If you’ve been shopping for a new pillow, mattress, or mattress pad, you’ve probably heard terms like memory foam, or visco elastic memory foam. It seems almost as though the people who are marketing these products expect us to just know what these terms mean. To start, I can tell you that the two mention above mean the same thing. Visco elastic memory foam is just a longer way of saying memory foam.

What exactly is visco memory foam?

It is a man-made foam that reacts to your body’s weight and temperature, cradling the shape of your body while you rest comfortably on it.  A pretty cool fact about this foam is that it was developed by NASA for air travel saftey.

What does memory foam feel like?

Especially if you like a very plush mattress, you may find memory foam to be a little on the firm side. Usually, people adjust to the firmness rather quickly. As I’ve mentioned, it cradles your body for optimal comfort. The benefit of this cradling action is that your weight is evenly distributed, minimizing any pressure points you may feel on a standard mattress.

Also, because of the open cell construction of the foam, the material is allowed to breathe more than a standard mattress would. This keeps the mattress, and your body, much cooler during the night.

What else can memory foam do for me?

My favorite fact about visco elastic memory foam is that it is very resistant to bacteria, mildew, dust mites, and mold. Sadly, our standard mattresses are magnets for these nasty things. If you have allergies, you will benefit greatly by switching to a memory foam mattress or mattress pad. Personally, I use a Sleep Better 2 inch visco elastic memory foam mattress topper. I find this works wonders for my dust mite allergy, and it is extremely comfortable. The only drawback is that I found out (after I bought it, of course) that the 2-inch pads only last about a year before they start to sag from your body weight. A friend of mine suggested that next time I get the Sleep Better 3 inch visco elastic memory foam mattress topper; well, there’s always next year!

Another reason people like these foam mattresses is that there is less disturbance from a partner’s tossing and turning. By now, we’ve probably all seen the commercial where a woman jumps on her memory foam mattress with a glass of wine only a few feet away. I’ve always been amazed that the wine doesn’t spill. Now, I understand it a little better. When my husband tosses and turns at night, I don’t feel a thing!

I’m hoping my explanations have helped you understand memory foam a bit better. I’ve always felt that they could do a bit of a better job on the marketing for this remarkable product. If more people understand what it is, and how it can benefit them, they would be more likely to get a better quality sleep – and let’s face it, we all want to be around more people who are well-rested and content.