NASA, as part of its space program ,developed a foam to combat the very strong g forces exerted on the human body during takeoff of the shuttle and to help reduce the very high blood pressure at that time. However, as with many other products, it was never used in the program and was instead developed and used to help people who were bed bound and cannot move very much . Its main benefit is that it supports the body when a person does not have much movement.
It was originally a very expensive product to produce but has now become much cheaper and is used today in mattresses and pillows for people with postural problems by allowing blood flow around all parts of the body, not possible if you were lying on a hard surface. It also has the added benefit of being heat retentive and thereby helping with pain relief for many people.
The material inside the mattress topper is very dense and is part of where it offers its advantage, between very soft and totally hard sleeping surfaces.
One user mentioned she could detect a very strong chemical smell when she bought her mattress topper. It did clear in a few days. One advantage, she feels, is that mildew and dust mites are far less likely to develop in her topper More...
Memory Foam Toppers
toppers