HomeWill a Mattress Soften Over Time?
Mattresses are often where we all feel most comfortable, sleeping away negativity and getting a beautiful night’s sleep, but what happens when your mattress softens? This is a natural process for most mattresses, and softening is one of the reasons you should replace your mattress every 6-8 years, but in today’s blog post, we look at why mattresses soften and how you can prevent it should you want to.
Will a mattress soften over time?
Yes, a mattress will naturally soften because you’re using it. This softening process is down to the constant usage of the springs or foams the bed is built with. This is the natural progression of most mattresses and why you should aim to replace them every 6-8 years. In most cases, you won’t notice this softening for at least a few months, if not years, depending on the mattress you get, as quality, performance and usage of the mattress can all contribute to the softening of the materials, making it softer to sit and sleep on from when first bought.
Why does a mattress soften over time?
Mattresses are loved by many of us, and most of us around the world use them every day to get that sweet, sweet sleep we all desire, but when you use a mattress for so long, you may notice the mattress begins to soften or worse, sag where you sleep.
Your mattress may soften over time for several reasons, including:
- Constant Usage
- Lack of Sleeping Movement (sleeping in one place throughout the night without moving can lead to sagging and softening of the slept-on spot).
- Improper Bed Setup (if a bed is not flat – it can lead to stress in the materials)
- Cleaning Chemicals soften the outer or inner materials.
- Broken mattresses (such as pocket springs that have snapped or compressed too far to be used).
All of these reasons can be related to mattress softening and, in some cases, may not be wrong if you’re looking for extra-soft sleep.
Why do mattresses feel firmer than in-store
When you visit a store or showroom for beds and mattresses, a few things may contribute to the difference in firmness when you first get your new mattress. You must remember that many people will use the mattress used in the showroom during the day.
People coming to ‘test’ the mattress will be laying on it and genuinely putting it through its paces for 10 minutes before making a decision. Still, the mattress has more movement and likely weight differences during this time. This will naturally help the mattress soften much faster than normal usage, but the chances are that you won’t be the first – or last person to test this showcase mattress. When you order a new mattress, you get a brand new, tested, unused platform to sleep on. This will conform to the original specifications of the mattress. Still, because it’s had no usage and has been recently crafted, this will naturally be much firmer regardless of the mattress you get.
You may purchase a pocket-spring mattress or a memory foam mattress – and because the springs have recently been manufactured or the foam has newly been created – this is the top, new quality you deserve, despite it being a little firm to start with.
How do you make a firm mattress softer?
If your mattress has arrived and it feels way too firm to sleep on, there are a few things you can do to ensure your mattress becomes softer quicker – helping you sleep much better. Let’s find out how.
- Use your Mattress – The easiest and most convenient way to make your mattress softer is to use it as much as possible. Using your mattress prepares your body for changes in comfort and helps break in the bed and materials used in your mattress to ensure it softens much quicker. Memory foam mattresses often respond to body heat, making the foam softer. After using it for 1-2 weeks, you should start to feel noticeable differences in the softness of your mattress.
- Use a Soft Mattress Topper (Permanently or Temporarily). A soft mattress topper can provide an unmatched sense of comfort, but using it on top of your mattress, despite being new, will protect it from damage and offer you much more support until it softens completely. You can buy them reasonably inexpensively, and they can be used either temporarily or permanently, but investing in a mattress topper to not only protect but soften up your new mattress is often the preferred way to soften a mattress for new mattress owners.
How can you keep a mattress firm?
Keeping your mattress at the typical factory firmness is no easy feat because you may already notice the firmness decreasing after several days of usage. Keeping your mattress as firm as possible benefits people who prefer a firmer sleep or need a firm supporting mattress for a health-related condition.
- Use a Mattress Topper – Using a mattress topper on your mattress may seem counterintuitive, as you’ve just bought an excellent mattress not to use as the central support cushion for your sleep. But actually, using a mattress topper helps spread the weight evenly over your bed, and although it will likely soften over time, it will occur much slower. Not sure which mattress topper to use? We’ve got a guide on the best mattress toppers you can buy. Plus, you can buy firm or soft mattress toppers that will be easy to use and change out, meaning you can use any mattress topper and dispose of/recycle it without ever touching your mattress, which does have a range of benefits.
- Flip your mattress Regularly – Flipping (or rotating) your mattress regularly is not only beneficial for health and support. It can help spread and rejuvenate areas of your mattress that may be experiencing sagging or softening. Doing this process every 3-6 months can provide unparalleled benefits for you and your mattress.
Your mattress will inevitably soften over time, regardless of whether you prefer a firm or soft night’s sleep – you will always have ways to make your mattress feel softer or firmer. We hope this blog post has helped you understand why mattresses soften and what you can do to speed this process up or prevent it from happening altogether.
