This blog post was not supposed to be a Tempur mattress review, but it turns out…it is.
I was reading the comments from the french blog post about Tempur memory foam mattress, and I thought my english speaking visitors could benefit from some of these comments.
I also believe I’m a qualified reviewer because as you may or may not know, I do sleep in a Tempur memory foam mattress and I used to have serious back problems (you can read my story about herniated disc and sciatica here.)
Tempur mattress & back pain is the most controversial topic of this blog.
Many of the people who purchased a Tempur mattress complain about how the Tempur mattress promotes back pain.
Some of them didn’t even have any back problems before purchasing the famous memory foam mattress. They just thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to replace the old mattress with a new one, they bought a Tempur memory foam mattress, and right after the first night: bam! They wake the next mornings with back pain.
Other people were already having back problems and they thought it would be a good idea to sleep on a Tempur, because they saw on TV that memory foam mattresses relieve back pain.
And again, the next day, bam! Wake up in the morning and back pain is even worse than the day before.
Of course if you buy a cheap mattress, that’s acceptable, but if you spend a lot of money on the whole shebang (mattress, Tempur memory foam topper, electric adjustable bed, memory foam pillows)…and it doesn’t solve your back problems but makes them worse…well, you’re not going to just swallow that and go on with your life.
Where ever you buy your new mattress, make sure they have a consistent return policy or trial period.
What do you need to know before buying a Tempur mattress.
The Tempur will last for years and you don’t want to spend your money and get stuck with a mattress that gives you back pain.
If you suffer from chronic back pain, it is recommended that you sleep in a mattress that provides good support for the low back: the Tempur mattress doesn’t do that, unless you keep the bedroom temperature low (I’m saying not hotter than 18° C / 60° F).
Hotter than that, the memory foam will loosen and the mattress will not provide enough support to your back. The memory foam has the tendency to loosen and get softer with the heat (even the heat of your body): It took me a few years before I realized that sleeping in the Tempur mattress was very effective and good for my back during the winter and very bad for my back during summer, just because of that.
Sweating in bed because of the Tempur Mattress
A lot of people complain about excessive sweating in bed since they sleep in a Tempur and I have experienced that too. Obviously something’s wrong with the memory foam and the contact of the bare skin: I stopped sweating when I stopped sleeping half-naked or with some specific underwear. For exemple wool is not something you want to wear if you sleep in a Tempur mattress: you are going to sweat like an animal.
So, make sure you’re not sleeping naked or half-naked and you ‘ll be ok. If you’re still sweating, try with another pyjama.
What to do if you wake up with back pain because of your Tempur Mattress
I read some people are desperate because they spent a lot of money on their new bedding that gives them back pain and, now what ? They can’t just throw it away or return the mattress.
If this is your case, consider purchasing a topper: not a Tempur topper, nor a memory foam topper either: you have back pain in the morning because you need more support during the night and yes, I know, buying a topper is spending more money, but you don’t want to spend you nights in pain or wake up with back pain in morning, so if you can’t return the mattress, a topper is an acceptable option.