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Ultimate Memory Foam Mattress Guides

In the 1980s Tempur-Pedic introduced a consumer version of Visco Elastic Foam or Memory Foam which had been tested in Swedish hospitals prior to its release in Sweden, Europe and North America. The foam was a new technique from an innovative process resulting from NASA commissioning an engineering firm to develop products to reduce injury and impact during space travel.

The foam was an open cell process that used polyurethane and other agents to create a high energy absorbing material which had immediate applications in the medical industry. The ability to provide comfort without pressure point contact made the material a good fit for medical cushions, seating for wheelchairs and other disability cushioning.

Tempur-Pedic also developed a line of bedding mattresses using the Visco Elastic or Memory Foam along with layers of latex foam and other supporting materials to allow for airflow. The advent of the Tempurpedic style memory foam mattress was a departure from the traditional innerspring or coil mattresses.

NASA inducted the memory foam mattress can be 10-12 inches in height, but some of that height can be in the form of latex foam layers, support, quilting and other materials. The optimum benefit in memory foam is considered to be a height of 4-5 inches.

The density of the memory foam or Visco Elastic foam ranges from 2 pounds to 8 pounds but the optimum levels are considered to be the mid-range of 4-6 pounds. A 3-3.5 pound density memory foam mattress will not provide the same level of luxury and comfort as 5 pounds of density.

The latex layer is generally constructed from one of two processing techniques, the Dunlop or the Talalay Methods. In the Talalay method the air is vacuumed out to create an open air cell design similar to Visco elastic. The Dunlop method is more organic with a firmer bottom side of the mattress as the particles settle in the bottom. The latex layer can add support to the mattress in combination with the memory foam top layer.

Memory foam toppers or memory foam mattress toppers can add comfort and the benefits of the visco elastic or tempurpedic design on a traditional innerspring mattress.

Memory foam quality is often measured by the ability to leave an indentation to 25% of the size of a 4 inch sample. The indentation depth can vary with design configurations and layering. It is not always available for comparison, so density is often a better measurement.

Sleep Well

The importance of sleep pervades every aspect of our lives and health. The selection of a mattress may well be one of the most important purchases we make in our daily health.

The memory foam, Tempur-Pedic and Visco Elastic foam mattresses come in a wide range of product styles, designs and configurations in a range of bed sizes. The cool memory foam mattress or topper will be firmer, as your body heat and weight soften the mattress it will become more pliable, conforming to the contour of your sleeping pattern and holding the shape as you move in the night.

The Better Sleep council recommends that you spend time testing the bed, researching the selection you have made and compare the selection to other options before making your selection. Given the amount of time you will spend on the mattress during its expected 5-20 year product lifespan it is an important decision.