Suggestions & experiences with best Fibro mattresses

[Dee VanDine]

hi! i need a new mattress that doesn't cause pain when lie down. shopping for myself is very difficult. i have fibromyalgia, CFS and other pain issues. does anyone have good suggestions or bad experiences with mattresses? please specify brand and/or type ... as much info as possible. thanks!

 

[JennyJenny]

hi! i need a new mattress that doesn't cause pain when lie down. shopping for myself is very difficult. i have fibromyalgia, CFS and other pain issues. does anyone have good suggestions or bad experiences with mattresses? please specify brand and/or type ... as much info as possible. thanks!

I slept on my friend's Tempur-pedic mattress and it was a disaster. NO sleep and lots of pain. I think they hold heat. I bought a Serta and it is probably firm as soft mattresses kill me. Just checked tag and cannot see what model it is. I have both ME/CFS. It is a pillow topper which most mattresses today are.

My friend could not afford a new mattress and off QVC bought a mattress topper. She said it was outstanding. Wish I could remember brand but if you are interested let me know and I will ask her. It might take a day or two for her to get back to me. She has Fibro and she may have CFS but she never got a firm diagnosis on that.

As far as pillows, every year I buy 2 cheap Walmart pillows. 2 for $5.00. I swear they are the best I have ever used and I have tried every type of pillow on the market.

 

[Who Me?]

I have a feather bed which I really like and works even on my old mattress. Even if not fluffed it helps. I got it on sale at kohls plus 30% off. They do get warm but nothing like memory foam.

Another option is natural latex which does not get hot like memory foam. I tried a 2" topper but it wasn't thick enough so I was in a lot of pain. Maybe a full mattress would work.

You don't want a mattress with a pillow top because they end up compressing.

Google Casper mattresses. I think @Remy has one which she really likes.

 

[Dee VanDine]

I slept on my friend's Tempur-pedic mattress and it was a disaster. NO sleep and lots of pain. I think they hold heat. I bought a Serta and it is probably firm as soft mattresses kill me. Just checked tag and cannot see what model it is. I have both ME/CFS. It is a pillow topper which most mattresses today are.

My friend could not afford a new mattress and off QVC bought a mattress topper. She said it was outstanding. Wish I could remember brand but if you are interested let me know and I will ask her. It might take a day or two for her to get back to me. She has Fibro and she may have CFS but she never got a firm diagnosis on that.

As far as pillows, every year I buy 2 cheap Walmart pillows. 2 for $5.00. I swear they are the best I have ever used and I have tried every type of pillow on the market.

i really do need a new mattress, so don't need topper info. thanks for your input.

 

[JennyJenny]

I just found the model of my mattress. It is a Serta Pedic, Alleena. Again, I am sure it is firm but they have those pillow toppers built into the top.

 

[Paw]

Hi Dee, I went through this about a year ago. I would not have thought memory foam would work for me, but I kept considering it because I kept running across one statistic: the consumer satisfaction rate for memory foam was consistently higher than for any other type of mattress -- and by wide margin. Weirdly, among the small percentage of people dissatisfied with memory foam, the complaint tended to be that they were either too firm or too soft. So it was hard for me to get a handle on what it would be like. I've always preferred firm, so I hated the idea of sinking into something that wouldn't support me. It also felt risky because I've always been sensitive to heat. I also couldn't afford a Tempurpedic, so it felt especially risky to buy a cheap knockoff online.

But I did, and I've never been so happy with a mattress. When you first lie down it's soft like a marshmallow, but very quickly, as it forms around your body, you feel solid support. (Hence it's both soft and firm.) I got a 12-inch king-sized from a company that got pretty good reviews, but it still came delivered in a box about the size of a mini-fridge. I chose one that had a layer for "pressure relief," figuring that might be good for a fairly big guy like me. (So I don't know what other iterations are like.) It was 300-something dollars, and I think a comparable Tempurpedic would be a couple thousand more. I sometimes notice a slight warmth, but it's definitely no sweaty hothouse like I feared. There's an initial smell, kind of like non-toxic latex paint, but it's not unpleasant, and it fades away within a few days.

Anyway, I know it's a tough decision. But that's my experience, for what it's worth. This is the one I got:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LLOJE0/ref=pe_385040_128020140_TE_3p_dp_1

 

[Dee VanDine]

thank you, thank you!

 

[CountingMySpoons]

we went through several (4 mattresses in as many years) before we settled on the NovaFoam mattress. It's CostCo's memory foam mattress and ti's great. The first couple of nights on it were horrid, but once I got used to it I love it and now I hate to travel because no other bed is as comfortable as mine.

 

[Cort]

I slept on my friend's Tempur-pedic mattress and it was a disaster. NO sleep and lots of pain. I think they hold heat. I bought a Serta and it is probably firm as soft mattresses kill me. Just checked tag and cannot see what model it is. I have both ME/CFS. It is a pillow topper which most mattresses today are.

My friend could not afford a new mattress and off QVC bought a mattress topper. She said it was outstanding. Wish I could remember brand but if you are interested let me know and I will ask her. It might take a day or two for her to get back to me. She has Fibro and she may have CFS but she never got a firm diagnosis on that.

As far as pillows, every year I buy 2 cheap Walmart pillows. 2 for $5.00. I swear they are the best I have ever used and I have tried every type of pillow on the market.

Walmart! That is just hilarious

You never know..

 

[Cort]

In our sleep survey a good mattress was the one thing oddly enough that really popped out. Good luck in finding one...

 

[Dee VanDine]

Walmart! That is just hilarious

You never know..

yes! my mom's pillows are also from walmart ... the best i've ever used!

Hi Dee, I went through this about a year ago. I would not have thought memory foam would work for me, but I kept considering it because I kept running across one statistic: the consumer satisfaction rate for memory foam was consistently higher than for any other type of mattress -- and by wide margin. Weirdly, among the small percentage of people dissatisfied with memory foam, the complaint tended to be that they were either too firm or too soft. So it was hard for me to get a handle on what it would be like. I've always preferred firm, so I hated the idea of sinking into something that wouldn't support me. It also felt risky because I've always been sensitive to heat. I also couldn't afford a Tempurpedic, so it felt especially risky to buy a cheap knockoff online.

But I did, and I've never been so happy with a mattress. When you first lie down it's soft like a marshmallow, but very quickly, as it forms around your body, you feel solid support. (Hence it's both soft and firm.) I got a 12-inch king-sized from a company that got pretty good reviews, but it still came delivered in a box about the size of a mini-fridge. I chose one that had a layer for "pressure relief," figuring that might be good for a fairly big guy like me. (So I don't know what other iterations are like.) It was 300-something dollars, and I think a comparable Tempurpedic would be a couple thousand more. I sometimes notice a slight warmth, but it's definitely no sweaty hothouse like I feared. There's an initial smell, kind of like non-toxic latex paint, but it's not unpleasant, and it fades away within a few days.

Anyway, I know it's a tough decision. But that's my experience, for what it's worth. This is the one I got:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LLOJE0/ref=pe_385040_128020140_TE_3p_dp_1

 

[Eva Nagy]

Dee the only thing I can add to the above is that memory foam is being made with a gel insert now that is cooling if you have issues with too much sweating or can't tolerate heat when sleeping. I saw a full mattress like this as well as a topper on QVC, and I think Walmart also. You will see pics of how the mattress layers are attached to each other and I personally am very interested in getting one of those. It will keep you warm when needed but not too hot either. In the summer it stays cooler and I usually sleep with a very light blanket or sheet in the summer. Just from the amount of research I did on it I like the idea of the memory foam with the gel cooling layer. My personal preference is soft yet with support.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017YE4FXM?psc=1

 

[Cort]

Dee the only thing I can add to the above is that memory foam is being made with a gel insert now that is cooling if you have issues with too much sweating or can't tolerate heat when sleeping. I saw a full mattress like this as well as a topper on QVC, and I think Walmart also. You will see pics of how the mattress layers are attached to each other and I personally am very interested in getting one of those. It will keep you warm when needed but not too hot either. In the summer it stays cooler and I usually sleep with a very light blanket or sheet in the summer. Just from the amount of research I did on it I like the idea of the memory foam with the gel cooling layer. My personal preference is soft yet with support.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017YE4FXM?psc=1

Some people do better if they raise the head of their bed a bit as well.

 

[Who Me?]

I found this website. He also does reviews on YouTube. Very helpful. You can even contact him for questions.

I am looking at Brooklyn Bedding. I know someone who swears by Casper.

http://sleepopolis-mattress-reviews.com

 

[Remy]

I have a Tempurpedic Cloud Supreme and it is the best bed ever. It cost the moon but they had five year no interest financing so I went for it. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[Merida]

On the 'cheap, but workable' idea - bought an inexpensive king comforter and folded in 3s for my side of bed. Covered it with mattress cover and sheet, as it is too big to wash at home.

Now, we need to ask WHY a mattress makes such a big difference in comfort and sleep. It certainly does not modulate the immune system, or directly change any of the neuro chemicals, etc we discuss on forum. What a comfy mattress does do is modify spinal / pelvic / neck curvature and position.

I asked a great neurosurgeon about this, one of the few experts on tethered cord and related central nervous system structural issues. I really don't want to name him publicly, as he was very concerned about diagnosing a Fibro patient with tethered cord syndrome - feared for his reputation, despite the fact he was 80 years old and had been chief of neurosurgery at a large medical center. He said: When people lie down on a flat, hard surface the curves of the spine change. People who have 'tight' spinal cords already will experience more tension on the spinal cord/dura with more related discomfort.

My own experience suggests that my pelvis also changes - causing my sacrum ( which is very unstable) to push venturally towards my belly button - with increased tension all the way to the top of neck and brain.

No one wants to have such a 'yucky' structural problem, so I realize my structure/ function comments are not always appreciated. But, I have always tried to go where the observations (and comments / research by the experts - and group members!) lead me.