Heavy side sleeper.

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your question. With a traditional pocket sprung mattress, you should think of it in two sections, the support which is provided by the pocket springs and the upholstery layers on top of the springs provide the level of comfort.

As side sleepers, soft or medium comfort layers are recommended, depending on your comfort preferences. We do not recommend firm upholstery layers for side sleepers as this can cause pressure pains in your shoulders and hips. Our softest upholstery mattress is the Artisan Luxury, which has a softer medium level of comfort in the 100% natural fibre upholstery layers that will provide plenty of cushioning for your shoulders and hips. We do not make very soft upholstery mattresses as the soft layers can compress quite quickly. We have sandwiched horsehair and horsetail layers with the softer wool and cotton layers to help them retain their loft. This is a soft but supportive mattress. Natural fibres provide a cooler sleep surface and help you to regulate your body temperature, they are also more durable, so the lifespan of the mattress will be longer. The primary function of a mattress topper is to soften the overall feel of a mattress. The added benefit is that they prolong the lifespan of the mattress by slowing down the settlement rate of the upholstery layers. We would recommend trying a mattress for a few weeks to get a true feel for the comfort layers and to give your body time to adjust, which can take four to six weeks, and then adding a mattress topper if it feels a little too firm.

The correct level of support is determined by the spring tension, we would pair your wife with the medium spring tension. At the moment, you are borderline between the medium spring tension and the firm spring tension. However, as you are losing weight, once it drops approximately 7lbs, you will not weigh enough to activate the firm spring tension. I would recommend the medium spring tension for you. If, within the 60 day love it or return it guarantee, you find that this is not supportive enough or if you gain weight, you can exchange for the firm spring tension. We can make a dual spring tension in kingsize and above in both a one piece mattress and the zip and link option.

We do not sell or recommend memory foam as it is very heat retentive and is slow to return to its original shape, which can make turning over during the night very difficult. If you would prefer a mattress that provides a moulding sensation, which is great for pressure relief, I would recommend looking at a 100% natural latex mattress with a medium density as latex is much more breathable and responds instantly.

I hope this helps and if you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the office on 0161 437 4419.

Kind Regards

Michaela