In the world of customized things, have you ever wondered when the mattress that you sleep on will become customizable according to your need? Well, we already have invented such a mattress. A mattress that remembers you: memory foam.
The astonishing softness and its ability to conform to the object placed above it made mattress makers think of designing a new type of mattress using the material. The result was the birth of one of the softest bed in the world. Be it taking a power nap or sleeping dreamily through the night, memory foam mattresseschecksall the boxes.
What Is Memory Foam?
Memory foam is a polyurethane foam that is made of a substance called viscoelastic. The material was first created in the mid-1960s by the American space research agency, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). As the material is highly energy absorbent and soft, they used it as padding for seats and helmets.
When it was introduced into the market almost twenty years ago, it created a revolution in the industry by becoming an over-night favorite dethroning the innerspring type mattresses. People began seeking out the softness of memory foam to the bounciness of spring beds.
What Is So Special About Memory Foam?
Memory foams are special because of their softness and their unique ability to shape itself according to the body weight applied to it. This helps to evenly distribute body weight and thus relieves pressure point pains.
Where Does It Get the Name From?
The wonderful feature of the memory foam is that it is slow moving and hence retains the shape of the person for a few more seconds after he gets out of bed. This memorizing property gave it the name memory foam.
When Are Memory Foam Mattresses Best Used?
Memory foam was first used in hospital beds for patients with severe joint pains and pressure point pains. As the bed helps in spreading the weight evenly, the joint pains are found to reduce considerably. Thus memory foams are best suited in therapeutic beds.
Where Can You Buy Memory Foam Mattresses in India?
Memory foam mattresses are not as popular as other types of beds in India. Still, their popularity has gone up in recent years. The retailers are aware of this changing market trend and so memory foams are on display in many furniture stores.
If your nearby store owner does not seem to be affected by this change in preference, you can always get memory foam mattresses through online shopping.
How Much Does a Memory Foam Mattress Cost in India?
Memory foams cost a tad bit more than other types which are available in India. They are available from Rs 7000 onwards. But the high-end ones cost around Rs 50,000.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Memory Foam Mattress?
Those who use memory foam mattresses are all praises for its innumerable benefits. Some of them are given below.
Health Benefits
The major advantage pointed out by the fans of memory foam mattress is the health benefits of using it. The memory foam has the property of displacing the pressure or the body weight of the sleeper along the length of the person’s body. So the person gets relief from body aches, muscle pains and so on.
When you lay down for a long time, the pressure created by the downward pull of gravity and the opposing force provided by the bed can sometimes affect the blood circulation. It may cause soft tissue damage and bed sores in bedridden patients. The memory form does not give as much pressure to the person as other mattress types and hence they help prevent pressure sores and minimize pain in sensitive areas.
The even support given by the memory foam mattress is helpful to relieve backaches. Unlike other mattress types, they have the property of contouring the curves in the body which helps in supporting the lower back. This also helps the spine to stay in a neutral position.
Low Motion Transfer
Motion transfer is a big issue in most type of mattresses. if you have a partner who twists and turns in their sleep, these mattresses let you know immediately. If you are a light sleeper or your partner and you have different sleep schedules, you may have to go through many sleepless nights.
Memory foam mattresses make a lot fewer waves compared to others. The viscoelastic material used in memory foam absorbs the motion and does not allow it to be transferred. So if you have a partner who moves a lot during sleep, memory form ensures that your sleep is not disturbed.
Comfort
Memory foam is the most comfortable mattress available in India without a doubt. The softness of the memory foam material is unrivaled. Part of the reason why it is used as a medical bed is that it can guarantee comfortable and quality sleep to those who suffer from physical pains and discomforts. The patients who slept in the memory foam mattresses are reported to have got better sleep than those who slept on other types of mattresses.
Body temperature regulation is another factor that makes your sleep in memory foam mattress much comfortable. It keeps you warm if it is cold outside and cools if it is hot. Different kinds of covers are available in the market which aids this process. So memory foam mattresses guarantee a comfortable sleep irrespective of the environmental temperature.
What Are the Cons of Memory Foam Mattresses?
Though they are one of the favorite types of mattresses in the market, many point out some cons of using memory foam mattresses. They are as follows
The Sinking
Many people like the hugging provided by the memory foam mattress. The body contouring and pressure point relief is hailed one of the best in the market. But many find this much annoying. They say that laying down on a memory foam mattress feels like sinking in quicksand. The over the responsiveness of the bed causes this feeling.
The quick-sand-experience also gives rise to another problem for those who toss around a lot during their sleep. They feel like sleeping on glue and hence feel restricted in their movement.
Use of Chemicals
Memory foam is not a natural substance. Many complain about the chemical smell of the memory foam. Some studies have proven that the smell can be caused due to the emission of Benzene, which is found in many memory foams. The chemical tops the suspect list of carcinogens (cancer-causing substances). But according to some studies conducted by the American Cancer Society, the chemical is widely used even in developed countries.
Apart from Benzene, memory foams also contain Naphthalene which is also not good for the human body. But the harmful effects of both these chemicals have not been proven without a doubt. So if you are concerned about these chemicals affecting your health, memory foams are not for you.
Price
The cost of memory foam mattresses is not on the positive side. It is not as affordable as the other available types of mattresses in India. This factor has affected the popularity of these kinds of mattresses.
New researches are being conducted to make them more wallet-friendly. But till now you have to pay a handsome amount for a decent memory foam mattress