Selecting your bedroom furniture is a critical decision. Your bedroom is your personal sanctuary, your hideaway. This means that everything inside of it should not only be visually appealing and comfortable but should also contribute to your health.

One of the most important decisions when choosing bedroom furnishings is the mattress. However, this decision is not as clear-cut as it may seem. There’s more to selecting a mattress than just considering its size. You also have to take into account factors including your body’s needs (as well as your partner’s), budget, and material if you want to find the right mattress. 

Fortunately, technology has yielded top-quality options — one of which is the memory foam mattress. However, no matter how advanced the material is, you need to ask yourself: is it worth buying a memory foam mattress? Remember, you’ll be using it for a long period of time. If you want to know if a memory foam mattress is a good choice for you, you must first learn more about the material, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.

What Is Memory Foam?

Developed for NASA, the first memory foam was originally used as cushioning to relieve stress caused by high G-force levels during space launches. 

The basic type of memory foam is made out of a polymer called polyurethane. This material is usually found in most mattresses, car seats, spray foam, and sofas. Memory foam is a highly durable material if it has a high enough density and is also known for providing ample support and amazing pressure relief. Additionally, these kinds of beds usually have a longer lifespan compared to spring mattresses. These characteristics make memory foam the best foam mattress available.

The Various Types of Memory Foam

Memory foam is available in 3 primary types, each with its own pros and cons:

Traditional memory foam mattresses offer a pleasurable sleep experience because it moulds to the shape of your body. However, one of the biggest drawbacks is its tendency to retain body heat, making it unpleasant to sleep in high temperatures.

Gel-infused memory foam is a memory foam filled with a significant amount of gel that comes in 2 varieties. The first type absorbs body heat, similar to an ice pack that you might store in a freezer. The second kind is what’s called a phase-changing material. It regulates your body temperature as you sleep by absorbing and releasing heat. The gel microbeads found in gel memory foams can serve to increase the density of the mattress.

The open cell memory foam is akin to the traditional memory foam, albeit with an entirely distinct internal structure. It was designed to allow better airflow within the mattress, allowing the material to effectively disperse heat from the body.

What Are the Remarkable Benefits of a Memory Foam Mattress?

A certain number of people have testified that memory foam mattresses are the reason that they are sleeping well again — but is it true? Sleep quality, however, is difficult to measure because it’s seen from a subjective standpoint.

Though that may be the case, there are a few measurable advantages:

A great characteristic of memory foam is that it also helps to alleviate pain in pressure spots. If you experience back pain or have arthritis, then a memory foam mattress might be able to help.

Older beds that use only a pillow topper, mattress protector, or some sort of soft top layer, have a tendency to disintegrate over time. This allows the underlying springs to start making more and more of an impression. In the long run, the springs act as pressure points in your bed, causing you to feel discomfort. Memory foam beds, for the most part, prevent this. Most memory foam mattress toppers don't even include springs, and in hybrid mattresses that have both, the foam acts as an effective protector between the two. Anyone who suffers from chronic pain will greatly benefit from this feature.

Another advantage is that a memory foam mattress is hypoallergenic. Its structure is ultra-dense, which is excellent for repelling allergens like mould and dust. Allergy sufferers can enjoy a good night’s sleep with this mattress.

When you have a memory foam mattress, whether king or queen size, it’s less likely that you’ll be able to feel your partner moving. This is due in part to the mattresses’ density. The material has great motion isolation, i.e. the mattress absorbs movement instead of transferring it to other areas as would happen with a spring mattress. This minimizes sleep disruptions due to movement.

One of the major benefits of a memory foam mattress is its ability to use your heat and body pressure to conform to your distinct shape. The heat from your body softens the mattress, making it more viscous. It adapts to the natural curves of your body, allowing you to settle on the mattress more comfortably. It provides adequate spinal and lumbar support to prevent and relieve body pain. And when you rise, the foam returns to its original shape.

What Are the Known Disadvantages of a Memory Foam Mattress?

While memory foam mattresses offer various benefits, it’s not the solution to all sleep problems. For instance, it can’t offer relief for sleep-breathing disorders or sleep apnea. Other downsides include:

One of the disadvantages of memory foam beds is that it tends to retain body heat. While this isn’t a problem in the colder months, your may feel overheated during the summer, causing sleep disruption. This will especially affect those who live in areas with excessive humidity levels. Fortunately, a dehumidifier can address this problem.

The foam density, while it is able to deter the accumulation of contaminants, can make the mattress extra heavy and difficult to move. It may take more than a single person to relocate the mattress. Additionally, changing the sheets may prove to be tricky if you are trying to do it alone.

Memory foam mattresses, as well as toppers, can’t repel moisture. You have to be extra careful and keep your mattress from getting wet. Moisture can speed up the degeneration of the memory foam, affecting its usability. Cleaning it when it gets wet can also be challenging. However, this can be resolved by covering it with a waterproof memory foam mattress cover to safeguard it from fluids.

Purchasing a memory foam mattress might be the right decision for you. It might help you sleep better and prevent you from waking up through the night.

If you are looking for a high-quality memory foam mattress in Canada? Direct Bed is your best bet. We offer a wide variety of top-quality mattresses for you to choose from. Call us at 1-844-475-3378 for inquiries or browse our online catalogue.