How to fix a sagging mattress?
We’ve all been there. It’s been a long, hard day. Work has been exhausting. We just want to go home, shower, eat something, and then curl into bed for a long respite
. But when you climb into bed, you realize something’s wrong. You groan in annoyance as you realize that you’ve had your mattress a while and there’s a noticeable dent in the middle. Your mattress has developed the dreaded sag, which is the sad fate of all mattresses. It’s bound to happen.
Pretty much every sleep expert in the world agrees that a poor mattress leads to poor quality sleep. Bad sleep can have all kinds of nasty side effects further down the road, with the potential to even cause heart problems if prolonged.
Ultimately, a quality mattress is in your best interests. Even so, even the firmest of mattresses can’t last forever and having a heavyweight stuck upon it night after night brings wear and tear.
It wouldn’t even be so bad if it weren’t for the fact that it’s now so uncomfortable. Your spine is bending and affecting your sleep. But you can’t afford a brand new mattress. So what do you do? Well, here are ten steps you can take to fix an annoying sagging mattress and maybe even buy it a few more years of life.
1- Flip/Rotate Your Mattress
This one is just basic knowledge for any professional sleeper. Every six months or so, flip your mattress. Since most people tend to favor a side of the mattress that they’ll regularly sleep on, you’ll want to take measures to keep that side from getting saggy.
The best way to do this is to flip or rotate your mattress. This allows your weight to be distributed more evenly across all sides of the mattress, giving the commonly used side a break while the other takes the brunt.
If you have a pillow-top that probably can’t be flipped, then just rotate it. You’ll get the same effect. But also if you have a pillow top that can’t be flipped, you’ll probably want to take note of the other tips in this list, since you may end up having to make use of them.
2- Mattress Toppers
This isn’t one too many people consider, especially if the top of their mattress is already pretty comfy.
But what most people forget is that mattress toppers are designed as an external layer of added protection, which can also add extra comfort and support to the top of the mattress.
This is a good idea if your mattress is a particularly firm one. This can help add some extra life to your mattress and put off the expense of buying a new one.
Some mattress toppers are even designed to defend against allergens and debris. This sort of added protection further defends your mattress against any damage that might void out the warranty. Even if you don’t have a sagging or lumpy mattress, it might be an advantage to you to invest in a mattress protector.
They’re especially good to have around if you have small, wild children.
3-Plywood Support
No, we’re very serious with this one. Simply measure out your box spring if you have one, and then go out and get a big piece of plywood. This will then be sandwiched in between the box spring and the mattress to provide extra support.
Just make sure it’s the right size since too big or too small can cause damage, either to yourself or to the mattress and box spring. When it comes to how to fix a sagging mattress, this is very much bought time.
It by no means is a perfect solution, so if you’re at this stage, you might want to consider shopping around a bit.
4-Box Spring Support
If your mattress is sagging, be sure to check and make sure of the age of your box spring. That has a life limit too and if it’s not providing proper support to your mattress, then it could be detrimental. Your mattress could be bleeding support because its own lifeline is in trouble. If there’s any unevenness with the box spring in certain areas of the mattress, then a full box overhaul may be in order.
Not to worry, though. Replacing the box spring is usually worlds cheaper than replacing the mattress. But like yin and yang, your mattress can’t achieve full and proper support without the box spring backing it up, so make sure that both are in full health.
5- Bladder Support
Now I know some of you are probably wondering if your late-night bathroom trips are somehow working against your bed’s favor. Trust us, they’re not in the slightest.
What we mean is that one of your options is essentially an inflation pouch of sorts. This is a somewhat stranger method for how to fix a sagging mattress, but many people positively swear by it.
This ‘special bladder’ is a pouch full of air that you pump up and place between the box spring and the mattress in the area of the sag, which puffs up the drooping area and returns some support to your bed. Again though, this is a temporary measure, so don’t count on it for a permanent fix.
6- Foam Base Support
Much like the plywood solution, you can also get a big piece of foam, either medium or high density, as support.
You place this underneath your sagging mattress to buy it a little extra support and relief to the sagging parts.
The mattress should flatten out a little bit, sparing your poor spine from further discomfort for a while.
7- Regular Checking
You’ll want to perform regular checkups and maintenance on both your mattress and your box spring.
By doing normal examinations of the frame and the feel of the mattress, you can single out and determine problem spots early on before they become an issue. From there, you can figure out the appropriate steps to take to correct it for the time being.
8- Elevate Foundation
Depending on the kind of bed you have, you may want to evaluate the kind of foundation you’re relying on and how sturdy it is.
How many legs are supporting the underside of your bed? There should be enough there to wholly support the weight of the mattress, box spring, and you. If there isn’t, then the weight isn’t being distributed properly. If that’s the case, then more legs are probably in order.
9- Pillow Support
Try placing pillows beneath the sag spots between the mattress and box spring. This should counteract the sagging with added support, much in the same way people bolster their legs or backs with pillows. You can add or subtract pillows as needed without needing a return trip to the store. The pillows don’t have to be super cushy either, as long as they fill in the sag as intended without unbalancing the mattress.
If you’re wondering where to start in how to fix a sagging mattress, this is probably one of the easier methods you can try right away. Most people will probably have two or three extra pillows lying around doing nothing. Might as well put them to work, right?
10-Warranty Claim
This one is a bit dodgy because not all mattresses retain their warranties once they start to sag. By this point in time, a mattress that is beginning to sag is probably just showing its age. Thus, it wouldn’t be covered by awarranty.
If your mattress is still relatively new, like say, five years or so, and it’s sagging, then definitely check the warranty. There may be something wrong with your mattress. If that’s the case, then it may qualify under warranty for replacement.
All mattresses have a different more or less predetermined lifespan. This means that each and every mattress will begin to sag at different times and different rates. So the type of mattress you choose in the beginning will not only have a different lifespan, but also a different warranty. Your warranty may vary depending on the chosen type, so always be sure to choose very carefully.
Conclusion
People spend 1/3 of their lives asleep. These days, we're such busybodies that quality sleep is a downright necessity.
It's a base need for efficient daily function. But it's hard to get that basic need if our mattresses aren't providing adequate support to our backs. Maybe you've had your mattress five years, or maybe you've had it fifteen.
If it's starting to sag and fail to provide proper support, then you need options. The chances are good that you probably can't afford a brand new mattress just yet.
Your best bet is in buying yourself some time with your current mattress until that time comes. So hopefully, these listed tips are going to help you restore some life and vitality in your bed until you're able to replace it
