Mattress Topper/lack of sleep

Glirk Dient

For a very long time I have been having a hard time getting sleep. I typically wake up with no energy and feel worse than I did when I went to bed. It is caused by my lower/mid back or my sides by the rib cage hurting. Depending on what position I slept in. I figured it was weak muscles but doing excersizes hasn't made much of a difference. I am now thinking that it might be that my mattress is too firm. It isn't what I would classify a firm mattress but I think I might still need to soften it.

So I am now in the market for a mattress topper. It seems hard to find genuine advice on these sorts of things as the advice often comes from people trying to sell you something or the information on the product itself is lacking. So in my searching I have found 4 different products I am so far considering.

$73 2.0" Visco2 Ventilated Mattress Enhancer

$44 Slumber Solutions Highloft Supreme 3-inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper

$90 Serta Deluxe 2-inch Memory Foam Mattress Topper

The last one seems a solid deal. Very good reviews and lots of them. I think one of the comments in there said it was dense, which indicates quality. So this one should last a while.

There are also cheaper $20 toppers at target that are just some padding. I am not rich so cheaper would be better but at this point sleep is pretty important so I want something that is going to be worth it. If anyone has any suggestions or more knowledge on the subject that would be great.

Straygatsby

We got something similar to the Serta one online a year or two ago. It wasn't quite as fancy, but was the same basic idea, 2 layers of egg crate like material (low to mid quality memory foam, in this case) about 2-3 inches thick when uncompressed. We strap it to the top of our normal mattress with our fitted sheet and that's that.

I don't care for it, but I am most comfortable sleeping on a flat board type of surface. The missus, who has sleep issues regularly, could not live without it, so if it's something you've tried before or know you like, I recommend it highly.

Spudge

The wife and I had the same problem as you. We looked at the 2" memory foam and decided to up to the 3". It made a massive difference. If you're really interested in softening up your sleep check out the 3" here. That's the one we bought

Foolproof

I have had many periods of insomnia and poor quality sleep. Most bedding is so expensive that you should make sure you need it before buying. You sleep so much in life that it is not worth skimping on but it sucks to spend a lot on something and then finding out that it doesn't help.

Sometimes I need a firm support and sometimes I need something soft. I have brought my hammock into my house before and I have slept on layers of blankets on my floor for months. If you can't sleep you got the time to try different things.

I have found that for me light levels and temperature control are most important. Sound can matter also.

Get rid of the phone and phone anxiety. Get a answering machine and put the phone where you can't hear it. Not sleeping is a serious health issue and can endanger you at work or while driving also. Few 'emergencies' can't wait a few hours.

Hang heavy drapes over windows and put a lock on the bedroom door if you need to.

A fan can provide comfortable temperatures and white noise. Usually being a little cold helps me sleep when nothing else will.

Having an infant or kids around helped me just because I had to sleep lightly and wake up often. After being exhausted over a long period of time I developed the ability to fall asleep quickly no matter what the conditions.

I wish you luck on managing your sleep problems. It really sucks to be constantly sleepy and few people have sympathy unless they have suffered from it.

Iruka

Memory foam is hot. Since you sink down a bit you get into a little cocoon and if you run hot it can warm you up pretty quick. I personally like it, and just keep my room pretty cold. Brookstones usually have a full memory foam bed on display, if you've never laid on it, it might be worth just experiencing.

If you are sleeping on shitty scratchy 200 thread sheets, you can upgrade to some soft jersey knit ones for pretty cheap. I also sleep with a microfiber blanket, but thats also really warm.

White noise in the form of a fan is the biggest thing for me, I even have an MP3 of fan noise when I travel and don't think I will have access to one. (its actually an mp3 of Brownian noise) Air moving is just a plus.

VisionOfClarity

I'm a fan of down toppers but I'm incredibly partial to down everything: toppers, pillows, blankets. I just love curling up in it.

Glirk Dient

Thanks guys. I am definitely going to pick up a topper. The 3 inch memory foam one linked above looks great. Apparently the extra inch of memory foam and the 3 lbs of density will make it softer than the 2 inch one I linked in my OP. I think I will pick that up. Thanks for the advice everyone.