Blogs in the category: Sleep Research  > Page: 9

Memory Foam Mattress Blog

Removing urine from memory foam mattresses

Thursday 17th May 2012
Unfortunately children and even some adults will suffer from a loss of bladder control in the night, leaving the mattress soaked in urine. If this happens to your super comfortable and incredibly supportive memory foam mattress then you need to act...

Read: Removing urine from memory foam mattresses

Getting blood out of a memory foam mattress

Tuesday 15th May 2012
Just because your memory foam mattress was designed by NASA to help protect its astronauts during re-entry and  was initially intended as the best material for cushioning human bodies in crashes, doesn’t mean that your memory foam mattress...

Read: Getting blood out of a memory foam mattress

How to sleep better

Monday 14th May 2012
If you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep then there are a number of different areas you need to look at that could help you sleep. First, let’s look at your sleep environment. It needs to be relaxing, well ventilated, dark...

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Is your child too big for his or her mattress?

Saturday 12th May 2012
Making sure that your child has a suitable mattress is incredibly important. Childhood is the most critical time in anyone’s life for physical development. It is crucial that children are given suitable bedding when they are young as it can really...

Read: Is your child too big for his or her mattress?

What is a memory foam mattress

Thursday 10th May 2012
So you are thinking about making one of the best purchases of your life, you are one step away from getting a memory foam mattress and spending the rest of your nights in a bespoke cradle, mirrored to your exact body shape? But first you need to find...

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Health effects of sleep deprivation

Tuesday 8th May 2012
It is not hard to deduce that sleep deprivation is bad for your health, but just how bad it really is may come as a surprise to many. In fact, the list of negative health effects caused by sleep deprivation is incredibly long and scary. In its...

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Am I sleeping enough?

Sunday 6th May 2012
If you think you are getting a good night’s sleep then you might be getting it all wrong, scientists are just discovering how many of our common conceptions of sleep are totally off. Take the amount of sleep required to keep you healthy. Most...

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Could sleep be cured?

Saturday 5th May 2012
The title of this article is somewhat disingenuous, sleep is hardly a disease. It is a natural part of life, like breathing. However, while many people look forward to bed at night, eagerly awaiting their blissful 8 hours of shuteye, there are others...

Read: Could sleep be cured?

Has artificial light changed sleep patterns?

Friday 4th May 2012
A number of studies have shown that sleep patterns differ quite dramatically across different cultures, with one of the biggest differences being seen between societies that have artificial light and those that do not. Put simply, in societies...

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Animals that can sleep standing up

Thursday 3rd May 2012
Not sure about you, but most people find it rather difficult to sleep standing up. The closest humans get is sleeping in a chair or the astronauts in the International Space Station who sleep in bags stuck to the walls. While humans prefer to sleep...

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The sleepiest nation?

Tuesday 1st May 2012
As a race we love comparing nations, it seems to be a human past time to work out how is the most or least of something. There doesn’t seem to be a week that goes by where a newspaper doesn’t declare that a nation is the most depressed,...

Read: The sleepiest nation?

Wolverine-like healing?

Monday 30th April 2012
In the comic books and related movies, the X-man called Wolverine has an incredible ability to heal. He has metal claws that burst through his hands and, luckily, the wounds heal almost instantly. While the reason given for his remarkable healing ability...

Read: Wolverine-like healing?

What is sleep timing?

Friday 27th April 2012
Our sleep timing is controlled by something called a circadian clock as well as a function called sleep-wake homeostasis and, to a degree, our own willed behaviour. In other words, there are a number of variables at play when it comes to the timing...

Read: What is sleep timing?

Mammals that do not completely sleep

Tuesday 24th April 2012
When you think of mammals sleeping you probably imagine that they all sleep in a manner fairly similar to humans, though in fact, when you go beyond the easy assumption, you realise that while many do have similar sleep habits to humans there are a...

Read: Mammals that do not completely sleep

How to live longer?

Sunday 22nd April 2012
If you want to prolong your life there is something very simple you can do right now. All you need to do is set your alarm clock one hour earlier, that is if you usually sleep for eight hours a night. There has been a wealth of recent research...

Read: How to live longer?

How to choose a mattress?

Memory foam mattresses are an increasingly popular choice for Australian consumers, offering a high performance alternative to the traditional continuous-spring and pocket spring mattresses. However, with this boost in popularity there has been a huge increase in the number of companies offering memory foam mattress products, and, as with everything, there is a significant difference between those at the top and bottom ends of the market in terms of performance, quality and price. With this in mind, it’s important to be aware of the differences before making your purchasing decision.

While buying the cheapest option can be a tempting proposition – after all, who doesn’t like saving money? – it can prove to be a surprisingly costly decision. If you do go to the lower end of the market, first of all you’re not getting a quality product, and it certainly won’t be able to offer the same properties as a memory foam mattress. The cheap price is invariably due to cheap materials, and this shows after a short amount of time. With poor performance night after night you’ll be looking to change your cheap mattress far sooner than you would a higher quality alternative, so you’re effectively buying twice – which isn’t such a bargain anymore. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, sleeping on a poor quality mattress can potentially cause health and wellbeing problems. In the best case scenario you’ll wake up with aches and pains, and feel tired regularly. In the worst case scenarios on a bad mattress you could cause serious muscular and skeletal damage to your body. We think you’ll agree that this is something that goes beyond grabbing a ‘bargain’,

With these two key factors – longevity and performance – in mind, you can select a memory foam mattress that is able to meet your needs both in the immediate and longer term.

You don't have to take our word for it. Why not see what our customers think?

How to compare memory foam mattresses

It can be difficult to choose a memory foam mattress, especially with so many options available these days online and in-store. The various technical attributes of memory foam can make it even more confusing.

If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re in the market for a new mattress, and you’ll be very much aware that a mattress that gave you great support in the early stages of ownership can dramatically deteriorate over time.

Some retailers make a deliberate decision to avoid displaying important elements of their mattresses that relate to the composition, materials and interior structure. This makes it impossible for the customer to make an accurate judgement as to how the mattress will perform and last.

Other retailers do note the attributes of their mattress, yet it can often be that mattresses with what appear to be the same qualities can be quite different in performance. To explain, a memory foam mattress of a comparable specification from different manufacturers should feel similar, although it is too often the case that this is not borne out in practice.

The main reason for the difference is due to the quality of the memory foam layer that is inside the mattress. Two products may have similar specifications, for example density, memory foam layer depth, firmness rating and ILD or IFD (Indentation Load or Force Deflection); however the quality of the memory foam mattress is likely to make the items differ with the feel and performance when they are used. In addition, with both items the density value recognised in the memory foam layer may be the same but this is not the case when looking at other important specification values where the memory foam is designed to alter property, like the ILD rating and temperature range. A genuine visco elastic memory foam mattress like the ones at Ergoflex, are engineered to respond to body temperature and the temperature range is manipulated as a result. When a memory foam mattress is advertised as having “temperature sensitive” qualities, it is likely that it will change its physical properties with different levels of heat, but what levels? The visco-elastic foam not working in harmony with your body’s temperature if the heat is too high or too low, as a result, the mattress will not provide the required level of firmness and support.

Where the memory foam is source from is an important factor for quality. Many of the popular retailers obtain their memory foam materials from one of a small selection of major manufacturers. This results in many of the retailers selling the same product to the consumer, with their branding being the only variation. This can cause differences in consistency, feel and performance of the memory foam between the different batches. This complicates the consumers understanding even further of what the product is going to feel like when they receive it and use it.

Thankfully this is not the case for all companies in this market. Premium quality mattress brands are constructed using materials made and owned by them, like the market leading Tempur mattresses. Ergoflex offers the same benefit with its material components; our material has been improved and refined over many years to achieve our 3rd generation high-density (HD) visco-elastic memory foam. This material, just like Tempur is not available from any other brand name in this sector.

Ergoflex memory foam mattresses can currently only be purchased from our Australian and European division, so that we can guarantee both consistency and quality of your mattress. This will also ensure that you will receive the best service that you would expect from a premium brand name, as it can be controlled and kept at a consistently high level.

This allows us to bring you the finest quality product that can provide you with the ultimate performance and comfort and the highest standards of customer care and attention that you expect to receive, for both post purchase and will remain after sales to ensure you are happy with your product and service. We have the highest confidence in our memory foam mattress and pillows and the professionalism of our one-to-one customer care.

To understand the material of the memory foam mattress and the specifications further, we recommend you take a moment to read a more detailed description in our Guide to memory foam.

A Quick Guide to the Memory Foam Mattress

The technology of the memory foam mattress originates a creation by the NASA space program as an innovative in-flight cushioning system in the mid-1960’s. It has progressed since than and as been developed so it can be used in hundreds of everyday products. The material is made up of billions of spherical open cells; visco-elastic memory foam is the temperature sensitive version. The visco-elastic memory foam structure allows it to compress under weight and reacts to the temperature of your body and moulds with the heat. These qualities of advanced visco-elastic foam offer the best surface for a mattress.

Why should I consider a memory foam mattress?

High grade memory foam mattresses, which are made with true premium quality materials, offer an array of benefits to the end user. The memory foam mattress offers full body support unlike the traditional spring mattresses; it supports the whole body and not just the areas distributing the most weight. This results in the ability to find a comfier sleeping position that you can stay in throughout the night. The temperature sensitive quality allows the mattress to mould around your body and provides the best sleeping environment that removers stress from pressure points and joints. These additional benefits of a memory foam mattress will help you achieve a better quality sleep, this will leave you to wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after a full night’s sleep, so that you can approach the day with extra energy and enthusiasm, rather than feeling tired and lethargic which is often the outcome of a poor night’s sleep.

What should I look for when shopping for a memory foam mattress?

Over the recent years there has been an increasing amount of companies selling memory foam mattresses, this can make the whole process of researching and choosing which one to buy very difficult and confusing to all consumers. When shopping for a memory foam mattress there is certain factors that need to be considered, to ensure you buy a mattress that will perform well. Looking at the ‘density’ and the ‘ILD’ rating is the best indication to whether the mattress will be high quality or not, however first, it is important to look at the basics.

Memory foam mattress sizes

Considering the amount of time that we spend in our beds, it is one of the most undervalued pieces of furniture in Australian homes. People spend plenty of money on sofas, kitchen units, tables and chairs etc, but the bed and hence the mattress can often be overlooked. When you consider the lifestyle and health benefits of having a good mattress like Ergoflex memory foam, it may be one of the most beneficial purchases in your home. Mattresses and beds should therefore receive more attention when you are ready to purchase a new one. When choosing the size of your mattress, it is recommended that you select the largest mattress that your budget and bedroom space will stretch to, as you will gain a much more comfortable sleeping experience. It is not often that you here complaints about your mattress being to big it is generally complaints if you have gone for the smaller size.

Does a memory foam mattress need a special bed base?

Memory foam mattresses provide all of their support from the main mattress itself, making a solid and more rigid bed base the best solution. The Ergoflex memory foam mattress is suitable for most bed bases in the market including divan and slatted.

Why is there so much choice when buying a memory foam mattress?

With the growth of the memory foam mattress market in recent years, there is an increasing range of options, prices and performance levels. This can make a judgement on the quality and value of any memory foam mattress in the market. At Ergoflex we strive to offer the very best memory foam mattress performance at a highly competitive price. The memory foam mattresses that we sell are directly comparable to the reputable market leader, Tempur™ and we offer it at a better value price. We vary from other memory foam mattress retailers, as we only have one grade of memory foam in our range, it is one that we know offers optimum performance to ensure a consistent high standard with every single Ergoflex memory foam mattress, this is our deluxe 3rd generation ACPT™ visco-elastic memory foam. So you know that when you buy from Ergoflex, you will get a product with high performance and quality guaranteed.

Memory foam mattress depth, density and ILD

Looking at the density, ILD (indentation load deflection) and the depth of the layered components in a memory foam mattress can assess the technical performance properties of the product.

When looking at the depth of the memory foam mattress, it can often be a regular misconception that if you have a thicker memory foam mattress it will provide more comfort and support. This theory is incorrect because a thicker mattress is far too soft, it will cover the user making it difficult to move around on as a result provides very little support to the user. At the other end of the scale, if the mattress is to thin you will simply sink into the base layer and the comfort of the mattress is significantly reduced. Therefore, there is a favourable depth for a memory foam mattress in order for it to give the best performance. The Ergoflex™ uses 9cm of 3rd generation HD visco-elastic ACPT™ memory foam; this is the best for optimum comfort, support and pressure-relieving abilities.

It is then important to asses the density of a memory foam mattress. This relates to the engineering of specifically the memory foam layer rather than the whole mattress. The lower the density, the less quality materials are being used to make-up the mattress; this can result in large air cavities inside the mattress. If the density is higher the memory foam layer is more compact with materials reducing the air cavities. To gain the best performance with a higher quality experience, you need to purchase HD (high density) memory foam mattresses, as lower density alternatives are less likely to give you the benefits. The life-span of the mattress is also dependant on the density of the mattress, with HD products lasting much longer.

Indentation load deflection (ILD) is a rating that is measured to give an accurate assessment of how soft or firm the memory foam mattress is going to be. This needs to be calculated and then given as a range, this is important because there are a number of factors that can have influence on them, such as humidity and other environmental factors. It is calculated by how many pounds of pressure is needed to make an indentation of 4” on the layer of the memory foam by 25% of its depth, the ratings are displayed in weight. If the ratings are low this means it is a soft mattress and higher ratings are the result of a firmer mattress Ergoflex™ 3rd generation HD visco-elastic ACPT™ memory foam mattresses have an ILD rating of 13-15lbs meaning that they are medium to firm making them the perfect sleeping environment for the user.

Memory foam mattress prices

The prices of the memory foam mattresses on the market often reflect the performance and quality of the product. With an increasing selection of memory foam mattresses on the market, the price continues to confuse consumers when trying to find the best mattress for you. The process of researching and choosing becomes more difficult due to the massive variety out there. The cheaper memory foam mattresses offer a less impressive experience compared to those at the higher end of the market offering high quality products. At Ergoflex we have refined and developed our 3rd generation HD visco-elastic ACPT™ memory foam mattress so that we can offer you a premium high performance mattress that is highly competitive in the market, at great value prices that can go up against the major retailers.