Is your soft mattress causing you sleepless nights? Sleep quality plays a significant role in your physical health, mental health, and overall productivity. Due to this, you want to learn how to firm up your mattress without breaking the bank.
A firm mattress offers ample support, providing spinal alignment and joint, muscle, and back pain relief. You can firm up a mattress by rotating it, adjusting room temperature, or using a plywood board.
A 2009 study by the National Library of Medicine Study shows that 3 in every 4 Americans experience sleep problems. Since sleep provides both psychological and physiological restoration, you ought to prioritize your mattress' firmness for a restful night's sleep.
Before you toss away your soft mattress for a pricy replacement, follow these easy steps:
Flip And Rotate Your Mattress
Your mattress could sag after sleeping on one side for too long. Specialists endorse flipping your mattress every three to six months. If you start experiencing discomfort like back and joint pains, try flipping your mattress.
Turn your mattress to make the top side face bottom. Proceed to rotate it by ensuring that the leg side goes to the head side and vice versa.
Flipping out your mattress evens out pressure, elongating its lifespan. You also get more value by sleeping on a firmer base which is inexpensive.
Check For And Address Dampness
Your mattress could soften as a result of dampness caused by moisture retention. This moisture could be a result of humidity, where the mattress absorbs moisture in the air, leading to dampness. Also, it could be a result of splashing liquids over it.
If you live in a humid locality, take your mattress to the sun to air-dry it. If this is proving hard, open your doors and windows and turn on the fan to dry out the mattress. Drying your damp mattress firms it and kills any bacteria harbored.
Change The Temperatures In Your Room
Some mattresses are sensitive to temperatures, leading to a change in mattress firmness. For example, memory foam mattresses soften with higher temperatures. To firm up, lower the temperatures in your room.
Replace Your Box Spring
Box springs can deteriorate with time. They become frailer and provide less support for your mattress. Sleeping on a mattress over a weak box spring can make it seem softer.
To avoid this, replace your box spring when you feel your mattress beginning to sag. A stronger box spring leads to a firmer-feeling base.
Add A Firming Mattress Topper
While mattress toppers do not directly firm the mattress, they bolster the surface, leading to a firmer base. This supportive layer evens out the pressure and provides comfort too.
Most mattress toppers in the market soften a firm mattress and not the other way round. However, when you shop around for ones meant to firm your mattress, you will have a variety to choose from.
The main types of firming mattress toppers include memory foam and latex mattress toppers. Before buying a mattress topper, ensure that your mattress is not too saggy. Also, check for chemical components and allergens to avoid posing health risks.
| Image | Title | Buy |
|---|---|---|
 | Casper Sleep Original Foam Mattress, Queen | Learn More |
 | Sweetnight Queen Mattress, 12 Inch Memory Foam and Hybrid Innerspring Mattress, Queen | Learn More |
 | ZINUS 12 Inch Cloud Memory Foam Mattress / Pressure Relieving / Full | Learn More |
 | Signature Design by Ashley Chime 12" Memory Foam Mattress, CertiPUR-US Certified, Full | Learn More |
Put A Plywood Board Between Your Soft Mattress And Your Bed Frame
A plywood base is one of the main ways people firm up a mattress. If your mattress is soft in just one area, cut a piece of plywood the size of the area. Go ahead and place it beneath your mattress to firm it.
Contrarily, if your entire mattress is soft, it would be best to place a plywood board over your bed frame. The plywood board provides a firmer base, leading to improved support and cushioning of pressure points.
Consult your mattress manufacturer before using a plywood board under your saggy mattress. Some warranties discourage the using plywood, and going against it can cost you the same.
Also, keep in mind that plywood offers a temporary solution to firming your mattress. Note that one of its main drawbacks is a lack of breathability. It causes dampness that leads to molding, worsening your already bad soft mattress situation.
Replace The Slats On Your Bed Frame
Frail, broken, dislocated, or poorly spaced bed frame slats can lead to mattress sagging. For instance, when using memory foam mattresses, space your bed frame slats are not more than 2.75 inches apart.
If your mattress is saggy or soft, check the bed frame slats to ensure that it is strong and well-spaced. When the bed frame slats are not well secured, they could shift, leading to injuries and mattress sagging.
Fix Your Bed Frame And Bed Foundation
If you replace your slats and the bed still feels wobbly, the issue could be your bed frame. If your bed frame is weak, it will move as you move in your sleep. Your mattress will begin to sag since there is no proper foundation.
Also, check to ensure that your bed frame has enough bed legs for its foundation. A king or queen-sized mattress' bed frame should have at least six legs for an even support. Putting such mattresses on bed frames with four legs may cause the mattress to dip in the middle due to uneven support.
Get a professional to tighten any bolts or any other thing causing squeakiness. Let them also add extra legs if your bed frame is adjustable.
Replace The Worn-Out Layers In Your Mattress
In this era, mattress manufacturers are getting smarter about the value derived from their mattresses. They do so by having different removable and replaceable layers to form one mattress. If your mattress is too soft, consider checking and swapping the frayed layers.
The best way to know if your mattress layer is worn out is when it becomes thin and loses bounce. In addition, it can become too soft and start falling apart. When you notice such characteristics, shop around for new ones.
Move Your Mattress To The Floor
If you have tried all the tips above and your mattress fails to firm up, consider moving it to the floor. This is a cheaper and relatively easier alternative for firming up your mattress. The floor offers an even and firm base for your mattress, giving you a firmer sleeping ground.
However, consider all the cons related to sleeping on the floor. They include exposure to cold, dust, and bugs. Inhaling dust and cold air may lead to respiratory issues and general health concerns.
Check Your Sleep Trial Period
Most mattresses come with a 95-day to one year worth of sleep trial period that you can take advantage of. Check your mattress warranty to see if you are still eligible for the trial-period offer. You can return the mattress for a new, firmer one or for a full refund.
You can contact the mattress company if you are not sure about this offer. Also, feel free to ask them if they can come to swap the mattress for you free of charge. Some companies include a comfort kit such as mattress toppers that firm up your mattress when needed.
Invest In A New, Firmer Mattress
If everything fails, it is time for you to invest in a new, firmer mattress. A new mattress offers improved support and comfort for spinal alignment and joint and back pain relief. Check for mattress reviews to ensure that your mattress will not dip with time.
A new, firmer mattress offers unprecedented relaxation and quality sleep.
Conclusion
Learning how to firm up a mattress brings benefits such as improved support, comfort, and pain relief. Try using a plywood board, address the dampness in your room, or check the sleep trial period. If all fails, it is time to invest in a new, firmer mattress.
Also read:
- Foam vs. Spring Mattress
- How Long Do Memory Foam Mattresses Last [ANSWERED]
- 6 Easy Steps To Get Pee Out Of A Mattress [GUIDE]
Feruza is a mom and a blogger. She had a neck pain for 15 years, which made her interested in everything about pillows.
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