4 days ago
How To Make Your Mattress Firmer: 6 Expert-Backed Methods
When it comes to the ideal mattress, some people think the softer, the better. While an ultra-plush model works great for those needing deep pressure relief, for others (namely back and stomach sleepers) it spells a night of back pain and stiffness caused by poor spinal alignment. If you find yourself suffering from the aforementioned ailments after a night of sleep, then you might want to firm up your mattress.
Here are six ways to make your mattress firmer, including adding a mattress topper.
Before you resign yourself to buying an entirely new mattress, there are several steps you can take to make your current mattress feel firmer, from adding a topper to simply rotating it. Below, we detail how to make your mattress firmer using six tips, plus offer further expert insight into who a firm mattress is best for.
Here are six different ways you can make your mattress firmer:
A mattress topper is an easy, relatively inexpensive way to transform the feel of your mattress, whether you're looking to add more softness or firmness. Firm mattress toppers are typically made from latex, memory foam, polyfoam or microcoils, which offer various firmness levels and their own set of benefits.
PlushBeds
Helix
Sometimes poor firmness in a mattress has nothing to do with the mattress itself but rather what it's resting on. The right bed frame lends the proper support needed to maintain a bed's firmness. Depending on the type of mattress you have, a wood or metal bed frame can be supportive, although we recommend Thuma's Classic Bed, which uses a Japanese joinery technique and cushion-coated slats to support up to 1,500 pounds. (See our full Thuma Bed review to learn more.)
Thuma
Addressing the issue of a lack of firmness might require some investigating as to what's going on beneath the mattress. Slatted bed frames or bases that are older might not be providing the necessary support your mattress needs, causing it to sag, have an uneven surface or generally feel less firm than it actually is. The addition of extra slats, like the Zinus replacement bed slats , or supports help to redistribute the weight of a mattress, in turn creating a firmer sleeping surface.
Certain mattress materials like memory foam are sensitive to temperature, causing their firmness to change based on how hot or cold it is. Memory foam becomes more pliable in warmer temperatures, softening to more easily contour to your body. Some might find that the mattress becomes too soft, but a quick and easy fix is to lower the temperature to let it firm back up a bit.
Sleeping in the same spot night after night can start to wear on the mattress, evidenced by indents and sagging. Rotating your mattress so that the head becomes the foot helps to evenly distribute wear and prevent indentations and sagging that hinder sleep. It's generally recommended to rotate your mattress every six months, although the frequency can vary depending on the type of mattress, so be sure to check with the manufacturer if you're unsure how often you should be rotating your specific model.
If you've attempted the above tips and still find yourself dissatisfied with your mattress' firmness and your overall sleep quality, it might be time to consider a newer model. 'Mattresses are designed to last for about seven to ten years. You will know that it is time to get a new mattress if you see a visible sag where you sleep,' says Andrew E. Colsky, JD, LLM, LPC, LMHC and founder of National Sleep Center. Colsky also recommends investing in a new mattress if you find yourself experiencing back, neck or hip pain caused by lumps and dips in your current one.
Choosing the best mattress for your sleep style and needs can be an overwhelming process, which is why we've tested more than 150 mattresses firsthand to determine the best mattresses for all types of sleepers, including our top pick, the Helix Midnight Luxe. During our testing, we also found the Plank Firm Mattress to be the best firm mattress overall, thanks to its flippable design that offers two firmness levels.
Plank
You might think that the feel and the firmness of a mattress are one in the same, but they actually mean different things. Where 'feel' refers to the sensation of the mattress' materials (i.e. bouncy latex or plush, dense memory foam), firmness refers to how hard or soft the mattress is. A mattress' firmness is often rated on a scale of 1 to 10 and falls into either the soft, medium-firm or firm categories.
Determining the right firmness for your sleep style and needs is key to achieving comfortable, healthy sleep. With mattresses that are too soft, your body could potentially sink too much, causing spinal misalignment that leads to pain and discomfort. On the other hand, a mattress that is too firm might not contour the body enough to provide adequate pressure relief.
Not everyone benefits from a firm mattress, but several types of sleepers find a firm model works best for them.
It's important for back sleepers to have the necessary support to maintain natural alignment and keep the hips from sinking too deeply (and thus preventing lower back pain). A medium-firm to firm mattress like the Leesa Sapira Chill, our top pick for back sleepers, helps prevent the back from dipping.
'If you sleep on your stomach, a firm mattress stops your midsection from sagging, which can otherwise hyperextend your spine and cause discomfort,' says Colsky. Similar to back sleepers, the best mattresses for stomach sleepers are medium-firm to firm.
Like back and sleepers, sleepers weighing more than 250 pounds should opt for a firm mattress, or one specifically designed for them, that offers ample support to stop unnecessary sinkage and keep the spine aligned.
The Forbes Vetted sleep team has over a decade of experience testing and reviewing mattresses and sleep products, reflected in our extensive content library, which includes everything from mattress guides to sleep product recommendations.
