What Are Memory Foam Mattresses Like?

Remembers Body Shape

• As the name implies, a memory foam mattress "remembers" you. When you lie down on the mattress, the foam compresses to conform to the contours of your body. It remembers how your legs, hips, thighs and shoulders meld into the mattress. When you move, the mattress decompresses back to its original shape.

Joint and Back Pain Relief

• If you suffer with back and joint pain problems, a memory foam mattress may provide you with welcome relief while sleeping. Memory foam mattresses eliminate stress on pressure points that contribute to back and joint pain. In a sense, your body floats on top of the mattress while you sleep. The pressure on your back and limb joints will be reduced because memory foam mattresses are designed to evenly distribute body weight

Balances Pressure Points

• A traditional spring mattress does not conform to the shape of your body. As a result, areas such as your neck, shoulders and back become susceptible to pressure points caused by uneven mattress firmness and springs that can poke and trigger pain in these areas, which does not happen with a memory mattress because the foam sculpts itself to mirror and cushion the contours of the body.

Reduces Allergy and Dust Mite Issues

• If you have allergy, respiratory or asthma issues, a memory foam mattress can provide comforting relief. Memory foam mattresses are dense and are not made of porous fibers, so you'll rarely, if ever, see dust mites penetrating and burrowing inside of the mattress to nest and mate as they can with a fabric-covered traditional mattress.

Adjusts to Body Weight and Temperature

• The memory foam mattress can sculpt to your body shape by also "remembering" your body weight and temperature. This capability is what owners describe as a "cozy" feeling they get when sleeping on a memory mattress. This capability was understandably advantageous when the mattresses were initially tested in hospitals settings on patients. Some owners even find themselves turning down the heat in their bedrooms at night, providing an additional benefit in terms of saving money on home heating costs.