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Cheaper Alternatives to Memory Foam Mattresses

* Are you trying to get a better nights sleep but you can't or don't want to pay for an expensive new mattress?

* Have you just changed your mattress and now find that it isn't as comfortable as you were hoping that it would be?

* Is your mattress good for you but you feel that you want just a little bit of additional comfort to make it easier for you to relax?

Although memory foam mattresses, especially the Tempur Pedic (R) brand, are the ultimate in providing the help to sleep you are looking for, they are quite expensive. You might want to take a look at other products that are available that can make your life more comfortable without having to spend a lot of money. If the alternatives make a big difference then you can decide whether to invest in a new mattress at a later date.

The closest alternative to a memory foam mattress is a memory foam topper. A memory foam topper consists of a sheet of foam that you simply lay on top of your existing mattress. To use a topper your existing mattress must be of firm construction. If it is too soft for you already then the memory foam will only make things softer and possibly less comfortable for you. If your mattress is firm enough the foam will make it softer to lie on and more comfortable as it moulds itself to your body shape just like a memory foam mattress would. Remember that for maximum comfort your bed should be just the right softness for you.

If your mattress is good for you, but your neck and shoulders ache when you wake up in the morning, it might be that your pillows are not as supportive as they could be. You can get two types of memory foam that might help you with this problem. One is a pre-formed shape that is used by itself. It fits into the contour of your neck and supports your head nicely. They normally come with their own fitted cover but they also fit into standard pillowcases.

My mother suffers from cervical spondilitis that causes her a lot of pain in the base of her neck and shoulder. My sister bought her a shaped memory foam pillow to try and help her out. It took my mother quite a while to get used to the pillow but she now finds that it helps her to sleep comfortably. She won't sleep with anything else now.

Only buy one memory foam pillow because that is all you need to give you the correct amount of support. You can buy memory foam pillows with a more traditional shape if you want but you might find that they are a bit more expensive than the newer shaped ones and they probably won't give you the same high level of support either.

The same high-density visco-elastic foam that is used in mattress construction is used in pillows and toppers. The foams density governs the softness with 4lbs per cubic foot being softer than 5lbs. I believe that Tempur Pedic (R) tend to use foam with a density of 5.34 lbs per cubic foot which is high quality and possibly one of the reasons for the higher cost. Toppers come in different thickness but typically they will be about 2 to 3 inches thick. This is roughly the same thickness as you will find in a mattress construction with the foam layer over a firmer core.

Memory foam is too soft to be used on its own in a mattress so a firm supportive core is always used. As for cost, the less dense the foam, the cheaper it is, but to get the best benefit, it is recommended to not use a density of less than 4lbs per cubic foot.