Memory Foam
Mattress
MEMORY FOAM - Unsurpassed Comfort
Originally Developed for NASA and perfected by
Swedish scientists, memory foam is a high density,
fluid-like viscoelastic, open-celled, breathable
media. It behaves unlike any other mattress material
providing exceptional comfort and support.
Most common mattress materials cannot respond
like Memory foam. When a load is applied to standard
HR foam it compresses. At some point, the resistance
to compression exceeds the force of the load being
applied and the foam begins to “push back”
creating pressure spikes. This can potentially
lead not only to discomfort but reduced circulation
as well.
Memory foam is much like a very thick fluid, it
doesn’t compress in the classic sense, it
displaces to accommodate the load. Memory foam,
being a fluid like material, also reacts to heat
and pressure. It is softer and flows more readily
when warmed close to body temperature than when
it is at ambient/room temperature. This enables
the viscoelastic material to mould to your body.
Body weight is so effectively supported that pressure
on the body contact areas are significantly reduced
to therapeutic levels. Pressure is distributed
so evenly that pressure spikes are greatly minimized.
Pressure spikes can work like “dams”
which can stunt blood flow and effect tissue perfusion.
The longer this occurs the more likely there will
be tissue damage over time.
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In The Beginning…
In the early 1970's, NASA's Ames Research Center
funded a development project designed to create
a substance that could help relieve astronauts
of the incredible g-forces experienced during
lift-off. They believed that one of the key secrets
to reducing g-forces on the body was to use a
foam material that could conform to each person's
shape and hold this conformity. While a foam mould
of each astronaut's body shape could accomplish
this, any movement would take a person out of
this position and create incorrect pressure points
against the body. Instead, they created a new
foam material that was visco-elastic and therefore
able to conform to a person's shape, but then
come back to a normal shape once pressure was
removed from the foam. This could allow an even
distribution of pressure or body weight over the
entire surface of the foam, but quickly adapt
to any movements of the body.
With this amazing discovery, Fagerdala World Foams
of Sweden, one of Europe's largest foam producing
companies, began experiments in the 1980s to perfect
it for consumer use.
In 1991, the Tempur-Pedic®, a Swedish Mattress
company introduced this material in a mattress
form to the people of Sweden with very well-received
results. In 1992, Tempur-Pedic® launched the
same products in North America and experienced
a similar response.
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What Does The “Memory” in
Memory Foam Mean?
To give a piece of foam memory, you start with
a synthetic polyurethane foam material and add
certain types of materials (polyols) which add
an increase in weight or density to the foam.
With the addition of these materials, a non-toxic,
visco-elastic foam material is created. However,
there are many processes along the way that determine
what type and quality of memory foam you will
produce.
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Four Important Characteristics of Foam
For a material to be Visco-elastic, it has to
be temperature sensitive and have an ability to
rebound fairly quickly and return to its normal
shape. Memory foam is graded by its visco-elastic
nature and its durability.
- Density (Weight in pounds per square
foot)
The weight of a foam is determined by the amount
and quality of raw materials used in the composition
of the polyurethane foam. The more materials,
the higher the density and the more visco-elastic
it will become. This density does not determine
the hardness of the material; this is done through
utilizing the ILD rating structure.
- ILD Rating (Indentation Load Deflection)
The ILD rating is going to tell you how hard
or soft a material is. The 25% ILD rating is
the number of pounds required to achieve a 25%
compression of a 4" thick foam using a
50 square inch indentation. As an example 20lb.
ILD foam indicates that this material took 20
lbs. of pressure to indent this foam 25%. Keep
in mind that the higher the ILD, the firmer
the foam.
- IFD Rating (Indentation Force Deflection)
The IFD refers to the firmness of a piece of
foam. The lab puts a 4 x 15 x 15 inch piece
of foam on a flat surface. A round metal plate,
8 inches in diameter pushes down on the foam.
The amount of pounds of pressure it requires
to squeeze the foam to 3 inches (25% compression)
is referred to as IFD. A low IFD, such as 10,
doesn’t offer much resistance and is considered
soft. Generally speaking, an IFD of 15-24 is
considered soft, 25-32 is medium, 33-40 is firm
and 41+ is considered extra firm. The comfort
range for the majority of people is 25-32. Foam
does soften slightly with regular use.
- Fire Retardant Standard
The Lifestyle Mattress products conform to TB603.
This code is the current stringent standard
that is required by California U.S.A. state
code which meets the highest standards relative
to open-flame resistance performance requirements.
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What is the initial smell
that comes from memory foam?
While the memory foam that is manufactured for
The Lifestyle Mattress does not contain any toxic
ingredients such as formaldehyde or PBDE (polybrominateddiphenylether),
it can have somewhat of a new foam type of smell
that can stay for a couple of days. While this
smell does not seem to trigger allergies, it can
be a bother initially for people who have sensitivity
to smells. For anyone who might be particularly
sensitive to the smell, it will be helpful to
leave the product uncovered during the first few
days, allowing the air in the room to circulate
around the product. Additionally you may spray
Febreze (a water soluble freshener) to help facilitate
the seasoning of the mattress.
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Spring Mattresses vs. Foam Mattresses
Coil spring mattresses have been the standard
for many decades, foam mattresses are becoming
more and more popular due to their unsurpassed
comfort and overall body support. While spring
mattresses can feel nice to sit or lay on, they
cannot offer the virtual body contouring and therefore
actual spinal support that memory foam can offer.
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Foam vs. Air Mattress
You cannot get the same contouring of the body
that you can get with memory foam. Air beds do
not make an imprint of your body, In fact, they
are more similar to a spring bed in that it will
cause a trampoline effect and bend inward when
pressure is applied without conforming to the
specific curves of the body. Memory foam is the
only mattress material that can accomplish a contouring
of the body without losing support.
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Is Memory Foam Really the Best Support
for those Achy Joints?
When you take into consideration the amount
of pressure you place on your various body parts
(shoulder, hips, neck, lower back etc.) you will
understand why visco-elastic pressure sensitive
foam provides the technology to reduce the overall
pressure placed on your joints by supporting them
without pushing back against them.
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Health Disclaimer
This write-up is for informational purposes
only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute
for professional medical advice, diagnosis or
treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician
or other qualified health provider with any questions
you may have regarding a medical condition. Never
disregard professional medical advice or delay
in seeking it because of something you have read
or heard!
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