I Tested Sleepyhead’s New Memory Foam Mattress for a Month, and It Was Like Sleeping on a Cloud

I graduated from college — and dorm beds — last spring, but when I was living in a dorm and sleeping on a plastic-covered mattress during my senior year, I got the chance to try the Sleepyhead Super Topper. The brand sent me its 2-inch mattress topper, and it made my bed so much comfier. Now that I’ve graduated, I’m back home with my parents and sleeping on the full-size mattress I’ve had since high school, with old springs that dig into my back no matter how I toss and turn.

So, when Sleepyhead offered to send me its 11″ Cooling Memory Foam Mattress, listed on the site as The Super Mattress, I couldn’t wait to try it out. After sleeping on it for a month, I can honestly say this mattress has improved my sleep quality and made me want to hang out in bed just to enjoy how cozy it is. 

Sleepyhead is known for its comfy mattress toppers, but the brand recently launched this cooling mattress available in five sizes (twin, twin XL, full, queen, and king). The mattress is medium-firm with a memory foam layer, designed to promote spinal and hip alignment while also contouring to your body in a cozy way.  

Like the Sleepyhead mattress toppers, the cooling mattress has a gel- and copper-infused foam layer — a feature I loved in the topper because it molds to the shape of your body while still allowing airflow — so I was excited to experience that and more with the full mattress. And after years of sleeping on an old, cheap mattress with springs poking into my back every night, my transition to the Sleepyhead Cooling Memory Foam Mattress left me with no back or neck pain after a full night’s sleep.

Having tested the Sleepyhead mattress topper before, I expected a high-quality experience, but it surpassed my expectations. The mattress arrived tightly rolled in a 5-foot-tall box, and all I had to do to set it up was remove the plastic wrap and release the mattress from its vacuum-sealed packaging (try to peel off the plastic rather than cut it to avoid damaging the mattress). With the plastic gone, the mattress popped open instantaneously and expanded in a few minutes — according to the Sleepyhead FAQs, it may take up to 72 hours for your mattress “to reach its complete shape and plushness.” The brand also notes that its mattresses have “minimal scent,” but if you smell an odor, Sleepyhead recommends airing the mattress out for 24 to 72 hours. I let mine sit for a couple of hours before lying down on it. 

The four foam layers that make up this mattress are wonderful to sleep on, but they do add weight. Sleepyhead doesn’t list how much the mattress weighs, but it is fairly heavy. I enlisted some help from my mom to get my mattress situated on the bed frame. My dad even added some wooden boards to my bed frame to help support the weight of the mattress, as my old spring mattress was much lighter.

Once I had spent a few nights sleeping on the Sleepyhead mattress, I knew it was going to live up to its name. I could actually feel the difference in the spinal support compared to my old mattress. I used to wake up with a stiff upper back and neck, but the memory foam of my new mattress shapes to my body even when I toss and turn all night. I tend to sleep on my side, and the Sleepyhead mattress supports the curves of my body while laying on my side. 

It has a perfect blend of soft foam on top with firm, supportive layers below that absorb my motion. I even feel that the weight of the mattress contributes to its comfort, since I’m not jostling the whole bed every time I flip onto my side. The mattress is so comfy, it makes me want to stay in bed all day. And as someone who loves to read in bed before going to sleep, I’ve found myself going to bed earlier to decompress on my comfy, cloud-like mattress.

As for the mattress’s cooling features, the cover feels cool to the touch. I tested this mattress right in the middle of summer when I often sweat through the night, and it did help me feel cooler than usual all night long. It’s worth noting, though, that the mattress cover is a little slippery, so I woke up a few mornings to my sheets having come off a corner or two of the mattress. I ended up buying a new fitted sheet with extra deep pockets that hug the corners of the mattress and keep the sheets secure all night long, and it’s been smooth sailing since.

Within the first month of using my Sleepyhead mattress, I noticed a real improvement in my quality of sleep. Whether you suffer from restless tossing and turning or overheating in the middle of the night, this mattress is built to combat sleep struggles. Since it isn’t the cheapest mattress on the market, I would especially recommend it to anyone settling into an apartment and looking to invest in a bed setup they’ll use for years, or generally looking to upgrade their bed in a big way.