This is especially key in keeping your hands and arms from losing circulation if you're a stomach sleeper. (To be fair, the top layer is actually made up of two separate covers so that there's more airflow within the mattress, preventing users from getting too hot while they're asleep.) But underneath that soft surface, there's a relatively firm latex-foam hybrid layer to keep you comfortably propped up while offering appropriate give. The top of my mattress feels squishy, as if there's going to be plenty of give when you lay on it.

I wound up getting the Helix Dusk, which is somewhere between firm and soft, provides extra support, and contours to all body positions. I went on to provide my usual sleeping position (I sleep mostly on my stomach), my firmness preference (medium), and how often I wake up with back pain (at least a couple times per week). To start, I provided my age, height, weight, and whether I'd be sleeping solo or with a partner. Before buying a Helix mattress, you can take a quiz on the company's website that asks you about your preferences and sleeping style. I think what set the Helix mattress apart from my previous foam mattress is that I got to customize it to my specific sleep needs. When this pattern continued, I knew it was time to give my new mattress credit.

Again, I felt well rested and got out of bed after my first alarm. Then I woke up again the next day to decreased neck, shoulder, and back pain. It must have been a coincidence that I'd slept so well during the first night of my new mattress. After getting out of bed after my first alarm, when I usually press snooze up to - no exaggeration - 10 times, I figured it had to be a fluke. I've been sleeping on it for a couple weeks, now, and I noticed a difference on day one. Sometimes, even my hips felt as if they'd fallen out of alignment.

I'd regularly wake up tired, with stiffness in my neck, shoulders, and back. I've learned that lesson the hard way, slowly moving on up in the mattress world year after year, ascending from an appropriated futon (disastrous) to a standard spring mattress to a decent foam mattress to, finally, a latex/foam combo that's dramatically improved my sleep quality.īefore my latest (and best) mattress, a good night's sleep proved elusive. A sub-par mattress can significantly detract from your quality of life.