What is a Memory Foam Mattress?

In efforts to make launches and re-entry more comfortable for astronauts, NASA created a material called visco elastic memory foam. Although some question when this material was really first used, it is widely accredited to NASA.

The memory foam is truly unique in that it is able to mimic characteristics of both a liquid and a solid simultaneously.

Unlike traditional mattresses that simply “hold” the weight of your body – memory foam conforms to the shape of your body. This tends to create a more comfortable sleeping surface.

After being perfected by NASA, a the now popular company called Tempur Pedic began using the materials for hospital beds. Bed sores can be a tremendous problem for bed-ridden hospital patients. The hardness and coils of traditional mattresses lead to bruising, joint pain and just an overall unpleasant experience. The introduction of memory foam mattresses to the medical industry helped to drastically reduce the instances of those painful bed sores.

During the 90’s this material became available to the general public, of course it was quite expensive in the beginning, but has become much more affordable in recent times. Memory foam is used in many ways now, it’s found in pet beds, car seats, infant beds, computer carrying cases and much more. Of course the most widely known use of the visco memory foam is in mattresses!

Tags: Memory Foam Mattress, visco elastic

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