Just about everyone has heard of the memory foam mattress phenomenon. But Are the touted benefits of memory foam for real? Will we still be buying visco-elastic mattress in 10 year's time?

They've all come and gone; latex mattresses, air mattresses and water bed mattresses to name but a few. While some people have bought these types of mattresses and swear by the comfort and good sleeping they've found with these types of mattress, it still remains a fact that the most popular mattress is still the spring mattress; as it has been for the last hundred years. So, are memory foam mattresses going to become the most popular mattress for consumers?

Before we try to answer this, let's take a moment so understand why people are talking so much - and buying - memory foam mattress. A memory foam mattress is made from revolutionary visco-elastic foam that was originally developed by NASA. It was a small Danish company who were the first to realize the benefits that this new material would bring to the bedding world. Things really took off when the company was bought by a Swedish company; the Tempur-Pedic was born. Unlike conventional foam, memory foam responds to temperature and weight to conform to the exact contours of the sleeper's body. Because a memory foam mattress evenly supports every inch of the body, pressure points are kept to a minimum. Also, the spine is kept in the correct alignment, even when sleeping on your side. It's true that spring mattresses also respond to weight, but they don't mould themselves to the exact contours of the sleeper - even modern pocket springs systems can't match the support of a visco-elastic foam mattress. One of the most common reasons for not getting a good night's sleep is because of a partner's movements. Unarguably, memory foam mattresses reduce the disturbance caused by a partner moving more than any other type of mattress.

But if we want conclusive proof that a memory foam mattress is more comfortable and orthopedically better for a sleeper than a conventional mattress, we only have to look at what the medical profession is recommending. To date, over 30,000 medical doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists and osteopaths world-wide recommend the TEMPUR Mattress and Neck Pillow.

But will memory foam mattress become as popular as spring mattresses? I believe that they will. At first, the cost of a buying a memory foam mattress was considered too high by many consumers. However, as more mattress manufacturers have started making their own version of memory foam mattresses, prices have come down, so that buying a good quality memory foam mattress is no more expensive than buying a good quality spring mattress. In fact, buying a top rated memory foam mattress can even be cheaper than buying a top rated conventional mattress. Don't take my word that memory foam mattress are going to be the most popular mattress; just take a look at the other leading mattress manufacturers. Venerable companies such as Serta, Sealy, Jamison and many others are also making their own version of a memory foam mattress.

It's true that fads come and go, but every once in a while something comes along that is revolutionary. When something like this comes along, far from being a passing fad, they are responsible for a new dawn - the next leap in technology. Without doubt, the memory foam mattress is revolutionary and is here to stay giving many people, the world over, a better night's sleep.