Originally developed for NASA in the 1960s for airplane seats, memory foam material is now found in many everyday products ranging from pillows and mattresses, to office supplies and footwear. Take a close look at your office chair—it's likely that it has a memory foam component. Or perhaps your feet are used to the comfort of memory foam slippers. Initially, the cost of memory foam material was very expensive, but advances in its production have reduced the cost, making it more accessible for widespread use.
Of course, one of the most common products boasting the benefit of this material is—you guessed it—your mattress. Among the many features of memory foam, its high-density foam composition is both highly soft and energy absorbent, making it an ideal surface for sleeping.
Memory foam mattresses offer a few differences from standard mattresses, and should be considered as you explore options to find the best mattress to meet your sleep needs. If you're considering a memory foam mattress, try checking out some of our favorites!
Memory Foam Benefits
If you've ever wondered, "How does memory foam work?" or "What makes memory foam different?" wonder no more. Here are some things you didn't know about memory foam:
1. Memory Foam Provides A True Body Fit
Mattresses constructed of memory foam actively mold to your body in response to heat and pressure, allowing the surface to evenly distribute body weight when occupied and return to its original shape once pressure is removed. Real Mattress Firm customers even say in their memory foam reviews: "I melted into the mattress," and "I got my first solid good night's sleep in months."
2. Memory Foam Provides Temperature-Control Support
We know that your body temperature can affect how well you sleep. Memory foam beds are manufactured using a temperature-sensitive material, which allows the mattress to adjust your body heat and weight—as your temperature increases, the mattress becomes softer to provide a good night's sleep. If you're typically warm-blooded, you may want to consider a memory foam mattress with a cooling feature.
3. Memory Foam Provides Pain-Relief Comfort
Memory foam bedding provides health benefits by relieving pain, body aches and soreness, as well as helping your body to recover more quickly from injuries. According to LiveStrong.com, this is achieved by the material's ability to displace pressure from points of pain on your body. Areas of pain have a slightly higher temperature than the rest of the body, and memory foam detects these differences and molds to the body accordingly by adding or reducing pressure to the area.
4. Memory Foam is Allergy Friendly
According to Environment, Health and Safety Online, a typical mattress that has been used for a few years, contains anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million dust mites inside. Memory foam mattresses, however, are composed of polyurethane foam, which is made of fibers that prevent allergy-causing dust mites from collecting within the bed. Unlike standard mattresses, memory foam's dense composition prevents the accumulation of allergens over time.
5. Memory Foam Provides Motion Transfer Resistance
A logical option for couples, memory foam absorbs surface movement to reduce disturbances when a partner moves around in bed. This is good news for those who have partners who toss and turn, as disturbances are minimal all while the mattress conforms to each of your body's unique needs.
While sleep needs and preferences vary from person-to-person, memory foam beds offer a smart alternative to a standard mattress. With the ability to provide natural pain support, as well as a molded fit specific to your body, memory foam beds are worthy of consideration when shopping for a new mattress. And with so many to choose from, you're bound to find your perfect match!
Don't wait any longer. Head into your nearest Mattress Firm or shop online to check out our latest memory foam mattress sale and get the rest of your dreams!
