Double Memory Foam Mattress
While it’s true that a double memory foam mattress can provide unprecedented support and can help people get possibly the best sleep they will ever experience, some still advise a certain amount of caution and forethought before you switch to this type of bed.
It’s not that there’s anything wrong with getting support and an excellent sleep. The main worries appear to stem from the materials of which the mattress itself is made.
The chemicals in the mattress are often subject to “off-gassing.” This is the process where fumes seem to come off the product, often creating an unpleasant odor. Usually this problem can be alleviated simply by airing out the mattress after it’s been purchased, but in some cases, users find that the smell just doesn’t go away. Indeed, a few of these people have had to return their mattress, claiming that the odor actually made them sick.
Environmental groups worry that in certain cases, the fumes are actually harmful to people. But much of their concern applies to the chemicals put into the double memory foam mattress to lower their fire hazard. The basic materials of which these and other foam mattresses are made are quite combustible, meaning that this kind of mattress can constitute more of a fire hazard than other types. To try to combat this risk, fire retardant materials have been added.
Yet these chemicals may compound the off-gassing issues. According to the Conscious Choice website, they can build up in the fatty tissues of humans and other animals, when they adhere to dust particles in the air and are inhaled. They have even been linked to disruption in brain growth, when tested on lab animals. These levels of these chemicals, called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), have greatly increased in the bodies of people in North America in recent years. In Europe, where PBDEs have been banned, such levels are much lower.
Apart from the worries about the chemicals of which double memory foam mattress are made, there are a few comparatively minor inconveniences that some people experience when sleeping on them. For example, air circulation is not the best, so that the mattresses heat up from absorbing the warmth of a person’s body, yet this heat is not released. So sleepers sometimes feel too hot.
Temperature can also be an issue when it comes to the hardness or softness of the bed. It does tend to soften as it warms with the body’s heat, but in a cooler room, this softening will be less than when the room heats up. So the firmness of the mattress could actually vary with the seasons.
The mattress also conforms to the body so well that it helps reduce the need to change positions during the night. And yet, for people with certain physical conditions, they actually experience pain if they lie in the same position for several hours. So even though this feature of these mattresses is a boon in most cases, it can be a drawback in others.
Many people sing the praises of the double memory foam mattress, and with plenty of good reason. But if you are considering buying one for your own bed, it will always be wise to consider the cons as well as the pros, in making your decision.