Effects of Mattress Material on Body Pressure Profiles in Different Sleeping Postures

Objectives This study compared the body contact pressure profiles of 2 types of mattresses: latex and polyurethane. Methods Twenty participants were required to lie down on the different mattresses in 3 different postures for 6 minutes, and their body contact pressure profiles were recorded with a pressure mat sensor. Results The data indicated that the latex mattress was able to reduce the peak body pressure on the torso and buttocks and achieve a higher proportion of low-pressure regions compared with the polyurethane mattress. Conclusions Latex mattress reduced peak body pressure and achieved a more even distribution of pressure compared with polyurethane mattress across different sleeping postures.