We’re sure you’ve heard of the popular material memory foam and its connection to better sleep: conforming perfectly to the sleeper’s individual contours, memory foam helps the body relax much faster, minimizes tossing and turning, and regulates temperature. But did you know that this innovation was given to the world by NASA?
Memory foam was created in the 1960s for a NASA project designed to protect pilots from the high stresses experienced during takeoff and landing and make their journeys more comfortable. Its original name was “slow-recovery foam”. Its open-cell structure makes it responsive to heat, and it reacts immediately when it comes into contact with the body, molding to its shape and distributing body weight.
It took around 20 years for NASA to introduce the technology for mass use, and in 1980 the Fagerdala company took advantage of it by presenting the first memory foam mattress under the well-known Tempur-Pedic brand. Fast-forward to today, memory foam is used in a wide range of industries and can be found in furniture, car seats, shoes, clothing, protective sports equipment such as helmets and knee pads.
So, the next time you lie down on a memory foam mattress, remember that you’re experiencing a piece of the space-age innovation of the 1960s. And if you still haven’t discovered its comfort, explore all memory foam mattresses here.
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