Has anyone out there ever slept on the Tempur-pedic Bed? We're in need of a new mattress/box springs and both of us have assorted back problems. My doctor suggested we consider this tempur-pedic bed, but when I sent for the info, I was shocked to find out the whole "sleep system" (which includes a bed frame), cost about $1500. I know, in some places, a new box spring and mattress can cost almost a $1000. This supposedly has this new material that eliminated "pressure points" that cause back problems. Before I even consider investing that much money into a sleep system, I'm interested in finding out if anyone out there has ever tried this and, if so, what was your impression.

Thanks for reading.

-- Dianne in Mass (dianne.bone@usa.net), May 24, 2001

Answers

My impression has always been, and this has been confirmed by my local furniture store, that you don't need a box spring set. Just a mattress on a firm base. Such as plywood. You can save some money that way.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), May 24, 2001.

Kmart[ and others] sells a foam mattress for about 14 dollars which works great, it has zones for different areas of the body.It will make any mattress more comfey.Works well for me.You just have to replace it every year or two[ old mattress pad makes great dog bed].

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), May 25, 2001.

I have the Tempur-pedic mattress.

Our King size was $2500.00 CDN, about 5 months ago.

I have found it to be very good for sleeping on, do get a very good sleep. Our previous mattress was an 11" foam mattress, (just too old) It also was a better mattress than any other bed I have tried.

I looked at the "other" brands of mattresses, but they lokked cheap in comparison.

I would recommend it (and have supplied the chiropractor with the info as well). The other half also says I don't snore as much now.

Gerry

-- Gerry (goldrush@home.com), May 25, 2001.

I have a Tempur-Pedic as well. I have all kinds of back/neck problems that are family 'conformation' problems, if you will, as well as a bunch from injuries like falling down a flight of stairs, getting bopped on the head by horses and my neck scrunched, whiplash, etc. When I have to go travelling and leave my bed, I am an unhappy camper in very short order, in pain, sleep deprived, etc.

I was on the verge of buying one of those air beds that have the adjustable comfort zones on both sides before I wandered into a store that sold Tempur-Pedic and tried that out. That is what I ended up with, although I will note that it does take a little initial break- in period before it loosens up a bit, at least for my back.

If that is too pricey for you (in my case it was neccessity, not luxury), I have found other solutions for when I MUST travel. One is the Aero bed, which is acceptable for me, if it has an egg-crate foam topper or two on it. The other thing, when I have to sleep on those slabs of concrete that they laughingly call 'beds' in motels, I have to take along four of the foams to put on top to make it bearable and get any sleep at all. Even so, after a few nights I can feel it creeping up on me, and I always have to see my chiropractor immediately upon returning home.

If you can find a pure latex mattress (and do not have a latex allergy), this may work for you, with or without additional egg-crate foams on top. You might think about getting a pile of those foam toppers and using them in quantity and seeing if this works for you first, it would be cheaper if it worked for your back. They say to use one on top, well, what's wrong with putting 4 on if it gives you a good night's sleep? Even with that suggestion, my back is always SO happy when I'm home on my own Tempur-Pedic again. (but, as they say on Tv, 'personal results may vary!')

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), May 25, 2001.

We tried one ----but I'm allergic to everything---all forms of chemicals----I layed down on one in the store & in a matter of a few seconds I had problems breathing--- & soon my eyes started swelling & then I puffed up like a toad-----reaction to something they use to make the bed!!!! It took two or three days to recover from the reaction from laying on one in the store---sure glad we didn't buy one throught the mail to try!! You may want to find a show room that is fairly close to you & try one before you get serious about buying one!!!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), May 25, 2001.

The Tempur-pedic beds are wondrously comfy. Julie and I have a cousin with back problems who had to get one to get some rest as well.

I don't have as many problems as Julie does, and I got by with purchasing the Tempur-pedic mattress topper (much cheaper than a full mattress). Julie saved money by buying ONLY the mattress and using her existing box spring. If you eliminate the box spring (with any mattress) your support needs to have some ventilation so that the moisture given off by your body can dissipate. If you're using plywood, you can drill holes in it.

Sonda is quite right about the off-gassing. When I got my mattress topper, it STUNK really badly. I left it unfolded in the garage for several weeks to off-gas. If you have chemical sensitivites, you may never be able to tolerate one. Another caution, these things are very heavy (very dense foam).

There are now competitors out there too. They usually call their products "memory foam". If you go to www.metacrawler.com, and search on Tempur-pedic, you will get a whole bunch of links, including the main site for Tempur-pedic (Which seems not to be working at this very moment). It seems that the memory foam competitors are cheaper than Tempur-pedic, but whether or not they are as good is unknown.

Tempur-pedic also sells those contoured neck pillows made out of their foam. While not cheap, one of those could be the answer to discover whether or not you are allergic to the foam's chemicals. You'd be out a LOT less money. If you can find a local store, they often have an offer of a three-month trial. I recommend allowing any of the products a minimum of a week, however, to lose some of the awful smell!

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), May 25, 2001.

I found this site particularly interesting, Dianne. Be sure to read all the info (FAQ's, etc.).

http://secure201.local.net/~drosen/hf/index.html

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), May 25, 2001.

I am a chiropractic physician that constantly has to treat individuals with back and neck problems, be it acute (recent) or chronic (long-standing). Most people who require soem type of special orthopedic bedding are patients with chronic type problems. I have been researching beds for patients and I have found the Tempur-Pedic brand is one of the better brands. Although you might look into trying to bargain shop, just remember you usually get what you pay for. The typical foam padding placed on bedding wears down over time from body weight just as your mattress. Some people prefer firm and some people prefer contour/soft bedding. The Tempur-Pedic seems to offer both. There are many styles and designs (adjustable bedding vs non-adjustble). I do suggest you try one out in a retail outlet before buying. As one responder mentions, he had allergic response. Some people, usually those who have always suffered from allergies, will have this type of reaction. When producing foam bedding, chemical processes usually are utilized. Most people can tolerate foam, but some select few cannot. Do not base your judgement on purchasing based on one or two people who ha conditions that you might not have. Try it yourself and that is the best answer to your question. Everyone who has back pain responds differently to different types of treatments and ergonomic remedies. Everyone is unique.

To assist you in sleeping, learn proper sleep postures also. There is detailed information on the internet that can help. The best position, if you can do this, is to sleep on your side, with a pillow between your legs and knees slightly bent. Also you must be usign a pillow that does not push your head up or allow it to drop down. The key is to keep the spine from center of back of head to tailbone in one straight line. If this is not achieved, you will be placing sress on your spine as you sleep. But no position is going to work 100% of the time for any person. You must find a position that makes your pain tolerable and youy do not wake up in worse pain. That is the key.

In addition, if you have not seen a chiropractor, my suggestion is to give it a try. People who have not tried are afraid and mock what they do not understand. I was going to be an orthopedic surgeon and changed my path after one experience with chiropractic for my back pain. I am not just a physician that gives advice, I have experienced the back pain myself. I have 5 bulging discs in my neck hitting my spinal cord from a car accident, I have a disc that got injured at L5- S1 playing football in high school that has now completely healed by the body naturally fusing together these two segments. I live an active lifestyle and weight lift regularly.

I also suggest a good nutritionist, which your chiropractor can also help you with. Vitamins B, C and Magnesium can help. In addition, Vitamin E is always a good vitamin. And another big supplement I recommend, providing you have no sulfur allergies, is Glucosamin MSM. It took the numbness and tingling out of my hands within one to two weeks of taking 3 times day with meals. It works different for everybody though. Do not be fooled here into buying the most expensive brand. You can purchase Glucosamine MSM at Wal Mart in the SunRise brand for approximately $7.80 for 60 to 120 capsules. This is a good price and a good product from my perosnal experience.

Always research directly. Go try out the bed. If you do not have a sotre available close by, call Tempur-Pedic and ask them to assist you in being able to try the bed. You are the consumer. If they want the sale, make them cater to you.

-- Dr. Kevin Wood (kwood1@tampabay.rr.com), July 12, 2001.

contrary to all the recommendations to use a firm matress, or plywood for back problems, the best I've found for my back is a waterbed. There's nothing like it to relax the muscles. There are virtually no pressure points when using a waterbed. Both my chiro and dr advised it'd probably be the best years ago. I ruptured the L5-S1 foolishly trying to do a 2-3 man job myself, standing a 28' tent pole with about 400lbs on it after having already pushed the limits by working many hours without rest. Learned a good lesson there ; ). Mine gives me trouble about 2-3 times a year now with a few days of muscle spasms but only after I push my boundaries and it hasn't imobilized me for the last 4 years. I too take lots of vitamins and mineral supplements and it definitely helps.

-- somebody (something@somewhere.com), July 12, 2001.