In the early 1970's NASA's Ames Research Centre funded a development project designed to create a substance that could help protect Astronauts from the incredible g-forces experienced during space mission take offs and re-entry. They believed that one of the key secrets to reducing g-forces on the body was to use a foam material that could conform to the shape of each astronaut and, more importantly, hold this conformity.

While a foam mould of the Astronaut's body shape could accomplish this, any movement would take the Astronaut out of this position and create incorrect pressure points against the body. Instead, they created a new foam material that was visco-elastic and therefore able to conform to the shape of the Astronaut, but return to its normal shape once pressure was removed from the foam. This could allow an even distribution of pressure or body weight over the entire surface of the memory foam, but, at the same time, quickly adapt to any movements of the body.

With this amazing discovery, Fagerdala World Foams of Sweden, Europe's leading foam producing company, began experiments in the 1980's to perfect this substance for consumer use.

Does Memory Foam really help those achy joints?

A person who sleeps on their side places pressure on their shoulders and hips, a stomach sleeper places pressure on their neck and a back sleeper places pressure on their lower back and sacrum. Visco Elastic pressure sensitive memory foam offers the best chance for reducing overall pressure placed on all joints in these vital areas, by contouring them without pushing back against them. With latex added to a memory foam mattress it offers a bit more spring against the concavities like the small of the back or sides, while not losing the ability to contour and displace pressure points.