I wasn't using my bed as my couch, like I did in the dorms.

But, I needed something to sleep on, and didn't have a frame blah blah, so I bought another futon "temporarily". Four years later, I'm having problems sleeping, and figuring it's just me.

Then I spent a month travelling for work and sleeping in a hotel, on a Real Bed. The first weekend I was home - I looked at my hard, old futon and realized - I *need* a new bed.

So, once my travelling was done, I went into the mattress store, and tried every mattress in the place.

I love my mattress - even a year later, it's still so nice to crawl into bed and not wake up every couple hours because I'm numb on one side and have to roll over.