Considering a memory foam mattress or Memory Wave related product? Learn what sleep consultants say about it. What is Memory Wave Method Foam? What Are the benefits of Memory Foam? What Are the Disadvantages of Memory Foam? Are Memory Foam Products Safe for Younger Youngsters? Few things really feel as good as a great night time’s sleep. That is especially true if sleep seems to escape you, night after night after night. If you’ve heard about memory foam, you may surprise if it may enhance the standard of yoursleep. Some people swear by it. Others are less enthusiastic. What exactly is memory foam? And what are its professionals and cons? Here is information that can assist you determine whether or not memory foam is worth a strive. What is Memory Foam? First designed within the mid-1960s for NASA airplane seats, memory foam is made from a substance called viscoelastic. It’s both highly vitality absorbent and delicate. Memory foam molds to the body in response to heat and stress, evenly distributing physique weight.

It then returns to its unique shape once you remove the stress. Along with defending against influence, these properties make memory foam very comfortable. After its “virgin flight” for NASA, memory foam made a foray into different applications. For instance, it was used as cushioning in helmets and sneakers. Drugs discovered a use for it in prosthetics and merchandise to forestall stress ulcers equivalent to seating pads for people who are severely disabled. Then, memory foam actually took off. It is now well known for its use in pillows, mattress pads, and mattresses, which come in numerous densities and depths. What Are the advantages of Memory Foam? Could the special properties of memory foam improve your sleep? Sleep specialist Donna L. Arand, PhD, says that goal research supporting the claimed advantages of memory foam -- or the effects of any particular type of sleeping floor -- are missing. This is true for a variety of causes, she says.

This type of sleep examine could be expensive, if carried out independently. Or it’s “chased” by a shadow of bias, if supported by industry. Additionally, some sleep expertise, similar to memory foam, is relatively new, so it hasn’t been nicely studied. However perhaps one of many more difficult stumbling blocks to testing the health advantages of mattresses reminiscent of memory foam is the subjective nature of sleep. It is simply tough to measure. Generally the mind’s electrical activity, measured with an electroencephalogram (EEG), and other findings recorded during a sleep take a look at don’t always match up perfectly with a person’s subjective expertise, says Arand, who is the clinical director of the Kettering Sleep Disorders Middle in Dayton, Ohio. Sleep will not be only subjective, however preferences for sleep surfaces are individual, Arand says. Lots of Arand’s patients who use memory foam have offered unsolicited glowing experiences like these about memory foam: “I’m sleeping great.” “Greatest sleep I’ve ever had.” “I love going to mattress at night time.” Arand says these anecdotal responses may be one-sided. That is as a result of she and different employees don’t ask all their patients about their sleep surfaces. “We may solely be hearing the great things,” Arand says.

Kathy R. Gromer, MD, sleep specialist with the Minnesota Sleep Institute in Minneapolis, agrees that memory foam might improve sleep. However Gromer adds that memory foam does not do something for sleep apnea or other sleep-breathing disorders -- and sleep disorders are the primary complaint of most her patients. Arand says, “so this helps to assist your physique alongside the curves and natural strains of the body.” Memory foam manufacturers claim this helps relieve ache and thereby promotes extra restful sleep. And, although consumers often believe that very agency mattresses are finest, more “giving” mattresses like these could lead to better sleep in individuals with back pain, in keeping with the National Sleep Basis. Although there aren’t scientific information to help the speculation, Arand wonders whether or not memory foam sleep surfaces is likely to be particularly helpful for older folks. For them, minimizing extra movement might cut back the number of times they awaken in the course of the night time. Being much less conscious of a mattress companion’s movements may be an extra benefit, she adds. What Are the Disadvantages of Memory Foam? Gromer says that memory foam products could retain body heat, which could make them much less snug in warm weather. However, Arand has not heard this complaint from her patients. When new, memory foam can produce an odd chemical smell -- a phenomenon known as offgassing. To minimize this problem, the Sleep Products Security Council, a sleep merchandise trade group, recommends airing out the mattress or pad for not less than 24 hours before placing sheets on it. Are Memory Foam Merchandise Protected for Young Kids? Donna L. Arand, PhD, clinical director, Kettering Medical Sleep Disorders Middle, Dayton, Ohio