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Parkinson's Disease
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Posted 3/6/2006 1:52 AM (GMT 0)
 

My husband and I are going to purchase a new mattress.  I have been diagnosed with PD for about 18 months and so far do not experience any motor problems associated with turning in bed etc.  although I understand that at some point this may become a problem.  So my question is this.  Has anyone out there with PD had any experiences (positive or negative) with Tempur-pedic (visco-elastic foam) and or Select Comfort (adjustable air mattress)?

I currently sleep on a Tempurpedic pillow and have heard great things about the mattress, but I wonder if turning could become difficult as this mattress "molds to your body" ?  The Select Comfort on the other hand has the ability to adjust to any levelof firmness that is required.

As you probably know these are not inexpensive items and I'm trying to gather all the info I can so I  have the best shot at making a good long-term investment!

Any input greatly appreciated

 

Posted 3/16/2006 4:19 AM (GMT 0)

Cardiacqueen:

I was diagnosed with PD one year ago.  My husband and I bought a Tempur-pedic last May due to the back issues I was having.  We bought a king-size mattress to replace our old mattress set.  I also do not have problems with turning over in bed at this point.  But I've heard that if that does become an issue that sleeping on silky or satin sheets AND wearing a like fabic in your night clothes help with the issue of turning over in bed.  (I wonder if you have to be careful of sliding right out of bed?) tongue

One point you might want to be aware of with Tempur-pedic beds.....if you get warm when you sleep, you will really get warm while sleeping on a Tempur-pedic.  My husband got SO hot that he couldn't sleep on the T-P mattress so we had to return the king-size and get an extra-long twin Tempur-pedic for me and an extra-long regular mattress for him.

Personally, I LOVE my T-P mattress.  My whole body just gives a big sigh of relief when I get into bed!
Good luck!

Posted 5/29/2006 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
We purchased the adjustable twin T-P beds three years ago. For my husband, it has been a Godsend as this foam absorbs a lot of his tremors so he can rest easier, and when his tremors are bad the whole bed does not shake. Also it has brought him great pain relief as he can adjust positions which give him much more comfort than propping up with pillows. He can adjust it during the night and doesn't worry about waking me up.

We did have to purchase a 3" foam pad to go on top for more cushioning. As to the temperature issue, my husband is warm natured, but as I am very cold natured I find it cold, but with flannel sheets, I warm up nicely. Also we do not use the down comforter on his bed!

Our big adjustment was in not sleeping on the same mattress but as they are placed side by side, so I can monitor him during the night for his needs, and he does not shake me out of the bed. ha,ha...funny story.

He is 6'3" and at 175 lbs.doesn't sink down, so turning has not been a problem...just getting legs and arms going in the right direction at the same time. We did find the neck pillows very hard and they seem to be constructed differently than the mattress.

Sorry for the long post, but tried to cover your questions.
Posted 6/20/2006 7:38 PM (GMT 0)

I can't respond to questions on mattress but I can share some  helpful tips on difficulty with moving turning over in bed. I do have some difficulty with movement. I wear satin pajama bottoms which makes a big difference moving in bed.  Someone in my support group stated leather seats made it easier to move in and out of a vehicle. He was right, leather seats are a great help for me. Any vehiclle we purchase will have leather seats.  Hope these tips help someone.

I am 55 and was diagnosed with PD in 2001

Posted 6/21/2006 11:34 AM (GMT 0)
When I was in Physical Therapy there were exercises to help turning in bed.

While lying on your back with your feet together - slide your feet toward your butt to raise your knees in the air. 

To roll left - slide your left hand under your left ear - swing your right arm across your body to the left as you roll your hips and knees to the left also

To roll right - slide your right hand under your right ear - swing your left across your body to the right as you roll your hips and knees to the right also

Having a pillow under your head may help - you can also put a pillow between your knees

They had me repeat 3 times each side a couple times a day

Good luck

Posted 7/12/2006 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
Greetings All!

I was just diagnosed with early onset PD back in January of this year.  I have bought a sleep-numbers bed and find it is working very well for me.  The thing I like the most is that I can adjust the setting to how I am feeling.  If I am having a bad day with muscle tiredness I can reduce the number and aleviate some of the pain.  If I am having a difficult time getting out of bed in the morning, I can increase the number and the mattress becomes firm enough for me to roll over and exit more easily.  On top of having PD I also have several bulging discs in my back and neck, so I really like the matress flexibility.  It ensures that I can change the setting from firm to soft depending on my symptoms of the day.

I would highly recommend that anyone with PD at least give a sleep numbers bed a trial run. 

Take care and God bless!

JB

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