Memory foam mattresses are known for being luxuriously soft and comfortable to lay on. Therefore, it can be a disappointment when you get one and find that it’s too soft. What exactly should you do if your memory foam mattress is too soft and potentially causes you aches during the daytime?
You can make a memory foam mattress firmer by doing everything from turning down the temperature in your room to adding plywood support over your box spring. It’s important that you find the right firmness for you so that you don’t end up with back problems or avoidable fatigue in the daytime.
If you’d like to get a better night’s sleep on your memory foam mattress, you’ve come to the right place. In the following sections, we will discuss various ways you make your memory foam mattress firmer without losing the flexibility that distinguishes them from other mattresses. Additionally, we’ll lay out how you can determine the right firmness for your mattress needs.
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How Can You Make a Memory Foam Mattress Firmer?
If your memory foam mattress has become too soft, you may be tempted to throw it out and get a new one. Before you do that, however, you should know that there are many different methods to make it feel more firm and last a little longer.
The following tips should help make your mattress feel firmer and afford you a better night’s rest:
Flip Over Your Mattress if It’s Double Sided
The simplest solution to a memory foam mattress that’s too soft is to try flipping it over. This, of course, assumes you have a two sided mattress.
This works because, over time, the mattress can start to sag on the side you use all the time. However, the unused side should have retained some of its firmness and may almost feel like it’s brand new.
While this is a great short term fix, over time, the other side may become too soft and sag as well. For that, you’ll want to have another one of our strategies up your sleeve.
Add Support Under or Over Your Mattress
You can add support underneath the mattress to make it a little bit firmer. Often it’s recommended that you place plywood boards over the box spring and then lay the mattress directly over top it. If you have a two sided memory foam mattress, you might consider placing an old sheet between the plywood and the mattress to prevent any scratching or damage.
If you find you like the softness of the mattress on all but one part of your body, you can consider placing support over the top of it in the aching area. For example, if you sleep on your back, you could place the pillow under your legs. This helps keep your spine aligned and allows you to continue to get the benefits of memory foam.
Turn Down the Temperature at Night
Memory foam gets softer if it is in a hot environment. The combination of a hot bedroom and your body’s natural heat may be making your mattress mushier than it should be.
Try turning the temperature down to something that is still comfortable for you but doesn’t cause the mattress to get softer.
Remember when you’re setting the thermostat while we sleep, our external body temperatures go way down because our blood moves inward to keep our bodies warm. If you set your room temperature too cold, that could negatively affect your sleep as well. Keeping things in the high 60s or the low 70s should do the trick.
Ensure Your Box Spring isn’t the Problem
Sometimes we think the problem is the mattress when in reality, it’s the boxspring underneath. Before you decide that your memory foam mattress is the problem, make sure that your box spring is in good working order.
Consider Buying an Adjustable Mattress
If you continue to experience problems with your memory foam mattress, you might want to consider switching to an adjustable one. These can get pricey, but they are almost necessary to people who struggle with sleep because they are sensitive to the differences between varying mattresses.
Why Should You Care How Firm Your Mattress Is?
The firmness of your mattress matters because of its effect on your health–both long term and short term.
In the short term, your sleep will likely suffer from having a mattress that’s too firm or too soft. Even if you get yourself to fall asleep, the pain you feel can affect how deep that sleep is, making it hard to perform cognitive functions the next day. Further, you’ll likely be dealing with aches and pains on top of the sleep deprivation that will give you an even rougher day.
You can develop back, hip, and joint problems from sleeping on the wrong mattress in the long term.
How Firm/Soft Should Your Mattress Be?
Unfortunately, there’s no hard and fast rule for how firm/soft a mattress should be, as it varies from person to person. Everything from your preferred sleeping position to genetics plays a role in how firm your mattress should be. Generally, if you’re getting a good night’s sleep and aren’t experiencing aches during the daytime, you’ve got the right mattress.
The following factors should help determine what level of firmness you need in a mattress:
- Sleep position: If you sleep on your back or your stomach, you will likely do best with a medium to firm mattress to help support your spine. If you sleep on your sides, a softer mattress will be better for you.
- Weight: If you weigh less than 130 pounds, you will likely benefit if you adjust your mattress to have a medium level of firmness. Likewise, if you weigh more than 230 pounds, your body will get more support from adjusting your mattress to have a firmer feel.
- Conditions: If you have serious back pain or arthritis in your hips and joints, you’ll get the most benefit by making your mattress firm. This helps you to stretch out your spine and get the support you need.
You may want to experiment with the differing levels of firmness you can get from adjusting your mattress until you find one that feels right. Many of the factors that decide which works best for you change over time. Keep an open mind throughout the process, and you may be surprised to find that what wouldn’t work for you in the past will now.
Final Thoughts
If you find that your memory foam mattress is getting too soft for you and you’re waking up with aches or unable to fall asleep altogether, there are a number of things you can do. If it’s a double sided mattress, try flipping it over. If your room is hot at night, try cooling it off as heat can cause memory foam to firm up. If all else fails, try adding support under your mattress.
As you play with different ways to make your mattress firmer, think about how much firmness is right for you. Depending on your weight, conditions, and even sleeping positions, you may benefit from a softer mattress, or you may need one that is harder. Bearing this in mind, as you adjust your mattress’s firmness, it will have you on your way to a great night’s sleep in no time.