Memory foam works best when layered over a hard surface
Memory Foam Mattresses
Ever since the dawn of human kind, there have been those who looked to the stars. Looking in wonder and awe…
Inspired by curiosity, dreamers would
build and invent new and better ways to sleep. Like the
visionaries of NASA’s space program that developed the first memory foam mattress. The point was to help the
boldest of stargazers, to reach the heavens with a restful night's sleep.
NASA called upon all the inventors and innovators they could in the early 70’s, and many things never before
dreamed of, became reality. What would help these courageous souls overcome the frontiers of space and boldly go
where know one had ever gone before? Imagination… And from their imaginations came memory foam mattresses. For a
long time it was thought that mattresses made from memory foam could do the trick… But that was not the calling of
this exquisite invention, but rather the realm of commercially bought and sold mattresses to consumers here on
earth!
Not only have they revolutionized the earthling’s way of sleeping, but they themselves have generated a whole new
dimension of creativity. Things like, size, weight, density, design and dynamics are but a few of the qualities
found in a memory foam mattress, but how have they been used? Memory foam was not used in the NASA program, true,
but a lot of things weren’t, that just means that it found its way into more important fields.
Take the field of medicine, for example. In Sweden, a genius came up with this wonderful idea to use the memory
foam mattress for patients with back pain problems. The idea was that since memory foam mattresses conform
themselves to the sleepers body, without creating pressure point resistance, then they would work wonders on people
with similarly related problems, such as pressure sores.
Over time, different kinds of memory foam were created and innovators launched at the opportunity to defend a new
and revolutionary way of getting a truly good night’s sleep. Memory foam mattresses were divided between
technologies and then re-mantled among the various different mattress sciences… Memory foam works best when layered
over a hard surface at approximately 2” – 3” weighing around 4lbs.
But why the name, memory foam? The mattress does not have a memory per-say, but rather cells that deform when under
load. Different from a spring back kind of mattress where all points of the mattress are always trying to find
there way back to point zero resistance, memory foam actually deforms each cell, by smashing it and evacuating the
air, dislodging it into other cells. This makes the foam more difficult to reach point zero again since the process
of deforming literally creates a vacuum.
In this way, the bed will remain in the position the load has determined every time the slumbering individual has
just awoken from a dream, moves position and goes back into the dream world. It really helps the sleeper get a more
comfortable night’s sleep and it induces more powerful dreams, since memory foam actually creates the support
necessary for the determined load, without favoring any specific pressure point.
As its like a big sponge, the air forced out and throughout the surrounding cells, is forced back in when the load
is removed, but over a slower period of time so that, once again no pressure point is favored over any other.
About the Author
About the author: Thomas Jay Wacker is the General Manager and V.P. of www.simplepedic.com. Wacker has over 20 years experience in the home furnishing industry and
leads the Wacker Management Team in Denver Colorado.
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