Memory Foam

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is not a medical site and does not offer personal medical advice. You should always discuss medical matters with your doctor.

You've probably never heard of memory foam, but it would would certainly get into my personal list of the top inventions of the last hundred years. It's not technically "wyrd", but I can't really do a section on sleep without mentioning it.

What is Memory Foam?

Memory foam is, technically, a "heat sensitive visco-elastic foam". Basically this means that it reacts to the heat of your body and moulds itself to your shape. In doing so, it distributes your weight evenly across the entire surface.

Memory foam was initially developed in conjunction with NASA for use in the space programme. It helped to cushion astronauts against the stress of extreme G Forces on take off. It never actually went into space - apparently because of the smell.

From NASA, memory foam moved into hospitals where it was used to help bed-ridden patients by distributing their weight.

Today memory foam has become affordable enough to be available to buy for home use. The most common applications are memory foam mattresses and mattress toppers (pads). You can also buy other products such as memory foam pillows, slippers and even dog beds!

The most well known brand is probably Tempur Pedic however there are many others on the market. Grading memory foam is a difficult subject.

Why Use Memory Foam?

Because the human body isn't flat!

When we lay down the curve of our spine along with our other lumps and bumps is pressed onto the flat mattress. A soft mattress is more comfortable for many people, but traditional wisdom says that for health reasons you should choose a firm mattress for better support. In fact it's not that simple - consult your doctor for medical information - but the fact remains that there is usually a trade-off between comfort and support.

Memory foam goes some way to resolving that conflict. By distributing your weight across the whole surface it gives support without becoming unpleasantly firm.

It's not for everyone of course. Some people never get over the smell, others need something else for medical reasons - obviously you should consult your doctor if you have any medical condition. But for me it was a definite "best buy".

I have on my bed a memory foam mattress topper and memory foam pillows that I bought online a couple of years back. For me it made a major improvement in the quality of my sleep. They make sleeping so much more comfortable that I don't think I could go back to living without them.

As you can tell, I'm a fan!