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I wouldn't base your decision on one or two people's comments about a mattress.
I think I posted a link upthread here to a site that had a collection of reviews about all the major types of mattresses.
I happen to have a Tempurpedic and don't find it too hot at all.
Another thing to consider is that many mattresses offer trial periods now. When I first got my Tempurpedic, back in 2000, I thought it was increasing my back pain for the first couple of weeks. The shop owner where I bought it told me to give it another week or two, as it was possible my back was adjusting to a totally different type of material. I did that, and 2 weeks later my back felt fine.
I ended up getting a firm latex based mattress because pillowtops and memory foam were too hot for me.
Mine now is latex. No problem with it, but regardless of any layering you do on top I would suggest a 100% cotton pad on the very top, with all cotton sheets, naturally. I think polyester reflects heat back to you.
How is latex better than foam? You'd think the air in foam would insulate well and not trap the heat. Latex is rubber, no?
Ok, I know nylon linings in coats trap body heat AND moisture, which is terrible. And there are some raincoats that are rubberized which trap moisture and heat, as well.
For those planning to consider a sleep number bed - DON'T if you have any sensitivity to chemicals. My husband and I went to the local Sleep Number store and tried many different mattresse's. We found the one we wanted and bought it, none of these beds had any odor. When you see their website, the cover page shows one solid mattress and box spring, thats what we laid on in the store too so that is what we expected when we ordered it. We were asked if we wanted it set up and said yes. I woke up in the middle of the first night with a terrible migraine, I am sensitive to all chemicals and this bed STANK.
Nothing was mentioned by our salesman that it came in many foam rubber components (we have a CA King) as well as the mattress cover and each component was separately wrapped in plastic which also smell terrible.
Bottom line is we have the bed for over a month and I still can't sleep on it. I called customer service and they said to take everything outside to air in the sun. My husband and i are in our 60's and this would be a huge job for us, there are at least six separate components so he took one and put one end on a chair on our porch and the other end on another chair. At the end of the day it still smelled plus it stretched so he had a heck of a time stuffing it back in the mattress cover. It is also pollen season so we don't need everything covered in yellow pine pollen.
The smell has permeated the mattress cover which cannot be washed so I tried unscented dryer sheets between the mattress pad and sheet - no luck. I have sprinkled six boxes of baking soda on the mattress at different times as it removes odors in refrigerators - no luck again.
Each time I call customer service they are very polite and give their names, when i call back I am told no one with that name works their or they are on the phone. I know how to navigate corporate websites to find top management so found the name of the vice president of products and services. When i ask for her by name, then people start jumping.
I was told a new mattress cover with no odor would be sent and was asked if I would like them to set it up. I said yes, it arrived on Friday by UPS - no one came to set it up and we cannot do it ourselves. Another call to customer service with the same run around and was told a separate service call would have to be place and I would be charged $160.00. When I asked for the same VP i was told they would waive that charge, they are supposed to come next Thursday to set it up.
Had I known we would have to go through all this we would never have bought the bed, this has been a nightmare for me physically and mentally as it is constant aggravation. DO NOT BUY SLEEP NUMBER BEDS if you are chemically sensitive.
I bit the bullet today, and actually bought a mattress. It's latex with spring coils (kind of the best of both worlds?), and a pillowtop that isn't so cushy that I can't even turn over! When I was testing many different mattresses, I was astounded to discover that the plush mattresses wouldn't work for me, as I roll over a lot when I'm both trying to go to sleep and actually sleeping.
I found this at PJ's Sleep Co., a local mattress store in Los Angeles. The salespeople there are on salary, no commissions. There was also no haggling, which was a relief, and my mattress comes with a 30-day "sleep well" guarantee, meaning that I can exchange it for a similar mattress if I find that I don't like it. My fingers are crossed that I will, of course! Delivery date is this Thursday.
In the end, I couldn't stomach the idea of memory foam, because I've heard that it does sleep "hot", and as someone heading into their menopausal years (I'm 48 now), I figured that I shouldn't tempt fate!
I'm spending probably 4x as much on this bed as I've ever spent on one before, but hopefully this one will last for a while. I can't be comfortable on any old mattress like I could before I reached this lovely middle-aged state!
We replaced our decade-old mattress 2 years ago with a Latex, along with a couple of new firm pillows. It was not an easy decision to make the switch to Latex after having slept in traditional mattresses before this. I'm happy to report that the mattress is still holding up very well after these years, still nice and firm (the way we like it). No, it's not exactly "like new", there are some very minor dips where we sleep, but it doesn't not affect sleep comfort. My husband tends to overheat and he has not had a problem with the latex mattress during our hot summer nights. This was one of the reasons why we avoided Tempurpedic (which my best friend loves). I also didn't like the "sinking in" feeling of the Tempurpedic, and this wouldn't work for me because I like to sit up in bed to read. The Latex is nice and firm, sitting up in bed for any length of time is still comfortable and it's nice knowing that I'm not creating a "well" with my rear end in the process.
Whenever I travel, I can't wait to get back home to sleep in my own bed and my own pillow because all hotel beds (even the good ones) just don't compare ... first night home, sleeping on my own mattress, is heaven.
After three nights, I am enjoying it. The first night I tossed and turned, and woke up a lot. Even though it was comfortable, apparently I have trouble with change - even good change! The next night I fell asleep easily, and last night I did my usual "Sunday night toss and turn", but once I went to sleep I was fine until I woke up (an hour and half early, but that's not unusual, especially on a Monday). I have a very stressful job, so Sunday nights and Monday mornings are tough.
There's a bit of a sweet smell from the latex, but nothing like the off-gassing from regular mattresses. It feels comfortable and supportive, and I honestly didn't realize how bad my previous bed was until the switch was made and I was able to truly compare. It's like night and day!
I almost wish I had ordered the queen size instead of full, though, because I discovered that many comforter sets are only made for queen and king size now. However, I'm grateful that my old sheets fit my new mattress (I was afraid that the fitted sheet wouldn't be deep enough, but it's fine). That's a minor issue, though, and since my mattress was specially made to order, I can't complain now!
Even though I'm sleeping the same number of hours, the sleep I'm getting is far more restful. If that continues to be the case, this bed will be worth every penny!
I was drawn to latex because it's natural. Every other mattress seems to be made with polyurethane, and even the memory foam is a synthetic material. Also, since the "S" mattress companies seem to be using cheaper materials, the foam and padding break down more quickly, and you're stuck with a mattress that's uncomfortable after a year or two.
The only drawback is the cost (this bed would have been my vacation this year!), but I'll soon get past that. I really do think everyone should buy the best bed they can afford; it makes a real difference in the quality of sleep!
As I realize more and more that it's time for a new mattress, I have found this thread to be enormously helpful before I even begin to shop. Thanks so much to everyone!
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Sleep Number Bed Chemical Odors
It's latex with spring coils (kind of the best of both worlds?), and a pillowtop that isn't so cushy that I can't even turn over! When I was testing many different mattresses, I was astounded to discover that the plush mattresses wouldn't work for me, as I roll over a lot when I'm both trying to go to sleep and actually sleeping. 
However, I'm grateful that my old sheets fit my new mattress (I was afraid that the fitted sheet wouldn't be deep enough, but it's fine). That's a minor issue, though, and since my mattress was specially made to order, I can't complain now!
