DIY build: Balancing multiple needs and preferences?

Mattress Talk
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I’ve done lots of research over the years, thank you for all the information and helpful discussion. I’m wanting(needing?) to DIY a hybrid or pocketed innerspring mattress.

I’m 5’7”, ~170lbs, wide shoulders, narrow hips. I’ve had 2 sleep studies, I barely sleep in any position but side-sleeping. I can have some sleep apnea if I sleep on my back. I’ve struggled with insomnia or poor sleep quality for much of my adult life and it’s been getting worse.

I’m determined to construct a good bed and get quality sleep.

I sleep hot. At least on this polyfoam bed-in-a-box from 2019 that seems to be breaking down.

I’m someone who actually likes sinking into memory foam, but I’m avoiding it due to overheating. I have shoulder pain and would like to sink-in as much as possible without overheating or misalignment. (Are those pillows with arm cutouts a solution?) Sometimes I have lower back pain, lately I’ve been waking up with it.

I like the idea of Plush Talalay Latex over Texas Pocket Coils.

I’ve read that latex can be about as hot as polyfoam, “foam is foam”, it all can be too insulating.

How do I mitigate this? Or do I go for a coils and natural fiber only build? I’m concerned it’d be way too firm. Or at least not provide enough sinking/pressure relief. Do I include microcoils in the build and reduce the amount of foam? How do I add enough wool or similar without too much expense?

I’m also interested in buckling column gel but am concerned about getting good value and durability.

I plan to cover my slats with plywood for a platform type setup. I imagine I’d still get plenty of airflow with coils?

I live in a humid area and there’s mold in my apartment. How do I best prevent it from affecting my new bed / sleep quality?

If I make a soft build and my hips sink, can I add some zoning with cardboard or thin plywood under the coils in the middle portion of the mattress?

I’d like to keep expenses as reasonable as possible but I’m willing to spend for quality sleep. My job is close enough to the industry I can get some good employee discounts but it’s basically just all the big brands and I’m pretty set on building my own from known quality components.

I somewhat want to try a wedge pillow and try to train myself to sleep on my back to avoid heat and shoulder pain while aiding breathing but as a solution, I doubt it would be easy or without significant negatives of it’s own.

I dislike all these ‘I’ statements but I’m overwhelmed and under slept.

Thank you for any help, ideas or pointers!

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Hi thermal-runaway.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum. :slight_smile:

You have come to the right place :slight_smile:

As for the pillow, I mean, you can’t know unless you try! I myself have been on the right pillow mission for years and still haven’t found my perfect match.

I think you’re on the right track as far as a plush talalay for that sinking feeling without getting too hot. Do you have a place nearby where you can test latex beds? I ask because some people who really love memory foam sometimes find that they really just can’t fall in love with latex, despite best efforts.

Latex doesn’t have the same cell properties as other foams and doesn’t collapse under your body heat throughout the night. So, you’re not going to get progressively hotter the way you may in a bed with other foams.

There is a lot that goes into the microclimate of a bed, including your bedding the mattress encasement (in your case I’d recommend something with natural fibers in it as opposed to something synthetic), the airflow of your bedroom, etc.

It will reduce some of the airflow but you’ll still get better airflow than with an all foam setup.

There are people who have done this! A keyword search in the forum may bring their posts up. DIY zoning is definitely a thing around here.

Looking forward to your reply!
NikkiTMU

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