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 Improve your quality of life with a better night’s sleep
By Cathie Bartlett
A space age material developed in the seventies to relieve pressure on astronauts is bringing sweet dreams to consumers these days – or nights.
NASA developed the innovative Tempur material that conformed to any user and relieved the enormous g-force pressure astronauts felt on lift-off. Later, the scientists at Fagerdala World Foams in Vamdo, Sweden added their touch and perfected this amazing material for the medical market, where it proved a boon for patient comfort and preventing pressure sores.
Tempur’s awesome line first went to the mainstream market in Europe during the eighties. A decade later, the Tempur name reached Canadian consumers, who are finding out more and more each year how comfortable sleeping on a Tempur mattress can be.
“That’s because there’s less tossing and turning,” says Doug Podmore of Rogers Sleep Shop Ltd.
“You move around because of pressure you’re feeling. With Tempur, you’re feeling comfortable so you don’t move and your sleep quality is much improved.”
The key to all this is Tempur’s open cell construction, Podmore says. Regular polyurethane is made of thousands of closed cell air bubbles. Pushing down on regular polyurethane condenses the closed air cells, which eventually break down and “bottom out” because of the pressure. That’s why this material deteriorates quickly and provides no true therapeutic benefits.
Tempur material is made of channels of air, rather than air bubbles. This open cell construction makes the material breathable. When pressure is applied, the air is displaced outside the material, which means Tempur material can accommodate much more pressure without “bottoming out.” When pressure is released, new air is taken back into the material.
What’s more, Tempur mattresses are temperature sensitive, becoming firmer below 60 degrees. At body temperature, however, the mattress becomes quite pliant, molding to the body’s shape. This molding quality makes the Tempur material more responsive to an individual’s shape and weight than conventional spring mattresses. That way, your muscles relax more completely, meaning a sounder sleep and no aches and pains in the morning.
Podmore says the first Tempur mattresses he got in about 10 years or so ago cost substantially more than conventional spring products. Since then, the sleep market has become more upscale, and prices have evened out.
“As the margin has closed in, Tempur has become more of an option.”
High-end endorsements from the likes of Oprah Winfrey have raised Tempur’s profile. Plus there is more demand for high-quality sleep products.
“People are a lot more conscious of sleep and how it affects their lives.”
Once, they used the buy a bed in 15 minutes. Now, they’re paying attention to getting the right kind of bed. And for so many people, the switch to a Tempur product has meant they’re sleeping through the night, “which of course has increased their quality of life tenfold.”
Podmore points out there are a lot of knockoff products out there, as happens when anything works. However, it is well worth it to put the money into the real thing, made according to the Tempur patented formula, he says. Research has shown the wanna-be items are not the same.
A full line of Tempur products is available at both Rogers Sleep Shop locations; 12930 S. Albert Trail and 3643 – 99 Street. That includes mattresses, pillows, back supports, wheelchair cushions, indoor / outdoor slippers and travel accessories.
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