mattress question

[Guest guest]

I have slept on a waterbed (waveless) for 22 years and I love it.... I keep it

heated and it really helps the overall morning stiffness.. if I sleep on a

regular mattress I have a much harder time in the mornings.

Has anyone tried the newer air filled mattresses - the sleep number bed, nautica

bed, etc?? -- I was wondering how well those work - hubby would prefer a firmer

mattress than me and these new air-beds have dual controls - sounds like the

'ideal' compromise.

Reba

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I just wanted to thank everyone that responded to my question on buying a bed

mattress. I do appreciate it! I will respond to everyone in due time.

Something came up and I have had a chance yet, but I will get to it.

I hope everyone has a good day

~cheers~

www.handhuggies.com

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I had surgery about a year and half ago. (lamenectomy and fusion,

saccral to t-9) I just got a mattress two months ago which I am very

pleased with. I have a platform type bed. I purchased a restful sleep

innerspace luxury mattress. It was shipped via UPS in a large square

tube box and expands by itself like magic once unrolled. It is firm

but has a slight give.

I also have severe stenosis in the cervical spine and my headaches

have almost disappeared and my back is much more comfortable since I

have been sleeping on the new mattress. I had been sleeping on a very

old futon.

Good Luck,

[Guest guest]

hi I'm sure this is not a new question-We are preparing to chelate due

to elevated levels of antimony and arsenic. (Twin boys, 7, PDD-NOS and

ADHD/mood disorder)We are getting through getting rid of yeast/bacteria

to be able to tolerate the minerals needed to chelate. Last night my

son slept with his head at the food of his bed and had an accident

therefor missing the mattress pad and soaking the mattress. Since I

bought the mattress at IKEA and it conforms to Europes stricter codes

about chemicals, do I still need to get rid of the mattress to avoid

the harmful chemicals/fungus released by moisture and chemicals? Or is

that a matter for infants? If there is a better place for this

question, please let me know. Thanks, we've been trying to get to the

point of chelation and am ready to run out and buy a new mattress to

not add to the load but realizig I am panicing.

[Guest guest]

>

>

> If the mattress contained antimony or other flame retardant consider

replacing it. My understanding is that in the US chemical-free

mattresses and futons can only be sold to those with a prescription.

You can get natural latex with no scrip. They're really comfy. At

least if you don't have a latex allergy.

Do you think they wouldn't wash the wool well enough to get the

arsenic out?

Nell

[Guest guest]

When my kids were little, if there was an accident, as soon as I knew of it,

I turned the mattress over and put towels under it to try to absorb the

wetness and have gravity help rather than have gravity make things worse.

When I lived in the Mojave Desert -- extremely hot, dry climate -- I

had some success with washing upholstered pieces and letting them dry

outside in the 115+ degree heat in July. In Kansas, which is a cooler,

damper climate, I used baking soda and vacumming to reduce smells in

mattresses.

Back then, I knew a lot less than I do now about environmental toxins. So I

really can't say if those approaches would meet the high standards sought by

the members of this group. I welcome any feedback from folks who are more

in the know.

--

Michele in Limbo (formerly in California)

talithamichele@...

Visit Michele's World!

http://www.califmichele.com

" Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. "

-- Albert Einstein

[Guest guest]

Soon I plan to move my son & daughter from toddler beds to twin beds,

so I will be replacing their mattresses anyway. It is my son who has

heavy metals issues. I have never tested my daughter, but she is

developing typically. Should both the mattresses I buy be antimony-

free, or just my son's?

[Guest guest]

Personally I would suggest both and testing your daughter. Even if the metals

aren't causing problems now, they could later on. I'm convinced my mother's

early on-set (age 52) Alzheimer's was really metal toxicity.

S S

Soon I plan to move my son & daughter from toddler beds to twin beds, <BR>

so I will be replacing their mattresses anyway. It is my son who has <BR>

heavy metals issues. I have never tested my daughter, but she is <BR>

developing typically. Should both the mattresses I buy be antimony-<BR>

free, or just my son's?<BR>

<BR>

_______________________________________________

Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com

The most personalized portal on the Web!

[Guest guest]

I will second 's suggestion.

I confess to significant bias: I and my oldest child live with life

threatening respiratory problems and raising the bar on our standard for " a

clean bed " has been a cornerstone in our efforts to get well. You can spend

a third or more of your life in bed. If your bed is a problem for any

reason, I can't see how you can be truly healthy. (Is there anything else

that most individuals have more contact/exposure with??)

>>Personally I would suggest both

S S

>>>>Should both the mattresses I buy be antimony-<BR>

free, or just my son's?<BR>

<BR>

--

Michele in Limbo (formerly in California)

talithamichele@...

Visit Michele's World!

http://www.califmichele.com

" Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. "

-- Albert Einstein

[Guest guest]

...I'm sure you're right about your mother's Alzheimers. THere

has been a lot of research about it lately and they are treating

people with Alzheimers by chelating them (but I'm sure you probably

already know that!) Heart problems too! And both run in my

family...hmmmm

>

> Soon I plan to move my son & daughter from toddler beds to twin

beds, <BR>

> so I will be replacing their mattresses anyway. It is my son who

has <BR>

> heavy metals issues. I have never tested my daughter, but she is

<BR>

> developing typically. Should both the mattresses I buy be antimony-

<BR>

> free, or just my son's?<BR>

> <BR>

>

>

>

> _______________________________________________

> Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com

> The most personalized portal on the Web!

>

[Guest guest]

I did a hair test for my mother and she met counting rules (all low). Wish I

had done one for my father as he had a family history of heart disease, had his

first heart attack at 52 and his fatal one at 66. So glad I had my mercury out

and am chelating since I'm in my 40s and would like a whole lot more years.

S S

...I'm sure you're right about your mother's Alzheimers.  THere <BR>

has been a lot of research about it lately and they are treating <BR>

people with Alzheimers by chelating them (but I'm sure you probably <BR>

already know that!)  Heart problems too!  And both run in my <BR>

family...hmmmm<BR>

<BR>

_______________________________________________

Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com

The most personalized portal on the Web!

[Guest guest]

Don't know, but even if they do I wouldn't want to contribute to someone else

being exposed to the arsenic in the process.

S S

<BR>

><BR>

> <BR>

> If the mattress contained antimony or other flame retardant consider<BR>

replacing it.  My understanding is that in the US chemical-free<BR>

mattresses and futons can only be sold to those with a prescription. <BR>

<BR>

You can get natural latex with no scrip. They're really comfy. At<BR>

least if you don't have a latex allergy.<BR>

<BR>

Do you think they wouldn't wash the wool well enough to get the<BR>

arsenic out?<BR>

<BR>

Nell<BR>

<BR>

<BR>

<BR>

<BR>

<!-- |**|begin egp html banner|**| -->

<br><br>

<tt>

=======================================================<BR>

[Guest guest]

Hi Steve - is the organic futon you're considering comprised of 100% wool? Or

are you talking about a latex or foam futon with a wool topper or cover?

I was vaguely thinking about a wool mattress (if there is such a thing) in light

of my latex troubles - but I have my doubts about how comfortable or how much

support a wool mattress would provide. I wish wool mattresses had published ILD

ratings like latex (and foam) mattresses do.

~Svetaswan

> >

> >

> > Hi guys,

> >

> > Long time no see. I just thought I'd post an email (with a few

omissions/modifications) that I just got finished sending someone in the group.

I'm sorry that it's so long-winded - but maybe, just maybe, there is a morsel or

two in my autistic narrative that might be helpful to someone. As I say in the

email, I really regret not telling you guys about a laptop computer that I had

known about for months that seemed relatively benign (at least to me). What a

big " D'OH " on my part. I guess my " reasoning " , if you can call it that - for

not mentioning it is that I had sort-of dismissed it in my mind as an " el

cheapo " brand computer that wasn't a viable long-term option. But so far, this

laptop is working for me - well, as much as a computer can " work " for someone

with esens. It might work for other sufferers. The email follows:

> >

> > I just wanted to update you on my computer situation. In February/March, I

finally started making some moves on buying a new computer. At first I bought

an ASUS A52F-XA1 (15.6 " ) laptop, but I returned it to amazon.com without even

opening the box because when I later went to " test " the computer at Best Buy, it

seemed like it would be pretty bothersome (I felt " forced " to make a quick

purchase on amazon.com because it was showing one of those " Only 2 Left in

Stock " type of messages). Then, a few weeks later, I took the plunge again; I

was intrigued with ULV processors - so I bought an ASUS UL50-XA1 - this

computer:

> >

> >

http://www.amazon.com/UL50AT-X1-Processor-Notebook-Windows-Premium/dp/B003DZCPL6\

/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 & s=electronics & qid=1306059154 & sr=1-1

> >

> > Well, it was pretty bad! I started feeling quite " fried " about as soon as I

turned on the computer. In many ways, it was considerably worse than the laptop

that I was trying to get away from. The low-power, " battery " settings made it

somewhat better - but not " better " enough. Within hours, I pretty much knew

that it wasn't something I should keep - there just had to be something better.

The ultra-low-voltage 1.3 GHz SU7300 Core 2 Duo processor just didn't " do the

trick " as far as making that thing a tolerable machine. Oh, I still have faith

that ULV processors can contribute greatly to a relatively pain-free computing

experience - but in that particular computer, it wasn't nearly enough to make it

-friendly (at least based on my experience). I guess this just reinforces

the " theory " (or fact) that there must be a lot more involved in computer

emissions than just the processor/graphics card.

> >

> > (I was focusing on ASUS computers because I had read that they have one of

the best track records as far as durability/reliability - Dell's poor reputation

for longevity steered me away from Dells. I need for my investment to last a

long time.)

> >

> > So after this experience, I just said " f - it " . I was tired of the

" buying-and-returning " merry-go-round. I was tired of the " research " and the

self-conscious store expeditions. Luckily for me, I knew of a computer that was

relatively benign on my -- the eMachines e725-4520. For several months,

I eschewed buying an eMachines in favor of searching for my notion of a " better

option " . (The eMachines brand just didn't have a positive image in my mind for

quality/durability – and I thought that I might find an even more -friendly

computer. Besides, I wasn't sure whether I wanted a desktop or a laptop.)

Sometime early last year, without doing any " research " - my brother bought this

computer at Walmart. (My brother does not have electrosensitivity.) His

decision-making " process " was basically, " My laptop died - I need a new computer

fast - oh, this eMachines is very inexpensive. " During a couple of occasions

last year, I spent hours " trying out " his computer - and it seemed relatively

gentle on my esens. I even felt comfortable with using his computer on my lap –

and it had been a long time since I could do that with the Dell. I was worried

about the quality/durability - but when I checked the reviews of the laptop, it

seemed to get as good (or better) reviews than a lot of the more " reputed

brands " out there. And my brother's laptop was still going strong after a year,

it seemed. So I searched around and bought one. Here it is:

> >

> >

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Emachines-E725-4520-250GBDVD%C2%B1RW-Wireless/dp/B003\

AG7N4C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 & s=electronics & qid=1270241710 & sr=8-1

> >

> > I'm not saying things are " perfect " with this computer (there is rarely a

such thing as " perfect " ). But my symptoms are a LOT less " active " with this

eMachines than they were with the ASUS ULV monstrosity, and this computer just

seems considerably more " gentle " than a lot of laptops out there. There are a

lot of times when I hardly notice any symptoms at all. Funny - this " journey " I

went on to find a good computer - all of the so-called " research " I did -

leads me back to my brother's eMachines, a " Walmart " computer that I had known

about for many months. I wish I had " the good sense " to buy this computer last

year - when I could have bought it more easily and for at least $100 cheaper.

> >

> > I also really regret that I didn't tell the group about this computer

as soon as I determined that it was a " tolerable " computer (at least for me) -

especially in light of the lack of recommended brands/models of computers on

. It might have provided some helpful " lead " to someone. Now - since this

computer is " last year's model " , it is harder to find - and people may more

likely have to go through less " mainstream " vendors .

> >

> > I'm just knocking on wood that this computer lasts.

> >

> > I'm not sure if there is a current-model eMachines being sold - I think

there may be. Hopefully - whatever eMachines did (or didn't do) to make this

computer relatively-benign - they have replicated in subsequent models. I'd

like to know what it is that makes this computer better than a lot of the others

- is it something about the screen-technology, or what? It could be that some

of the same factors that make this computer less expensive than others (last

year, it was selling for two-hundred-something dollars at Walmart), makes it

more tolerable. This experience leads me to conclude that it may be fruitful

for folks to search for cheap, " low-end " computers being sold at Walmart

or Target or somewhere.

> >

> > Also – it is worth mentioning that Acer bought eMachines a few years back -

so this computer was actually manufactured by Acer, I think. So maybe there are

some Acer models that share certain characteristics with this eMachines. An

" extreme " example of this is the possibility that this particular Acer computer

is the *exact same* computer as my eMachines - it just has an " Acer " label

instead of an " eMachines " label:

> >

> >

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-AS5732Z-4867-15-6-Inch-Display-Laptop/dp/B00358XT5W/r\

ef=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8 & s=electronics & qid=1270242214 & sr=8-1

> >

> > I've also realized more than ever that software issues - at least for me -

play an important role in computer tolerability. If the " wrong " software,

spyware, or " bloatware " gets installed on this computer - it can become

bothersome. For ex., when I installed the version of Malwarebytes that has

real-time protection, I thought I noticed this computer immediately becoming

bothersome - thankfully, I could disable the real-time protection. I also

notice that using Mozilla Firefox is significantly less bothersome than using

Internet Explorer: I guess it's a less " bloated " , resource-hogging browser.

One reason seems to be that Mozilla gives you the option of deleting individual

cookies (I swear I sometimes notice an immediate difference when I delete

cookies). I was nervous about the latest version of Firefox having " hardware

acceleration " (the latest IE has this as well) - it just sounds like something

that would increase emf. So I avoided upgrading - until circumstances sort-of

" forced " me to upgrade. Fortunately, there is an option in the new Firefox

where you can turn hardware-acceleration off.

> >

> > Looking back, I wonder if the worsening/progression of my electrosensitivity

- when my symptoms really started " screaming " - was due to an accumulation of

cookies/malware/crapware dumped on my computer harddrive. I really do believe

this played a definite role. Maybe there was some " poorly scripted " crapware

that put a particular strain on my resources/harddrive. More and more unwanted

" stuff " kept getting dumped on my harddrive. I admit that I was lazy/naiive

about installing an anti-virus/anti-spyware program - not that it would have

made *too* much of a difference in the long run . I'm very skeptical about

these anti-malware programs truly keeping rogue junk from eventually

accumulating on people's computers.

> >

> > Another thing I did with this eMachines (I also did it on the Dell) that

made a positive difference is change the monitor display settings from the

default 32-bit color to 16-bit color...it seems to either decrease emf, and/or

lead to eye-strain relief. There may be things I can do to further " tweak " the

graphics to decrease computer stress, but I currently don't feel any urgent need

to do them.

> >

> > Of course, the computer offers a variety of power-management settings - I

think most late-model, Windows 7 laptops do. One thing that's good is that you

can configure the computer to run on low, " battery " -type power settings - even

when the computer is plugged in. But so far, I choose not to do this. I'm

running the computer on the default " balanced " settings when it is plugged in.

> >

> > I just think it helps to keep the harddrive as " clean " and as " empty " as

possible. In addition to trying to keep cookies/spyware/adware etc. off the

harddrive, I think I'm going to try to minimize the amount of files I put on it.

> >

> > Another thing that I finally started doing was dialing down the power output

of our satanic AT & T WiFry router. I remember you telling me that I could do

this, but I was too lethargic/green-thumbed to pursue the matter. In the back

of my mind, I thought there would be a lot involved...that it wasn't for the

novice. But one day in desperation (after a confrontation with my father in

which he ordered me to stop turning off the WiFi router, since it also turns off

our landline phone service) - I stumbled upon the way to do this. I logged into

our router settings. The power output is adjustable from Level 1 to Level 10 -

of course, our WiFi was operating at the maximum level of 10 (which is the

default). Each time I adjusted the power downward, I noticed relief - i.e.,

from 10 to 5, from 5 to 3, etc.. Eventually, I decided to keep it at 1 - our

computers seem to be dealing with the weaker signal fine. I also noticed a

positive difference when I changed the setting to stop the router from cranking

out both " b " and " g " signals. Now it only outputs " g " signals.

> >

> > Sorry for the loong novella. I just thought I'd update you on the status of

things - just in case you thought I had died or something, lol. No, the

radiation hasn't claimed me quite yet. Thanks to an improved computer and WiFi

situation, things are better than they were a year ago. Oh, make no mistake -

I'm still very much . I still fear that I've suffered considerable mental

and physical damage. I fear that this computer may become more and more

bothersome as the " surreptitious files " start to accumulate. I can still " feel "

the WiFi in the air sometimes - though not nearly as much as I could. Even with

the WiFi power at one, laying on my innerspring mattress bed was still very

bothersome. I recently replaced my " wire-antenna " bed with a " wireless " latex

one - although this situation is still in flux because I may have to return the

latex bed (the offgassing/fumes have been a big problem for me).

> >

> > ~Svetaswan

> >

>

[Guest guest]

> I was vaguely thinking about a wool mattress (if there is such a thing) in

light of my latex troubles

I've mentioned this previously, but I noticed zero offgassing from the following

mattress that I got via mail-order:

http://www.foamorder.com/organic-mattress.html

Marc

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much for the link Marc - depending on what direction I decide to go

in, your link may prove to be a lifesaver. I haven't yet looked at the site

very closely, but from what I gather, this is 100% natural Dunlop latex?

~Svetaswan

>

> > I was vaguely thinking about a wool mattress (if there is such a thing) in

light of my latex troubles

>

> I've mentioned this previously, but I noticed zero offgassing from the

following mattress that I got via mail-order:

>

> http://www.foamorder.com/organic-mattress.html

>

> Marc

>

[Guest guest]

I'm not sure if it's Dunlop or something unique to their company... you'd have

to ask them...

I just notice that it had no offgassing, which was a welcome surprise. They

also have

quite a variety of " hardness/softness " options, although after trying two

options, I think

my ideal would be somewhere between " hard " and " extra hard " . :-)

Marc

On Thu, 26 May 2011 00:36 +0000, " svetaswan " <svetaswan@...> wrote:

> Thanks so much for the link Marc - depending on what direction I decide to go

in, your link may prove to be a lifesaver. I haven't yet looked at the site

very closely, but from what I gather, this is 100% natural Dunlop latex?

[Guest guest]

Let me ask you this (if you don't mind) - you say that it doesn't offgas, but

does it have a strong smell when you put your nose up to it? I'm trying to

determine if there is a difference between these latex products having an odor,

and them actually offgassing. I wonder if it's possible to have a strong odor

that's relatively contained.

As I mentioned, I received samples of 100% natural Talalay latex yesterday - and

when I opened the box this morning and put my nose to the samples, the smell

seemed to be at least as strong - if not stronger - than the Talatech blended

Talalay that's giving me problems. (The smell might be slightly different

though.) But having that smell may not necessarily mean that it would offgas

once it's inside layers of bedding and I'm laying on it - at least not as

strongly as this blended Talalay is.

~Svetaswan

> > Thanks so much for the link Marc - depending on what direction I decide to

go in, your link may prove to be a lifesaver. I haven't yet looked at the site

very closely, but from what I gather, this is 100% natural Dunlop latex?

>

[Guest guest]

> Let me ask you this (if you don't mind) - you say that it doesn't offgas, but

does it have a strong smell

I don't recall it having any smell at all, but it's certainly possible that you

are

more sensitive to this than I, in which case you should request a sample and see

(smell) for yourself!

Marc

[Guest guest]

The mattress i was thinking about is actually a thick cotton futon with a layer

of wool in it to make it softer and flame proof.

Steve

>

>

>

> Hi Steve - is the organic futon you're considering comprised of 100% wool? Or

are you talking about a latex or foam futon with a wool topper or cover?

>

> I was vaguely thinking about a wool mattress (if there is such a thing) in

light of my latex troubles - but I have my doubts about how comfortable or how

much support a wool mattress would provide. I wish wool mattresses had

published ILD ratings like latex (and foam) mattresses do.

>

> ~Svetaswan

[Guest guest]

Marc,

Can this mattress be plopped on top of a wooden frame without a boxspring base?

Which Model did you buy?

Thanks,

Steve

>

> > I was vaguely thinking about a wool mattress (if there is such a thing) in

light of my latex troubles

>

> I've mentioned this previously, but I noticed zero offgassing from the

following mattress that I got via mail-order:

>

> http://www.foamorder.com/organic-mattress.html

>

> Marc

>

[Guest guest]

> Can this mattress be plopped on top of a wooden frame without a boxspring

base?

> Which Model did you buy?

Actually, I've only purchased a 3 " topper from this company, but I didn't notice

any

offgassing from the latex. Since we are now talking about this here, yesterday

I unzipped the cotton casing and put my nose against the latex and tried to

smell

anything. At zero distance away from it, I could detect a slight smell, but

it was not a bothersome " chemical " smell that I'd try to avoid. And nothing

that I've noticed when it's got a cotton casing, matress pad, and sheet on top

of it.

I think with any latex mattress, it needs to be put onto a solid wood platform,

otherwise they tend to sag (although this is based on my experience with

a latex mattress from another manufacturer).

I'd like to buy one of their full-blown mattresses using the Natural Sense

latex, but

my wife insists that she must sleep on a metal springs due to back problems, so

the best compromise I've come up with so far is for me to have a 3 " topper on

top

of the metal spring mattress. (and yes, it would certainly be better for me if

we

could eliminate the metal springs altogether, but based on our experiences with

a previous latex mattress, my wife is now convinced that all latex mattresses

are

bad for her back)

Marc

[Guest guest]

Does one thin layer of wool provide enough fire resistance that flame retardants

are not added to the cotton part?

I thought you'd have to have it the other way around (wool futon with layer of

cotton on the outside for texture) ?

> >

> >

> >

> > Hi Steve - is the organic futon you're considering comprised of 100% wool?

Or are you talking about a latex or foam futon with a wool topper or cover?

> >

> > I was vaguely thinking about a wool mattress (if there is such a thing) in

light of my latex troubles - but I have my doubts about how comfortable or how

much support a wool mattress would provide. I wish wool mattresses had

published ILD ratings like latex (and foam) mattresses do.

> >

> > ~Svetaswan

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you, that helps a lot because latex smells usually bother me

>

> > Can this mattress be plopped on top of a wooden frame without a boxspring

base?

> > Which Model did you buy?

>

> Actually, I've only purchased a 3 " topper from this company, but I didn't

notice any

> offgassing from the latex. Since we are now talking about this here,

yesterday

> I unzipped the cotton casing and put my nose against the latex and tried to

smell

> anything. At zero distance away from it, I could detect a slight smell, but

> it was not a bothersome " chemical " smell that I'd try to avoid. And nothing

> that I've noticed when it's got a cotton casing, matress pad, and sheet on top

of it.

>

> I think with any latex mattress, it needs to be put onto a solid wood

platform,

> otherwise they tend to sag (although this is based on my experience with

> a latex mattress from another manufacturer).

>

> I'd like to buy one of their full-blown mattresses using the Natural Sense

latex, but

> my wife insists that she must sleep on a metal springs due to back problems,

so

> the best compromise I've come up with so far is for me to have a 3 " topper on

top

> of the metal spring mattress. (and yes, it would certainly be better for me

if we

> could eliminate the metal springs altogether, but based on our experiences

with

> a previous latex mattress, my wife is now convinced that all latex mattresses

are

> bad for her back)

>

> Marc

>

[Guest guest]

To be honest I'm not sure how it is layered, I just remember them saying that if

wool is added then they can leave off the boric acid. They also said the wool

adds softness and heat wicking ability so i think there is just a layer of wool

in there somewhere. Most of the futon is cotton

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Hi Steve - is the organic futon you're considering comprised of 100% wool?

Or are you talking about a latex or foam futon with a wool topper or cover?

> > >

> > > I was vaguely thinking about a wool mattress (if there is such a thing) in

light of my latex troubles - but I have my doubts about how comfortable or how

much support a wool mattress would provide. I wish wool mattresses had

published ILD ratings like latex (and foam) mattresses do.

> > >

> > > ~Svetaswan

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Have you and your wife tried the 44 ILD Talalay blended-latex mattress? (The

100% natural Talalay latex mattresses only go up to 35 - 42 ILD - so the average

is about 38.8 ILD.) A couple of these layers - at least used as the bottom

" support " layers - may be firm enough to support her back.

Your olfactory/symptomatic experience with latex differs from mine (so far). It

may be that your latex has finished offgassing - but that seems pretty unlikely

because it seems like you didn't even have any troubles when you first bought

it. Other possibilities:

-you lucked up on some " good " latex, or I'm unlucky

-production methods have changed since you bought your latex

-you used/use Dunlop instead of Talalay - and Dunlop might be different?

-I'm just a lot more sensitive to this (probably the most likely possibility)

It has been a bumpy ride for me. Interrupted sleep/insomnia, and other symptoms

that you'd think wouldn't be activated just from laying on a mattress. I don't

think it's allergy-related - because the allergic response is caused by certain

proteins in the latex, and is activated by more direct (skin) contact with the

latex. My symptoms are coming from (very) indirect contact with the latex -

seemingly from the odor/fumes/ " volatile substances " that are wafting up through

all of the bed layers.

It would be good to know exactly what compounds are causing the odor and/or the

fumes - exactly what is evaporating through the air. Is it something toxic or

harmful? (Although if I'm getting these symptoms from it - it could be a sign

that, though it may not be known as particularly harmful, it may be harmful for

*me*.)

I've noticed that the firmer the layer is - the less " offensive " it seems to

be....the less it offgasses. The 30 - 32 ILD, which is my top, softest layer -

seems horrible when I have the two firmer layers underneath it. I recently

experimented and had it as the top layer of a 2-layer set-up, and, while still

bad - it seemed to be noticably better.

So, generally-speaking - the firmer the better, and 2 layers seem to be better

than 3.

The apparent reality that firmer layers seem to be better for me makes me wonder

if Dunlop latex would be less troublesome - since it is a firmer, more compact

type of latex. I wonder if the more " airy " type of structure of Talalay makes

it more prone to offgassing.

Furthermore - it seems that I'm discovering how unstable this latex seems to be.

From experimenting with the different layers - I've gotten a chance to look at

the actual layers, and lately, I've noticed little " tears " (rips) all over the

latex, like it's begun some type of deterioration process or is breaking down.

These " structural imperfections " are seemingly minor - but they are all over the

place and it is something that I don't believe was there when the latex first

arrived. I think I read once that latex is very vulnerable to UV radiation - I

wonder if it's vulnerable to all kinds of light, heat, and other types of

radiation? (The weather has really warmed up in recent days, and I'm wondering

if this has something to do with it.) I'm now getting the impression that it is

an unstable material - although it may take a long time to break down to the

point where it no longer performs as well as a mattress. But this apparent

instability may be why it is emitting these odors/fumes.

They say that how strongly the latex smells depends on how long it had been

" aired out " by the manufacturer - well, you have to wonder why they don't take

the time to air these mattresses out. You'd think that if they could easily get

rid of the odor/fumes, they would.

Anyway, this experience really depresses me - I cannot go back to an innerspring

mattress because the interior metal seemingly amplified the WiFi radiation and

gave me exacerbated symptoms...and what I thought was going to be a much

healthier alternative doesn't seem to be working out. From what I've seen/read,

there are negative issues associated with memory foam: do I want to trade in

one offgassing experience for another? I don't know what a healthy resolution

would be.

~Svetaswan

>

> > Can this mattress be plopped on top of a wooden frame without a boxspring

base?

> > Which Model did you buy?

>

> Actually, I've only purchased a 3 " topper from this company, but I didn't

notice any

> offgassing from the latex. Since we are now talking about this here,

yesterday

> I unzipped the cotton casing and put my nose against the latex and tried to

smell

> anything. At zero distance away from it, I could detect a slight smell, but

> it was not a bothersome " chemical " smell that I'd try to avoid. And nothing

> that I've noticed when it's got a cotton casing, matress pad, and sheet on top

of it.

>

> I think with any latex mattress, it needs to be put onto a solid wood

platform,

> otherwise they tend to sag (although this is based on my experience with

> a latex mattress from another manufacturer).

>

> I'd like to buy one of their full-blown mattresses using the Natural Sense

latex, but

> my wife insists that she must sleep on a metal springs due to back problems,

so

> the best compromise I've come up with so far is for me to have a 3 " topper on

top

> of the metal spring mattress. (and yes, it would certainly be better for me

if we

> could eliminate the metal springs altogether, but based on our experiences

with

> a previous latex mattress, my wife is now convinced that all latex mattresses

are

> bad for her back)

>

> Marc

>