Have you been tossing and turning all night and you really don't want to get up and start the day with a smile? The reason could be that your body can't relax as it can't find a comfortable position to sleep in, one that is supportive in all the right places such as knees, hip, waist and neck. One solution to this problem is to change to a memory foam mattress - however this is an expensive option, so how about trying a memory foam pillow or mattress topper in the first instance?

Developed for NASA in the 1970's, memory foam was to provide comfortable support for astronauts at take off and landing, it didn't become available in the shops until the 1990's. Since that time the market has grown and is still growing very quickly, especially as the medical profession recommend its use for the relief of back pain and pressure sores. Although the first manufacturer was Tempur-Pedic and used mainly in hospitals, the company soon heard that patients who used the foam, slept better, and they expanded production to sell to everyone. Since then other manufacturers have developed their own memory foam products. The largest producers now appear to be China and the Far East.

How does it give you help to sleep? Memory foam is visco-elastic which means that it responds to temperature change by becoming softer when it is warm and harder when it is cold. That means that your body warmth softens the immediate area of foam and it moulds to your shape. A word of warning here - with the cheaper, lower density foams, the foam can become as hard as a board when the real cold weather sets in or it might turn into soft goo on hot summer nights! The more expensive brands guarantee that they will perform in the way they should through a wide range of temperatures.

If you're still not sure why not try a foam pillow or a memory foam pad in the first instance. Most manufacturer's offer a selection of products and the better ones will offer a trial period and longer guarantees too so that if the product doesn't suit you, you can hand it back.

How do you choose a memory foam mattress? There are differences in the way mattresses are made so it is important to find out from a retailer how they are put together and which type of construction would suit you best. Rule of thumb - mattresses can either have three or four inches of memory foam over a denser supportive core. More depth isn't necessarily right either as you might sink in too far before reaching the core! If you sleep on your front you should purchase 2 inch (5cm approx.) foam, side sleepers and medium sized people should buy a foam memory mattress with three inch (7.5cm approx) foam and large/heavy people or back sleepers should buy the four inch (10cm approx).

There are lots of advantages but what about the disadvantages? Why wasn't memory foam used by NASA? Foam is a man-made product that gives off gases when it's new. In your home this wears off in a very short space of time, but could have been a hazard in a space capsule! Nevertheless, if you are sensitive to this type of gas, you should think about finding a natural product like a foam latex mattress.