Memory foam mattress and bed

The last ten to twenty years have seen a new mattress material called visco elastic memory foam revolutionise the bedding industry and the properties that bed and sleep experts now see as desirable. Many see this kind of bed as offering the best orthopedic sleeping characteristics.

Not too many years ago a hard bed that forced the body to flatten itself to the surface of the mattress was considered to be the ideal orthopedic mattress. Indeed, the description of an orthopedic bed was automatically assumed to suggest a very firm mattress that you laid on rather than sank into.

Memory foam has changed that way of thinking. A good mattress is now seen as one that shapes itself to the unique characteristics of the person sleeping on it and not the other way around.

A brief history of visco elastic memory foam

Visco elastic memory foam is invariably described as a spin off from the NASA space program and their search for new and superior materials for the exploration of space. The product came about because NASA wanted new lighter foams for the space shuttle and memory foam (which is actually very heavy) was a spin off product from that research.

So what makes memory foam a good bedding material

Memory foam has a couple of "near" unique properties that give it excellent bedding and orthopedic attributes, the first of which is often described as "a slow recovery" trait. This is frequently demonstrated by pressing a hand into the memory foam which then retains the impression of the hand for several seconds as the foam slowly recovers to its original smooth profile.

What this slow recovery property really illustrates is that visco elastic memory foam is very good at shaping itself around any shape pressed upon it without causing any deflection in the surrounding area. This means that an orthopedic memory foam mattress is great at shaping itself around your body whilst having virtually no discernable effect on, e.g. a partner sleeping in the same bed.

Memory foam is hypoallergenic which means that it does not easily harbour bacteria or anything else that can cause an allergic reaction. This makes a memory foam mattress ideal for asthma sufferers and it also makes it a cleaner material.

However, the biggest and most important feature of a memory foam mattress is its shaping, contouring and moulding ability, i.e. its ability to hold the natural shape of any person lying upon it without twisting them or trying to flatten them out.

With a more enlightened understanding of orthopedics and how the body rests during sleep, most of those in the medical profession now believe that it is vital that the back (spine) retains its natural elongated "S" shape during rest. What visco elastic memory foam beds and mattresses do is shape themselves around the curves of the human body to support the body and its natural profile. This means that they deflect more at the heavy and curved areas like the hips and shoulders and this ensures that the body retains its correct shape.

This property, often described as moulding or contouring to the shape of the person resting upon the bed, is the biggest attribute of a memory foam mattress and it has seen them rocket in popularity.

A final property of visco elastic memory foam is that the shaping feature is increased and accentuated by heat. In other words, when someone lies on a memory foam mattress they will sink into it by virtue of their weight, but they will also find this moulding feature increased as their body heat is absorbed by the mattress. For the majority of people this is a desirable effect, however some people do not find the contouring characteristics of a memory foam mattress to their liking.

What else do you need to know about memory foam beds

Memory foams come in different densities in the same way that beds with springs come with different spring counts.

As a simplified guide, the higher the density the better the visco elastic foam. However it is not quite a simple as that since higher quality foams may not necessarily produce a better mattress. Visco elastic foams with very high densities do not shape or mould as much as softer foams and the shaping process will take longer. This will suit some, but not others.

Equally, a lower density foam will have a more immediate body-moulding effect which may at first seem desirable. However, over several minutes the heat from the body will increase the shaping and sinking effect and this may make the sleeping posture less desirable for some.

Ultimately a bed that uses a memory foam mattress will be perfect for some and less satisfying to others. The density of the mattress will definitely play a part in its suitability and many memory foam mattresses now use a mix of different density foams in a single mattress. There are also mattresses, called composite or combination mattresses, that combine memory foam (or other foams) with springs in different functional layers. To find out more about these mattress types return to our main orthopedic mattress and specialist bed page.

Memory foam mattresses are now often found on adjustable beds and beds in care homes and medical facilities.

Along with Latex foam, the sleeping surface that is the closest alternative to memory foam is a water bed where the contouring reaction is very similar.

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