Why are memory foam toppers special? After all, they are nothing more than thin mattresses made from memory foam instead of regular foam. So why would anyone bother to sing its praises?
Although a memory foam pad does not sound like anything special, it helps those who sleep on it fall asleep faster. They go into deeper relaxation more quickly because of the greater comfort when compared to a normal mattress. They also stay asleep longer and wake up with fewer aches and pains.
Does the special material used to make a memory foam topper pad really help people to sleep better? Doesn’t it sound just like marketing hype? Surprisingly, there is a lot of hard science behind it. The original memory foam was invented by NASA to absorb forces as strong as those encountered by astronauts going into space or those acting on ejecting fighter pilots. Obviously, absorbing the forces acting on a normal human body at rest is a trivial matter. These forces are what cause tension in a person. So once these tensions go away, what happens? By definition, the person relaxes. Once relaxed, it does not take any further effort to go to sleep.
For those who are young, fit and living healthy lifestyles, there is no need for a memory foam topper. But for insomniacs, busy executives who are too stressed to sleep well, and aging folks who wake up with aches and pains in their bodies, memory foam mattress pads are a boon from heaven.
Since memory foam is such a great material, why not buy a whole mattress made out of this material? Why buy just a thin topper? Unfortunately, real memory foam can only be made in the USA or in Europe. That means real memory foam, and hence any product made from it, are extremely expensive. There are not many who can afford to buy a real memory foam mattress. But a much thinner memory foam topper is another matter. While expensive, it is still affordable.
Should you buy a memory foam topper pad for yourself? The answer depends on your own body. If you wake up alert, refreshed and feeling perfectly healthy every morning, you probably do not.