• Are you trying to get a better nights sleep but you can't or don't want to pay for an expensive new mattress?
• Have you just purchased a new mattress but now find that it's too hard for you and not quite as comfortable as you thought it would be?
• Is your mattress ok to sleep on but you feel that you would like just a little bit of extra comfort to make it easier for you to relax?

Many people that I've spoken to tell me that when they changed their mattress for a memory foam type, their quality of sleep improved considerably. Memory foam mattress construction is now pretty close to the state of the art in terms of constructing the ultimate in bedtime comfort. The market leader in memory foam products still appears to be Tempur-Pedic (R) and most people seem to respect the quality of their products. They are however very expensive products, especially those produced by the market leaders. It has to be said also that a memory foam mattress will not suit everyone so it's wise to try out some cheaper alternatives first.

The most common alternative products to try are memory foam pillows and toppers. If you have a hard mattress then you can put a memory foam topper on top of your existing mattress to make your bed softer. However, don't try this if your mattress is too soft for you in the first place because a topper or memory foam pad will only make it softer. It must be just right for you, not too hard and not too soft.

If your mattress is okay, but your shoulders and neck ache when you wake up in the morning, it could be that your pillows are not as supportive as they might be. There are two types of memory foam pillow available that might help you with this. One is a pre-formed shape that is used on its own. The shape is such that it fits into the curve of your neck and supports your head. It usually comes with its own fitted cover but will also fit into standard pillowcases.

My mother has a lot of pain in her shoulders and neck because due to cervical spondilitis. We bought her a shaped memory foam pillow to see if it would be any better than the conventional pillows and help with the pain. It took her a long time to get used to the new pillow but now she wouldn't be without it. She says that it gives her far better help to sleep than the old pillows ever did. She now takes the pillow with her wherever she goes.

Don't buy more than one memory foam pillow because one is all you need to give you the correct support. If you prefer you can buy memory foam pillows with a more traditional shape but you might find that they are a little bit more expensive than the specially shaped ones and they probably won't give you the same level of support either.

The same high-density visco-elastic foam that is used in the construction of mattresses is used in toppers and pillows. Its density governs the softness of the foam with 4lbs per cubic foot being softer than 5lbs per cubic foot. Tempur Pedic (R) appear to use foam with a density of 5.34 lbs per cubic foot which is high quality and one of the reasons for the higher cost. You can get toppers in different thickness but typically they tend to be about 2 to 3 inches thick. This is approximately the same thickness as you might find in a mattress construction with the foam layer bonded to a firmer core.

Memory foam is too soft to be used on its own in a mattress so a firm supportive core is always used. As for cost, the less dense the foam, the cheaper it is, but to get the best benefit, it is recommended to not use a density of less than 4lbs per cubic foot.

Learn how a sufferer of Pagets Disease uses a cheap alternative to memory foam to relieve the painful symptoms Memory Foam Mattress Topper Alternative Relieves Pagets Disease Symptoms