Mattress for improved sleep and methods of use thereof

Abstract

Mattresses and mattress toppers having an upper layer including a high heat capacity material are disclosed. The mattress is configured to reduce a core body temperature of the body supported thereon, and thus induce improved sleep, measurable as an increase in the time spent in slow wave sleep relative to standard mattresses having lower heat capacities. The high heat capacity of the mattress may be attributable to the geometry and nature of the support material and optional additives, including polymer gels and phase change materials. Methods for improving sleep quality and uses of the high heat capacity mattresses to improve sleep quality are also disclosed.

1 . A mattress for supporting at least a portion of a body thereon, the mattress comprising:
 an upper layer with a density of at least 500 kg/m 3  for a thickness of 10 cm, and an average surface heat capacity of at least 20 kJ/° C.m 2 ; and   a base layer disposed below the upper layer,   wherein the upper layer comprises a top layer having a thickness of 1 to 3 cm and positioned in an uppermost region of the upper layer, wherein the top layer comprises 75 wt. % to 95 wt. % of a support material and 5 wt. % to 25 wt. % of a phase change material, and   wherein the mattress is configured to reduce a core body temperature of the body supported thereon and to improve sleep with respect to a standard mattress, wherein the standard mattress comprises an average surface heat capacity of 15 kJ/° C.m 2  or less for an upper layer with a thickness of 10 cm.   
     
     
         2 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the average surface heat capacity of the upper layer of the mattress is at least 25 kJ/° C.m 2 . 
     
     
         3 .- 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the support material comprises a gel, a gel infused foam material, a foam material, or a combination thereof, and
 wherein the phase change material comprises a paraffin, an ester of fatty acid, an encapsulated paraffin, an encapsulated ester of fatty acid, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         7 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the phase change material has a phase transition temperature of 18° C. to 40° C. 
     
     
         8 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the phase change material is finely dispersed in at least a portion of the support material, micro-encapsulated within a region of the support material, macro-encapsulated within a region of the support material, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         9 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the average surface heat capacity of the top layer is at least 20 kJ/° C.m 2 . 
     
     
         12 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer has a specific heat capacity of at least 2.0 kJ/kg° C. 
     
     
         13 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer has a specific heat capacity of at least 3.0 kJ/kg° C. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer comprises 85 wt. % of a polyurethane gel and 15 wt. % of a phase change material. 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the upper layer comprises a length and a width that define dimensions of the mattress, and the top layer comprises a length that is less than the length of the upper layer. 
     
     
         18 . The mattress of  claim 17 , wherein the length of the upper layer is defined by a top edge and a bottom edge, and the length of the top layer is 75% or less than the length of the upper layer, wherein the top layer does not extend to the top edge or the bottom edge of the upper layer. 
     
     
         19 . The mattress of  claim 18 , wherein the length of the top layer is 50% or less than the length of the upper layer and is positioned to include a region of the upper layer that corresponds to a position of a lumbar shoulder zone of the body supported on the mattress. 
     
     
         20 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the mattress reduces the core body temperature of the body supported thereon by at least 0.10° C., with respect to the standard mattress. 
     
     
         21 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the mattress increases time spent in slow wave sleep (SWS) of the body supported thereon by at least 5% with respect to the standard mattress. 
     
     
         22 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein a surface temperature of a region of the mattress on which the body is supported is at least 1° C. lower than a surface temperature of the region on the standard mattress, measured after the body supported thereon has remained for a time period of at least 1 hour. 
     
     
         23 . A method for improving sleep, the method comprising:
 providing the mattress according to  claim 31  to a user.   
     
     
         24 . A use of a high heat capacity mattress for sleep improvement, the use comprising:
 providing the high heat capacity mattress according to  claim 1  for a user.   
     
     
         25 . The use of  claim 24 , wherein the average surface heat capacity of the upper layer of the mattress is at least 25 kJ/° C.·m 2 . 
     
     
         26 . The use of  claim 24 , wherein the high heat capacity mattress increases a time spent in slow wave sleep (SWS) of the user by at least 5% with respect to the standard mattress. 
     
     
         27 . The use of  claim 26 , wherein the high heat capacity mattress increases the time spent in slow wave sleep (SWS) by at least 10% with respect to the standard mattress. 
     
     
         28 . The use of  claim 24 , wherein the top layer has a specific heat capacity of at least 2.0 kJ/kg° C. 
     
     
         29 . The use of  claim 28 , wherein the upper layer comprises a length and a width that define dimensions of the mattress, and the top layer comprises a length that is less than the length of the upper layer. 
     
     
         30 . The use of  claim 24 , wherein a surface temperature of a region of the mattress on which the body is supported is at least 1° C. lower than a surface temperature of the region on the standard mattress, measured after the body supported thereon has remained for a time period of at least 1 hour. 
     
     
         31 . A mattress for supporting at least a portion of a body thereon, the mattress comprising:
 an upper layer with a density of at least 500 kg/m 3  for a thickness of 10 cm, and an average surface heat capacity of at least 20 kJ/° C.m 2 , the upper layer comprising a top layer having a plurality of projections that rise from a top surface of the top layer in a direction perpendicular to a planar surface of the top surface, the projections having lateral sides that are perpendicular to the planar surface of the top surface, and a three-dimensional shape configured so that an area of the top surface of the projections is greater than an area of the lateral sides along a parameter of the projections; and   a base layer disposed below the upper layer,   wherein the mattress is configured to reduce a core body temperature of the body supported thereon.   
     
     
         32 . A mattress for supporting at least a portion of a body thereon, the mattress comprising:
 an upper layer with a density of at least 500 kg/m 3  for a thickness of 10 cm, and an average surface heat capacity of at least 20 kJ/° C.·m 2 , and including a top layer disposed in the uppermost portion of the upper layer, the top layer having a thickness of 1.5 cm and consisting of a material having a density of at least 900 kg/m 3  and comprising 75 wt. % to 95 wt. % of a polyurethane gel and 5 wt. % to 25 wt. % of a phase change material; and   a base layer disposed below the upper layer,   wherein the phase change material is finely dispersed in at least a portion of the support material, micro-encapsulated within a region of the support material, macro-encapsulated within a region of the support material, or a combination thereof, and   wherein the mattress is configured to reduce a core body temperature of the body supported thereon.   
     
     
         33 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer has a density of at least 900 kg/m 3  for the thickness of 1 to 3 cm. 
     
     
         34 . The mattress of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer has a plurality of projections that extend away from an upper planar surface of the mattress and have lateral sides that are perpendicular to a top surface of the projections. 
     
     
         35 . The mattress of  claim 34 , wherein the projections have a three-dimensional shape configured so that an area of the top surface of the projections is greater than an area of the lateral sides along a perimeter of the projections. 
     
     
         36 . The mattress of  claim 31 , wherein the top layer has a density of at least 900 kg/m 3  for the thickness of 1 to 3 cm. 
     
     
         37 . The mattress of  claim 32 , wherein the top layer has a plurality of projections that extend away from an upper planar surface of the mattress and have lateral sides that are perpendicular to a top surface of the projections.