Few mattresses require as much adjustment from consumers as a memory foam mattress does (be it Tempurpedic or another brand). So why would you change how you sleep, even if just for the length of the free home trial, for the sake of a memory mattress? And if you are willing to compromise, just what can you do to make sleeping on a Tempur mattress as comfortable as possible?
Tempurpedic Mattress Foam Formula And Heat Problems
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The way Tempur-Pedic mattresses respond to heat is the number one reason consumers choose them over other brands but it is also the number one reported reason of most returns according to the countless consumer opinions we have read online.
A large proportion of people return their memory bed or mattress and then say they are uncomfortably warm to sleep on. But many go the other way and say it is too cold and firm. How do we know? Because many people for whom this mattress does not work have expressed their disappointment in online reviews and comments.
Depending on your unique body chemistry, you may find sleeping on a memory foam mattress too hot or too cold. Having said that, you may really like the feeling of memory foam and you really do see yourself sleeping better on a Tempur mattress if only you could adjust the temperature to make it more comfortable. It’s also important to remember that for every consumer who says Tempur feels too hot or too cold there are many others who don’t have this problem. The question is figuring out which group you fall into.
The strange thing is that visco elastic memory foam mattresses are supposed to absorb body heat and breathe it out through millions of tiny air passages within the memory foam mattress. For many people though, these next two factors are overpowering and counteract that ability.
Memory foam mattresses trap heat well because they:
- Use a high-density memory foam
- Heat responsiveness improves body contouring (better body contouring results in more skin touching the mattress instead of being exposed to air to cool off)
The following tips apply not just to Tempurpedic but to any other heat-responsive memory foam mattress.
How To Make Your Tempur-Pedic Mattress Cooler
While you cannot alter Tempur foam density, you can change how the memory mattress reacts to body heat. If the Tempur-Pedic bed didn’t react to heat as well as it could, there would be less contact with it and more exposure to air (which causes cooling).
Tempur-Pedic mattresses come with a breathable terry cloth cover which acts as a light barrier between you and the viscoelastic memory mattress. The cover solves the heat problem for many people but for many others, it doesn’t.
If the Tempur-Pedic mattress sleeps hot even with the cover on, use an additional pad or cover over it to insulate the mattress from the body. The thicker the insulation, the longer it takes body heat to reach the Tempur foam layer. It becomes, therefore, less responsive to heat. But sadly, there is a trade-off.
Insulation means the Tempurpedic mattress cannot react the best it possibly could to body temperature, The end result is a somewhat firmer memory foam mattress that won’t soften to become more gentle.
Some suppliers use pillow tops or fiberfill padding over the visco foam mattress to make it cooler to sleep on. To make up for the reduced heat responsiveness, they use lower density foam to allow better body-conforming. Their attempt to recapture the gentle feeling viscoelastic mattresses are best known for, however, results in less support and shorter longevity.
Other suggestions for making sleeping on Tempur-Pedic-style mattresses more comfortable without losing support or gentleness include:
- Using fewer blankets to cover yourself
- Keeping several terry cloth towels close by
- Sleeping in a cooler environment (less than 65F) by airing the room before going to sleep or keeping windows open.
How To Make Your Tempur-Pedic Mattress Warmer
There are significantly fewer people who say Tempur-Pedic beds feel too cold. Cold memory foam mattresses also feel somewhat firmer. Here are some suggestions to make a Tempur mattress warmer and softer.
The first thing to try would be to make sure the memory foam layer within the bed or mattress reacts the best it possibly can to body heat.
- Try removing any pads or covers and sleeping directly on the Tempur-Pedic mattress. This should increase heat responsiveness, improve body contouring and allow more contact with the mattress. Less exposure to air equates to warmer Tempur mattresses.
- Other suggestions for warming up and softening the foam include sleeping in a warmer environment (more than 65F) by heating the room before going to bed and walking or laying on the mattress for 20 minutes before actually going to bed.
- Using electric blankets or heated pads to warm the Tempur-Pedic bed is not recommended as they may damage the viscoelastic foam layer.
There are many compromises you may have to make if you really like the feel of memory foam mattresses, be it from Tempur-Pedic or others. Unfortunately, only your own body chemistry can tell you if and just how much adjustment you may have to go through before being completely comfortable sleeping on a memory mattress — not too hot and not too cold. And the best way to find that out is a mattress home trial.