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Interesting Experience Sealy Posturpedic True Form Sealy Posturpedic True Form Memory/Visco Foam Mattress I loved this mattress when I tried it out in the showroom. I was only looking to spend about $800.00 ...

Great choice for memory foam mattress Sealy Posturpedic True Form Memory/Visco Foam Mattress I decided to take my time to get the "just right" mattress for me. It wasn't long before I knocked o...

SEALY TRUE FORM MEMORY VISCO FOAM MATTRESS

This review was written when we first got this mattress about five months ago. I have updated certain things in this review to reflect any changes that may have occured, but for the most part, we still love this mattress as much as when we first got it.

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When I had my daughter over 6 years ago, I experienced what I thought would be never ending severe back problems and pain. I had gotten to the point where I could not get up off the floor and I was unable to care for my little baby without the fear that I might not be able to stand up sometime when she needed me most.

The discovery of the Total Gym completely changed my life. We managed to get some more money back on tax refund than we estimated so I was able to purchase the Total Gym and my back became strong and I no longer had problems like I had after having our little girl.

Last year, however, in the summer time, I began to experience back problems again, this time the Total Gym was not completely alieviating it. I began to see a chiropractor. Combined with regular adjustments and working on the Total Gym, I was able to keep back pain at bay. Throughout last winter, I was having alternating back pain but for the most part, with exercise and occasional adjustments I was able to keep walking.

All of that changed in April or May when I began to have nagging back pain. By the time the end of June came, I was having so many problems that I had to stop exercising. As July progressed into August, I discovered that not even adjustments were helping me. The chiropractor was telling me that I was so messed up in my hips and back frame that he had to do more adjustments on me than ever before.

That was puzzling me. I tried to exercise, however, that only made things worse and I was crying constantly in pain. I could not figure out what the problem could be. I had stopped doing almost all physical activity, but my body continued to get more and more troubled. For the first time, I began to be seriously concerned.

I honest could not tell you the last time that I was able to feel that my posture was straight and that I was able to straighten up the lower curve in my back. I think it happened once last summer after an adjustment, but for the most part, that was a feeling that I had become unfamliar with. I just figured that perhaps I had bad posture.

I am not exactly sure what it was, but a few weeks ago, it dawned on us that perhaps the problem was our mattress. As we got to thinking about it, I began to feel stupid. I mean, our mattress WAS almost 21 years old. Why didn’t I think of it before?

The stress of having to go out and look for a mattress that we probably could not afford was sending my back into hellish spasms of pain. I could not do this. I had so much else to tend to- never mind that with the horrible back problems that I had been experiencing reduced my work speed to about a tenth of what it usually was.

I thought back to the last time I was at a hotel a few years ago when I was able to sleep like a baby on a pillow top mattress. The brand was Simmons- the Beautyrest is what we already had gotten an amazing 20 years out of. Perhaps that is what I wanted to get.

I also remembered, however, that a year later, we stayed in that same room, and I no longer felt the relief from that same bed.

Hmmm. That was not good.

THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT MATTRESS BEGINS

When you are in the kind of chronic extreme pain that I have been in, you often find yourself motivated beyond endurance to do whatever possible to get you out of that pain. I went into high gear and began to do research. What bed to get?

I thought at first of the beds that I had seen on television- Select Comfort, Tempur-pedic, Craftmatic Adjustable bed. However, I knew that due to advertising that those beds would be most likely way out of our price range, so I discounted them right away.

I went online to evaluate different mattresses. I saw on Epinions that very few mattresses had the raving reviews that I was hoping for. I knew that Beautyrest had not been the type of supportive bed since we bought ours, and I also had heard numerous horror stories about them not lasting.

I went to chat rooms and asked, but got tons of answers. Consumer Reports did not help at all- their conclusion- there IS no perfect bed.

Then I took my daughter to go mattress shopping. I immediately headed toward the familiar- the Simmons Beautyrest line.

The only model that I really liked at all was called the Sutton Bay which in essence was the Beautyrest World Class Line with a 2 inch Memory Foam top in pillowtop format. It reminded me of that hotel bed that gave me the most perfect sleep I can ever remember. But then I remembered the following year when the bed did not have that feeling anymore and it nagged at my mind.

I saw the Parana line of latex mattresses, I looked at Restonic, King Koil, I tested Sealy and a few other brands I can not remember the name of.

Nothing really impressed me. I felt pain on all of them but the Sutton Bay Beauty Rest.

When my husband came by to join me after work, I was dismayed to see his lack of enthusiasm for the place and the beds that we tried. His only suggestion was that we go to dinner.

Leave it to a man to think about food at a time like this.

NARROWING DOWN THE DECISION

After a rather nice buffet dinner, my husband looked at me and asked if I dared spend any more time at another mattress place nearby. (There are 13 mattress stores in a one mile radius of the area we were in). Driven on by the pain, I nodded yes, feeling desparingly that we would just get more frustrated.

When we walked into the store, a straight forward salesman walked up to us and asked us what beds we wanted to try. I was not sure what to think of him, as I can not abide with pushy sales people. However, he seemed to have the right balance between knowledge, patience, and encouragement. He handed us two pillows and informed us that we had better plan to be there for a few hours, or not bother at all.

His reasoning was that if we were serious in purchasing a bed, that we should spend no less than 15 minutes per mattress and ideally more.

I shrugged. Sounded great to me- my husband agreed.

With our active bouncy daughter on every mattress testing the ability to feel movement on the beds, we took our time going from mattress to mattress. Latex, Beautyrest, Sealy, King Koil, Simmons, you name it, we were trying it.

I was just not happy with any of it.

In frustrated despair, I expressed the thrill of the pillows that he had given us saying that I had never had a pillow like it in my entire life. He told me that it was a Tempur-pedic pillow. I really loved it.

While waiting for my husband to complete a question and answer session, I wandered over to the Tempurpedic mattress. I sat on it and felt like I was in 007 LIVING DAYLIGHTS movie when the guy was swallowed by the couch.

WHOA! The mattress gently melted around me to craddle my body. Ooooo I liked that feeling. I started to fall asleep, and the sales person encouraged my husband to try that mattress as well. He loved it too.

Following our lead, the salesman showed us the other memory foam mattresses on the floor.

We saw the Simmons Caress mattress, and then we laid down on the SEALY POSTURPEDIC TRUE FORM MATTRESS. Well, I have to tell you, it was delightful. I felt that falling asleep feeling I had felt in that hotel several years ago.

WHAT IS THE SEALY TRUE FORM MATTRESS LIKE?

I tried out the Sealy TRUE FORM several different times, and each time, no matter how confused I got over other mattresses, I always felt best on that one. My concern, however, was time testedness and durability. Would it hold up to the same endurance as the TEMPUR-PEDIC mattresses?

We decided to do some research and return in the morning.

The SEALY POSTURPEDIC TRUE FORM MATTRESS is an entirely foam mattress. There are no springs in it. Based upon the same technology as the TEMPUR-PEDIC foam mattress, the TRUE FORM uses the same memory foam on it as the Tempur-pedic and Simmons Caress mattress.

DENSITY

Visco foam is another word for it. Visco foam is measured in different ways. One is density- by lb. The Tempurpedic memory/visco foam is approx 5.3 lb density foam and the TRUE FORM is 5.25lb. The base component of memory foam is polyurethane (sp?) with little pockets in it. It was orginally designed for NASA to reduce pressure on the astronauts when passing through the atmosphere to reduce the immense pressure. It was also used extensively in hospitals in Sweden before being made into mattresses available to the general public about 20 years ago.

TOP LAYER COMPARISON

The TEMPUR-PEDIC mattress has 3 inches of split foam on it- the top 3/4″ approx layer is a soft squishier foam and the bottom 2.25″ is a firmer memory foam. The TRUE FORM has a solid 3 inches of firm memory/visco foam- no split. This means that the foam is all the same responsiveness throughout the piece.

TEMPUR-PEDIC claims that the softer upper layer makes it more comfortable than having it all one layer. I found the solid layer of the TRUE FORM to be more comfortable, as did my husband.

(Incidentally, the Simmons Caress had only 1 1/2″ of memory foam closer to 5lbs density and it was not nearly as comfortable)

I want to mention here that it is important not only for the density of the foam to be about 5 lb (less poundage is less durable over time), but it is the spring back time known as ILD (Internal Load Deflection- amount it goes down) and recovery time which is gauged from a heavy object being dropped from a certain height. The amount of time it takes the foam to return to its original shape is the ILD and recovery time.

A slower recovery time is best for your body. The slower the better. Makes for a better sleeping experience. Just for the sake of it, we timed both the TEMPURPEDIC and TRUE FORM with our hands repeatedly and found that the TRUE FORM had a distince slower recovery time comparatively speaking. Not scientific, but our observation.

BASE FOAM

Underneath the TRUE FORM mattress is a solid 6 ” core of furniture quality high density (48lb) foam. Under the TEMPUR-PEDIC memory top is a 5 inch split high density foam with hollow tunnels running through it. I liken it to the “egg crate” type foam turned upside down onto another layer of high density foam. The thought for this is that it will allow more air flow through and make it cooler.

Quite frankly, I find the small points of the “egg crate” type foam instead of a solid piece to be less supportive over time, and common sense tells me that 5 inches away from where I am sleeping is not going to cool me off at all.

We preferred the solid core base of the SEALY TRUE FORM instead.

BOX SPRING

Both models have a very dense box spring with an almost solid top on it to support the foam more evenly. You can also put these mattresses on a solid wood base if you have one, or a floor, but a waterbed frame will prevent the proper air flow around the mattress and they do not suggest you put it in a waterbed frame without a box spring. This box spring comes in the same size as traditional box springs.

MATTRESS COVER

Both mattresses have a zip off velour cover (25% polyester 75% cotton) in a cream color that can be zipped off underneath the mattress and washed gently in the washer. I prefer to use a waterproof barrier mattress pad that is designed to go with these mattresses and wash that.

OTHER INFORMATION

WARRANTY

Both mattresses are covered by a limited 20 year warranty. First 10 years is total replacement if the mattress has any defects and if the mattress develops a dip in it that is deeper than 3/4″. The second 10 years is a pro-rated replacement. You will have to pay to have someone come evaluate if you ever do want to claim on this warranty, incidentally- that is true for ALL companies. Our store has a service that they will do it for $40 and also handle the complete replacement for you.

COST

The TEMPURPEDIC cost for a queen bed was close to $2000. The SEALY TRUE FORM was $1530 on sale.

WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT THIS TYPE OF MATTRESS?

What the thing is with these mattresses is that they will form to your body form as they reach your body temperature. This will allow your shoulders, hips, lower back, etc to have complete support without pressure. This is supposed to lead to better sleep and body circulation.

IS IT HOT?

My biggest concern about this mattress after longevity was if it was too hot to sleep on. Well, the day that I first tried it out, I was spending close to 30 minutes at a time on it in 89 degree weather and it was hot and humid. I was not at all hot. In fact, I felt like I was having hot flashes in all of the latex mattresses, and the other mattresses all seemed hotter or the same than this one. That was very surprising to me. The pillows, which are also memory foam were the same exact way.

I have had this mattress for six months now and the only time it has been hot is when I was not feeling well and was having hot and cold flashes. When I am not experiencing that kind of thing, the mattress is no hotter than our other inner spring mattress was.

MY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS MATTRESS

We went back the second day and tried all of the mattresses again, and the only one of all that both of us felt very relaxed and comfortable in was the SEALY TRUE FORM MATTRESS. It was the only bed that I felt absolutely no pain at all in. Every other mattress I felt some sort of discomfort (TEMPUR-PEDIC was close, however, ).

That night when I went home and tried to sleep until they delivered our new mattress, I was in so much pain that my husband told me that I had been crying in my sleep all night. Turning over would lead me to cry out in pain. I did not even know I was doing this. (a little revenge for years of snoring was kinda nice though….just kidding).

By the time our new mattress showed up a few days ago, I was in so much pain that I could barely think. I had tried everything to help, but it was useless. I was also suffering from severe allergy attacks (hayfever) which caused me to sneeze constantly without stopping for over an hour. My nose was literally like Niagara Falls. It was frustrating and painful to sneeze.

I was dizzy from the stress and the sneezing, so when the guys came to deliver the mattress, it was all I could do to make the bed up and then flop down on it.

Well, after reading a ton of reviews on TEMPUR-PEDIC mattresses, I was prepared for what many people experienced the first time they laid upon their new memory/visco foam mattress- HARD AS A ROCK.

It was chilly outside so the mattress was very hard. As I laid on it, in a lot of pain, I could feel it warm up and mold itself to my contours. I fell in and out of sleep, the pain of my muscles still throbbing. I must have spent half of the day in bed, and finally I could not take it anymore. I was used to a bouncy squishy bed and this thing was like the ROCK OF GIBRALTAR in comparison.

The strangest thing happened, however, when I got out of bed. My back felt straight. I felt very strange. It reminded me of when the chiropractor adjusted me last year and I could stand up straight. My lower back was in line and it did not hurt to stand up straight.

The last two nights, sleeping has been tough. My muscles are sore, and the bed seems so strange. Hard, yet pliable. My lower back is totally supported however, and my hips and shoulder as well.

Today, I exercised for the first time in several weeks. The only thing sore was a few muscles. My back was not shooting pain at all. Again, I was walking and standing very straight. This is such a strange phenomenon.

CLOSING COMMENTS

I normally would not do a review of something as long wearing as a mattress until it was a few months old. However, in this case, I feel that the first reaction to this bed was so unexpectedly shocking to me that I had to write about it immediately to help anyone else that might be looking for something like this.

I plan to update this review regularly as time progresses to keep people informed about this very interesting mattress. I want to have a play by play account of it, as many times with the passage of time, we tend to candy coat good experiences, and denegrade bad ones to make them seem worse in our own minds.

I have read many reports of people who have had years of back problems suddenly stop having them once they have slept on a memory/visco foam mattress.

I plan to let you see if that is the case with me as well.

As I stated at the beginning of this review, I have waited for five months to post this review since I wrote it back when we first got the mattress. Not much has changed in our perspective , but any adjustments in our opinion of it were made before posting this review. I plan to continue updating it as time goes on. As of now, the mattress still looks brand new and feels wonderful. I thank God every night when I lay down to sleep. It is such a pleasure to lay down on such a comfortable bed after a long difficult day. I never really felt that way before about ANY mattress like I do about this one.

I sleep much more soundly through the night. We both wake up a lot less than we used to and even my husband has mentioned that he feels a lot better than he used to.

MORE INFORMATION

You can visit www.sealy.com and look for the TRUE FORM button which will tell you more. There is also a store locator there which you might find helpful.

For more information on visco mattresses,

I found that the www.savvysleeper.com site has a lot of very helpful information with terminology and help in understanding what is different about memory/visco foam mattresses.

www.sleepnet.com has some fabulous form posts about different mattresses and their advantages etc. Forum 4 and 5 being some of the best. Honest Expert is a member over there that claims to be a mattress expert. There are no brand names pushed at all over here, it is strictly informational.

UPDATE OVER A YEAR LATER

I want to say that I have never been so happy with a mattress in my entire life. I have not had to return to the chiropractor one time this year since January 2006. I have been through more stress this year than I have been through in many years. I have had many people that were dear to me die this year and not once have I needed to be adjusted in my back.

All I do is go lay down on my bed and after a few days of laying down when I am starting to experience pain here and there, I am fine.

This mattress has saved so much money on doctor bills and pain that it is worth every single blessed cent! I am so thankful I just wanted to tell you all that I am still doing beautifully.

I was having to be adjusted many times in the course of a year just to survive the pain. Now, I have been fine for a year!!!

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