Memory Foam: Professionals And Cons

Contemplating a memory foam mattress or comparable product? Read what sleep specialists say about it. What is Memory Foam? What Are the advantages of Memory Foam? What Are the Disadvantages of Memory Foam? Are Memory Foam Merchandise Safe for Young Children? Few issues really feel pretty much as good as an excellent night's sleep. That is especially true if sleep seems to flee you, evening after night time after night time. If you have heard about memory foam, you may marvel if it might enhance the standard of yoursleep. Some individuals swear by it. Others are less enthusiastic. What exactly is memory foam? And what are its professionals and cons? Here is information that will help you determine whether or not memory foam is worth a strive. What's Memory Foam? First designed in the mid-1960s for NASA airplane seats, memory foam is made from a substance called viscoelastic. It is both highly vitality absorbent and tender. Memory foam molds to the physique in response to heat and pressure, evenly distributing physique weight.



It then returns to its original form when you remove the stress. Along with protecting towards impression, these properties make memory foam very comfortable. After its "virgin flight" for NASA, Memory Wave Experience foam made a foray into different applications. For example, it was used as cushioning in helmets and shoes. Drugs discovered a use for it in prosthetics and products to prevent strain ulcers resembling seating pads for people who find themselves severely disabled. Then, memory foam actually took off. It's now well-known for its use in pillows, mattress pads, and mattresses, which come in different densities and depths. What Are the advantages of Memory Foam? Might the special properties of memory foam enhance your sleep? Sleep specialist Donna L. Arand, PhD, Memory Wave says that objective studies supporting the claimed benefits of memory foam -- or the consequences of any specific kind of sleeping surface -- are lacking. This is true for quite a lot of reasons, she says.



The sort of sleep research will be costly, if carried out independently. Or it is "chased" by a shadow of bias, if supported by trade. Additionally, some sleep know-how, equivalent to memory foam, is relatively new, so it hasn't been nicely studied. But perhaps one of the tougher stumbling blocks to testing the health advantages of mattresses akin to memory foam is the subjective nature of sleep. It is simply tough to measure. Generally the brain's electrical exercise, measured with an electroencephalogram (EEG), and other findings recorded throughout a sleep check don't always match up perfectly with a person's subjective expertise, says Arand, who is the clinical director of the Kettering Sleep Disorders Center in Dayton, Ohio. Sleep is not only subjective, but preferences for sleep surfaces are individual, Arand says. Lots of Arand's patients who use memory foam have offered unsolicited glowing reports like these about memory foam: "I am sleeping nice." "Best sleep I've ever had." "I like going to bed at evening." Arand Memory Wave says these anecdotal responses may be one-sided. That's because she and other employees do not ask all their patients about their sleep surfaces. "We may only be listening to the great things," Arand says.



Kathy R. Gromer, MD, sleep specialist with the Minnesota Sleep Institute in Minneapolis, agrees that memory foam might enhance sleep. However Gromer provides that memory foam does not do anything for sleep apnea or different sleep-respiration disorders -- and sleep disorders are the primary complaint of most her patients. Arand says, "so this helps to help your body along the curves and pure traces of the body." Memory foam manufacturers claim this helps relieve pain and thereby promotes extra restful sleep. And, though consumers usually believe that very agency mattresses are greatest, more "giving" mattresses like these may lead to better sleep in individuals with back pain, in line with the National Sleep Foundation. Although there aren't scientific data to assist the hypothesis, Arand wonders whether or not memory foam sleep surfaces could be particularly useful for older folks. For them, minimizing additional movement could cut back the number of instances they awaken throughout the night. Being less conscious of a bed companion's movements is likely to be an extra profit, she provides. What Are the Disadvantages of Memory Foam? Gromer says that memory foam products might retain physique heat, which could make them less snug in warm weather. However, Arand has not heard this complaint from her patients. When new, memory foam can produce an odd chemical scent -- a phenomenon known as offgassing. To reduce this drawback, the Sleep Merchandise Security Council, a sleep products commerce group, recommends airing out the mattress or pad for at the very least 24 hours before putting sheets on it. Are Memory Foam Products Safe for Younger Youngsters? Donna L. Arand, PhD, clinical director, Kettering Medical Sleep Disorders Middle, Dayton, Ohio; analysis affiliate professor, Wright State University Boonshoft College of Medicine. Kathy R. Gromer, MD, sleep specialist, Minnesota Sleep Institute; medical director, Respiratory Care Program, Saint Paul Technical College.