Mattress Too Firm 5 Tips For How To Soften Up A Firm Mattress
We all know that feeling of lying down on a mattress expecting that comforting give, but instead, you receive rock hard resistance. Although some sleepers may prefer a firmer mattress, too firm of a mattress can mean waking up with serious aches and pains. Maybe youve had the misfortune of sleeping on a mattress from the Flinstone era and you dont want to repeat it. Well, youre in luck, reader. Below, well explore what you can do to soften your mattress and when you might want to replace it altogether.
Increase The Room Temperature
Heat can help memory foam to expand and soften up, and ambient warmth is effective in helping memory foam mattresses to expand when used in conjunction with the application of pressure.
Localized heat sources such as electric blankets, heating pads, or hot water bottles, are not recommended to be used on memory foam. That is because they can damage the material resulting in deformity or a reduced lifespan of your mattress.
A room temperature of 68 degrees to 72 degrees is recommended.
Symptoms Of Having A Mattress Thats Too Firm
If your mattress is too firm, you might experience a few different symptoms. An overly-firm mattress can put excess strain on your pressure points or cause spinal misalignment. You might also find that your body stays tense as you sleep, resulting in muscle, neck, or back pain. When your mattress isnt soft enough, it means your spine and the rest of your body cant fully decompress.
A hard mattress can also mean poor quality sleep because you might toss and turn all night in an effort to find a comfortable position.
So, what can you do if youre waking up grumpy and sore? There are a few quick fixes you can try to get a better night of sleep.
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Replace The Box Spring Or Platform
The box spring or platform is one of the most important factors for your mattresss comfort and durability. If you are wondering does a memory foam mattress need a box spring or sturdy bed frame? the answer is yes. The box spring or platform your mattress sits on reinforces the mattress to reduce pressure, but over time they wear out, losing their strength and support.
Its standard to replace your box spring after prolonged use, and its usually more affordable than buying an entirely new mattress.
Better than a box spring, our Mattress Foundation serves as the perfect base for your bed.
How To Make A Memory Foam Mattress Firmer
Theres nothing more luxurious than relaxing into a high-quality memory foam mattress at the end of a long day. Yet, these cushiony wonders arent for everyone. Many people prefer a firmer mattress that they can comfortably rest on top of rather than sink into. Although each mattress type has its own attributes, it always boils down to an individuals sleeping style and personal preferences.
To that end, if you or your partner own a memory foam mattress, but youd prefer to sleep on something firmer, youre probably wondering: can you make a memory foam mattress firmer?
Yes, you can. And rest assuredyou have options.
Read on to learn a wide range of affordable tips and tricks for making your memory foam mattress firmer.
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What Happens If Your Mattress Is Too Hard
If your mattress is too hard then it might not be very comfortable for you and could be causing back and joint pains. It could also be affecting your posture if you don’t think your spine is being properly supported. Overall, you might not be getting a good night’s sleep which could be impacting your day to day life.
Change The Box Spring
Due to wear and tear, the box spring of your mattress can loosen its spring. If this happens, you need to replace the box spring to keep the firmness of your mattress.
A new box spring helps you retain the firmness of your mattress. It also gives support to the mattress which adds height. The suitable high position of your firm mattress ensures sound and comfortable sleep.
Amerisleep has a very affordable and high quality box spring/bed base available. We dont own this ourselves but from looking at their reviews and generous return policy, we will definitely get one from them when its time to do so. Heres a link to their box spring if you want to learn more about it.
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Top 3 Soft Memory Foam Pillows From Popular Brands
Memory foam pillows are a clear winner for your well-being over regular pillows. It comes with manifold benefits such as helping in getting more relaxed and better sleep and providing relief for your overstressed and tired neck muscles in the process.
Lets dive in to check the top three memory foam pillows online:
Is Memory Foam Supposed To Be Hard
Like most mattress materials, memory foam is not limited in firmness. Youll find firm, medium-firm, and even soft varieties, depending on the product you have. However, theres a reason why its advisable to break-in a new memory foam bed to let it expand.
Being compressed in the box will change the beds structure, and you need to let it ventilate for at least 24 hours. This will dissipate the chemical odors or finish off-gassing and allow the memory foam cells to open up. You can use the mattress in these 24 hours, but its worth waiting for the bed to loosen and soften up to achieve the ideal comfort and support.
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Speak To Customer Service
Every mattress brand integrates different components and industrial processes. This means speaking to the customer service department of your mattress brand can be helpful in many ways.
Firstly, they can offer custom tips to help you soften the mattress much quicker. Besides, many brands will be happy to ship free accessories that can help reduce the firmness of your mattress.
For instance, 30 days into your trial, Novosbed will happily ship a free Comfort Kit to soften your mattress. All you have to do is ask for it.
Help My Memory Foam Mattress Is Too Firm
15-06-2011
If you have a memory foam mattress, you have made the best choice. A memory foam mattress is a great investment as it provides comfort, optimal support and gives you a better sleep.
However, some people find their memory foam mattress a little firmer than they anticipated. If this is you there are ways to ameliorate this, so dont worry.
Read on to learn what to do if you find your memory foam mattress too firm.
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Getting The Correct Firmness When Buying A Memory Foam Mattress
Should you decide to shop for a new memory foam mattress, theres some information about the density and the thickness of the mattress that you should know.
Its easy to confuse thickness and density when shopping for a mattress. Thickness changes with the number of layers in a mattress, while density refers to how solid these layers are together.
Layla Mattress How To Soften Up Memory Foam Mattress
- The double-sided Layla mattress that permits sleepers to select in between different firmness levels, depending upon which side they pick to face up. Layla bed mattress has a feeling, that is different than you have actually ever felt. It likewise lets you keep ones cool, and bounce back exceptionally fast.
- The comfort layer for the milder side of the bed mattress consists of 3 inches of copper instilled memory foam . This memory foam layer is relatively thick. This gives you pressure relief, as it permits you to sink in.
- Layla bed mattress has a 4 month sleep trial, along side a lifetime warranty. Because many brand names just have a 10 year guarantee, this is a major selling point for Layla.
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Why Does A Memory Foam Mattress Lose Its Firmness
You know its time for a new mattress when it begins to feel too soft, or you feel like youre about to sink in it.
A mattresss firmness is a significant factor in how well you sleep. Not to mention, the proper level of firmness provides the necessary support you need for your head, neck and back.
There are a few reasons why a mattress loses its firmness that includes
- heavy usage,
- temperature changes that cause the firmness to fluctuate, and
- insufficient care and improper positioning.
Use Breathable Sheets On Your Mattress
Using breathable sheets on your mattress can make all the difference. Avoid sheets made from synthetic materials because they only add to the heat retention created by memory foam.
Sheets made from high-quality cotton are surprisingly effective at cooling your sleep surface down. Sheets made from natural bamboo fibers also provide a cooling sensation.
The thread count is not as important as the material the sheets are made from but usually, a thread count of 250-400 is optimal for sleeping cool.
The right sheets for your mattress are relatively inexpensive and should be considered first when trying to figure out how to cool down a Tempurpedic mattress.
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Mattress Too Firm Learn How To Soften Your Mattress
By Andrew Russell, Wellness Writer
Sleeping on too firm of a mattress is not only uncomfortable but harms both your sleep and health. However, mattresses are expensive. Realistically, not all of us can afford to replace our mattresses just because theyre a bit too firm.
Buying a mattress often requires budgeting and saving for many months. Also, if your mattress is new, but turned out to be too firm, its not always worth it to buy a second mattress. The bottom line: if your mattress is too firm and uncomfortable for you, you dont have to suffer.
Softening an overly firm mattress isnt impossible and wont cost you a boatload of money. We run through some simple solutions to soften your mattress and get you sleeping comfortably.
Consider Getting A New Topper
Is a memory foam mattress too soft? What to do? The easiest and one of the fastest ways to firm a foam bed up is to buy a mattress topper or a new firmer mattress topper if you already have one. There are various products on the market, and some of them cost less than $100much less than a new firmer bed.
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Add More Mattress Support
Sometimes you need more support to keep the mattress from sagging. From the surface, the issue might look like a mattress problem when really, its a frame problem. You can find all kinds of mattress support items online and in stores. These will help secure the base of the frame to provide more support to the mattress.
When you add more support, you are essentially lifting the mattress from the slats a little to create a bit of space in between. With that space, you wont experience the mattress dipping down in between the slats. Some mattress supports will fill in the spots in between the slats completely. When you do this, youll usually have the best results.
Ideally, you want to fill all the gaps where the memory foam mattress may sneak through and create dips in the bed. As you lay on those dips every night and put pressure on the mattress, youre only making the problem worse and causing more damage.
If you read the fine print on your mattress warranty, many will provide specific information about how you need to support the mattress. If you dont follow those instructions, it will void your warranty, so they understand the importance of providing a proper base for your memory foam mattress.
How To Soften Memory Foam Pillow
Just like a memory foam mattress, memory foam pillows are also very comfortable, supportive and are designed to adapt to the shape of your head and neck.
These pillows are built as medium-firm to improve your sleeping posture and offer pressure relief to your head and neck muscles.
However, a memory foam pillow may feel a little bit hard and uncomfortable at the beginning.
Sleepers may find it a bit stiff and feel too firm and may take some time to adjust itself to the newly bought memory foam pillow.
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Will A Mattress Soften Naturally
Over time a mattress will tend to soften because of constant use and natural degeneration. This is most obvious when a new mattress starts to feel less firm over the months that follow its purchaseand is termed breaking-in similar to wearing in a new pair of shoes. A mattress pad can provide the firmness of a new mattress when the mattress is significantly softer than it used to be, and the person wants to recreate the firmness of a newer mattress.
A mattress will naturally soften over time. A higher density material could take a little longer to soften, but generally the mattress will take from 30 to 90 days to begin to soften. Other factors that will affect the natural softening of a mattress are the weight of the people that sleep on it, their average sleep time, the type of mattress foundation that the mattress sits on, as well as the materials used in manufacturing the mattress.
The most important thing to bear in mind before attempting to force the mattress to soften quicker is what materials the mattress is made of, and any special care that must be followed to avoid voiding the manufacturer warranty. Read our articles about Smart grid vs. memory foam where we take a look at the two mattress compositions and characteristics to better understand whats in a foam mattress.
Take Advantage Of The Trial Period
Most mattress companies will offer a lengthy trial period just for this purpose.
They know it takes more than a few days to determine if the mattress you just purchased is the right one for you. It takes time to break a mattress in.
The longer you use it, the softer it will get. That is because the fibers will begin to adapt to your physical characteristics. The softening will become less noticeable because the foam will start to stabilize.
Check with your seller to see how long the trial period is and take full advantage of it. It will run anywhere from 30 to 100+ days. However long it is, you will most likely need the entire period to determine if it is the right mattress for you.
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Rotate And Flip Your Mattress
If youve had your mattress for a long time and youre noticing that its becoming too firm, then it might need to be rotated to help distribute weight. To do this, you simply need to rotate your mattress clockwise on its base so that the front end and back end are switched. If you have a larger mattress, its advised that you have someone help you with rotations as it can be very difficult to do on your own.
Another similar method for softening your mattress is to flip it. Once again, you may want someone to help you flip a mattress, especially a larger size, so that you dont have to struggle with it on your own. Also make sure that you have a mattress that is designed to be flipped. Some mattress types have a specific construction where you should only be sleeping on one side .
Do Mattress Toppers Help In Firming Up Or Softening Your Bed
Yes, mattress toppers can alter the feel of your mattress. If you want your mattress to have a plusher feel, use a thick memory foam mattress topper. Memory foam toppers can be between 2 to 4 inches thick. To firm up your bed, use firmer memory foam, compact wool, or latex mattress toppers. They enhance support, providing you with the right level of firmness.
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Squeeze Or Apply More Pressure On Memory Foam Pillow
Another DIY method intensifies the pressure on the product. You can either squeeze the pillow or place a heavy object on it. This will reduce its firmness. The memory foam takes time to regain its shape.
Hence pressing it or applying extra pressure will make the foam sink in. You can place your head on the pillow before it reverts to its shape. During the expansion process, the foam will conform to the shape of your head and adjust to your sleeping posture.
One easy way to apply pressure is to lay your pillow flat on the floor and keep walking on it a couple of times. The motion will loosen the structure, and it will expand.
Tip: You can also use Broom handles and rug cleaners to punch it or a give it few resounding whacks
Invest In A New Pillow
If you’re having trouble getting a good night’s sleep, maybe your pillow is the problem. A truly comfortable pillow that supports your head and neck can make all the difference and can even go a long way toward compensating for a bad mattress. Picking the best pillow for you depends on your preferred sleeping position: Back and stomach sleepers can benefit from thinner pillows, and side sleepers usually need thicker, more supportive ones.
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Sleep Soundly With Casper
If youre still asking yourself how to make a memory foam mattress firmer after implementing the tips above, it might be time to invest in a new mattress. Over time, mattresses naturally begin to wear. A mattress thats been around for a decade will be significantly softer than when you first purchased it.
To that end, a quality mattress is about more than just a good nights rest.
The firmness of your bed protects your spinal health and prevents body aches, pain, and stiffness. Back and stomach sleepers especially need firmer mattresses to preserve their spinal alignment. Some studies have even shown firmer bedding reduces back pain, improves sleep quality, and reduces general stress.1
If you havent been able to make your mattress firmer, then youre in the right place. Here at Casper, weve got a mattress that upholds the firmness level youre looking for. Ready to give yourself the sleep support you deserve? Perfect. We are too.
