Updated at: 29-07-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

If you’re waking up with aches and pains on a new mattress, chances are you either need a softer or a firmer mattress. You may have bought the new bed after trying our several options in different showrooms or after extensively researching online about it. If you’re still having trouble sleeping after trying everything, perhaps adjusting the firmness of your mattress can do the trick.

Making A Mattress Softer

If you’ve recently purchased a mattress and find that it’s giving you back pain, you may want to consider switching to a firmer or softer one. You might have purchased a new bed after testing out a number of models in one of our showrooms or after conducting considerable research on the topic on the internet. If you’ve tried everything and still can’t seem to get to sleep, perhaps adjusting the firmness or softness of your mattress would do the trick.

And to think you tested mattresses at the end of a tough day, when lying down on anything would have been a relief. Your bed has come, but it’s far too hard to sleep comfortably on. Perhaps you’ve moved to sleeping on your side and need a mattress that won’t cause your arm to be crushed, leaving you with a useless appendage when you wake up. Maybe a new roommate prefers a plusher mattress. Whatever the case may be, you can take comfort in the fact that there are several easy ways to improve the comfort of your bed.

How to Make Your Bed Softer with the Best Mattress Topper

Do you feel that your new bed is more like a bench than a cloud? Have no fear; we’ve compiled some pointers to help you understand how to soften and soothe your bed.

Let’s start by discussing the importance of a soft mattress and then go over different ways to get that softness.

Is Your Bed Too Firm?

When we talk about the firmness of a mattress in our Slumber Yard reviews, it’s important to note that this is a subjective evaluation.

Rigidity is Subjective. A person’s definition of “firm” will vary widely based on factors including height, weight, and build. An individual’s weight causes them to sink deeper into a mattress, creating a softer feel. Smaller people have the reverse problem: they tend to sleep on top of the mattress rather than in it. People of smaller stature may therefore have a more challenging time locating a mattress that suits their comfort needs.

However, we have observed that heavier people have a tendency to sink through the mattress’ comfort layers and land more on the poly foam or coil foundation layers, which can result in a firmer feel. A thicker, more supporting mattress is what you need.

Make sure you’re not sleeping awkwardly. The firmness level of your mattress should be chosen with careful consideration of your sleep style. People who prefer to sleep on their backs or stomachs should look for a mattress that is firm enough to support their hips and shoulders while still being comfortable. If the mattress is too soft, stomach and back sleepers may experience an arch in their spine when their hips sink too far into the mattress. Side sleepers should look for a softer mattress, one that will be easier on their hips and shoulders. Sleeping on one’s side on a too-firm mattress might restrict blood flow, resulting in numbness or tingling in the arms and hips if one is sleeping on their side.

Also, keeping the spine in proper alignment, whether sleeping on your back or on your side, is very important for the overall health of your body. It is important to keep all of this in mind as we discuss the many methods for reducing the firmness of a mattress.

Pick The Perfect Mattress For Your Needs. Soft mattresses are preferred by many over firm ones. Those suffering from illnesses like scoliosis or fibromyalgia may find this to be of utmost significance. Since sleeping takes up nearly a third of our lives, we should do so in luxury since it takes up one-third of our day. Furthermore, whether sleeping on your back or side, it is crucial that your spine remains in a neutral position. It is important to keep all of this in mind as we discuss the many methods for reducing the firmness of a mattress.

How To Make a Mattress Softer

Break In Your New Mattress

If your brand-new bed is still too stiff after a few weeks, give it some more time to break in. New mattresses are like new shoes; they need to be broken in. To condition your mattress, you can either sleep on it night after night as usual, or you can walk around on it for a few minutes each day. You can speed up the softening process by having your children (or your sister’s children) come and bounce on it. It is recommended to let a new mattress to break in for at least 60 days before using it. If you don’t find the hardness of the bed to be to your liking during the first 60 days, Novosbed will send you a Comfort+ Kit (a free foam topper).

Check Your Trial Period

You can usually try out a new mattress from an online store in the comfort of your own home before making a final purchase decision. The typical trial time offered by firms is 100 nights, but some premium brands provide much longer periods. For instance, Nectar provides a one-year free trial. If you have just purchased a mattress, check the return policy to see if you are still inside the trial period; if so, you may be able to return it for a full refund, and the company will likely even come and pick it up for you.

Flip The Bed

In the event that you are aware that your mattress may be flipped, it is recommended that you do so. You may find that you like the softer side of the bed if you sleep on the opposite side of the mattress. As an added precaution against sagging or permanent indentations, you should rotate your mattress every season. Permanent indentations in a bed may indicate that the soft padding inside has been squeezed, altering the overall feel of the mattress. Shift your weight around by switching the positions of your hips and shoulders. It’s important to remember that sagging and imprints are indicators that it might be time to replace your mattress.

How to Make Firm Mattress Softer and Comfortable • InsideBedroom

Warm It Up For Comfort

Memory foam and light polyurethane foam are two examples of mattress materials that might be affected by heat. A warm environment will assist soften the entire bed, much like memory foam softens when it absorbs your body heat. In order to warm up the bedroom, you may either use a heated blanket or a set of flannel sheets. This is simply one more method for learning how to make your bed more cozy.

Get A Mattress Topper To Make The Bed Softer

In comparison to purchasing a brand new bed, the many excellent options available on Amazon are more cost effective. Mattress toppers come in a variety of forms, some of which are designed to alleviate pressure while others mould to the shape of the sleeper. If you’re looking for something plusher, we advise going with a thick memory foam topper, goose down topper, or wool topper. Keep in mind that some people find the textured surface of egg crate-style toppers to be irritating. Toppers are thicker and cushier than mattress pads, which are also available. The Casper Topper and the Linenspa Topper are two excellent examples of such items.

If All Else Fails, Just Get A Softer Mattress

As we mentioned in the introduction, the hardness level of your mattress is crucial to your spinal health. A worn out, saggy, or excessively firm bed can cause stiffness in the body and disrupt sleep, all of which can lead to additional health problems. If none of the advice given helps, it may be time to get a new bed. If you are unsure about which mattress might be ideal for you, feel free to take our Mattress Finder Quiz.

Why Mattress Firmness Level is Crucial for Sleep

Finding the perfect mattress for you requires determining the level of firmness that is most suited to your sleeping position and body type. Shoulders and hips need more support, therefore a medium, medium-soft, or soft mattress is ideal for side sleepers. When you sleep on your side, your shoulders and hips take the brunt of your weight, so they need to be well-cushioned to avoid painful pressure points.

In order to maintain spinal neutrality while sleeping on one’s back, a mattress of medium to medium-firm firmness is recommended. A firmer surface will prevent the mattress from sinking in at your lower back, which can cause spinal misalignment. Misalignment of the spine can cause a variety of symptoms, including soreness in the back and neck as well as muscle tightness.

Mattresses that are too soft will not provide the necessary support for stomach sleepers. This lessens the likelihood that you’ll wake up with back pain from straining your spine.

Because of their shifting postures during the night, combination sleepers choose a medium-firm mattress.

For the same reason that pressure points are less likely to be aggravated by a soft mattress, little people who sleep on their stomachs need beds that are on the softer side. When used by people weighing more than 130 pounds, the softness of these beds is enhanced due to compression. Sleeping on a standard or king-sized mattress might cause spinal misalignment because of the sinking feeling. Larger people often have a sinking sensation when sleeping, therefore a firmer mattress is ideal for them.

  • Lying on one’s side to sleep
  • Asleep on the back
  • Moderately soft to soft
  • Soft to medium
  • Lying on one’s side to sleep
  • Asleep on the back
  • Soft to medium
  • Comfortable to slightly firm
  • Lying on one’s side to sleep
  • Asleep on the back
  • In between firm and medium
  • Firm

Steps To Make a Mattress Softer

If your mattress doesn’t feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud, you probably aren’t getting good sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll feel cranky and fatigued when you wake up. Your everyday performance suffers if you don’t get enough sleep, but that doesn’t imply you need a new mattress. How to make your mattress more comfortable for a restful night’s sleep and a fresh day.

Break It In

Warm Up Your Mattress

Mattresses, particularly memory foam mattresses, can get hot or cold depending on the ambient temperature. They’ll mold to your body’s shape when your body heat softens them. Warming up your bed can also soften the top comfort layer of memory foam. Temperatures between 66 and 67 degrees are ideal for sleeping, and flannel sheets can add even more coziness to the space.

Find a Compatible Bed Base

The foundation of your mattress is the bed base. They help you feel more secure and comfortable in bed. Memory foam mattresses, for instance, are more rigid when placed on a box spring and more pliable when placed on a solid foundation, platform, or adjustable base. Before making a bed purchase, it’s a good idea to double-check with the maker to make sure a suitable bed frame is available. Mattresses made of memory foam, latex, or hybrids work best with a foundation or platform bed, whereas innerspring mattresses are best suited to a box spring. If the mattress is not used with the appropriate base, the guarantee may be null and void from the manufacturer.

Steps To Make a Mattress Firmer

There will be times when you wish your bed were firmer. You can make it firmer to suit your needs if you like. Some medical issues, such as back discomfort, may necessitate a somewhat firmer bed. If you want a firmer mattress, try one of these easy fixes.

Use a Plywood Board Beneath Your Mattress

Add support and stiffness to your mattress by placing a thin plywood board underneath it. Bunkies, as these boards are commonly known, can be found in any hardware or home improvement store. Bunkie boards can make a bed feel more solid by reinforcing its structure at its base.

Check Your Bed Base

It is important to inspect the bed’s base before making a purchase. Your new innerspring mattress, for instance, might sag if placed on top of your old box spring. Without sufficient support, your bed will feel softer and will droop sooner.

When using a memory foam mattress, the slats in the base (whether box springs or a dedicated platform) should be no more than 2.75 inches apart. The lack of firmness is due to the wide spacing between the slats, which makes the mattress seem squishy.

Adjust Your Thermostat

If your mattress has a layer of memory foam that responds to body heat, sleeping in a cooler room will make that foam firmer. Set the temperature in your bedroom to between 60 and 61 degrees. Memory foam is temperature sensitive, becoming more pliable in hot environments and more solid in cooler environments.

How to Make a Pull Out Sofa Bed More Comfortable | Overstock.com

Use the Right Sheets

While making your bed, be sure to tuck in the covers as much as possible. If you want to sleep on a fitted sheet, you should get one with a pocket depth that is just a little bit deeper than your mattress. There should be no wiggle room at all. Your mattress will feel more like new after you’ve tightened the sheets.

Rotate or Flip the Mattress

Over time, regular use can cause soft areas to appear in mattresses. An even amount of wear is maintained and sagging is avoided by periodically rotating the mattress 180 degrees. You can switch the support for your head and feet by rotating the bed 90 degrees. In this manner, you may make sure that you’re making use of your entire mattress.

If you have questions about rotating or flipping your mattress, call the company first. Unless it’s a double-sided model, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to flip a modern mattress. To prevent excessive wear and tear on a mattress, it is recommended that it be flipped over once every six to eight weeks.

Using Mattress Toppers to Modify Firmness

Mattress toppers are a convenient way to personalize the firmness of your bed. To modify the texture of a mattress, topper thicknesses range from 2 to 4 inches. These mattress pads and toppers may be used to alter the feel of your bed, but they will not lift a sagging mattress.

Memory foam, latex, wool, and down are just few of the materials used to make mattress toppers. The density and thickness of a substance are what give it its hardness. Find out if a topping is soft or firm before you buy it.

Amerisleep offers two different memory foam mattress toppers to give you the option of a softer or firmer night’s sleep.

Amerisleep Lift® Mattress Toppers

Our Lift® mattress toppers can be purchased in either a Comfort or a Support level of firmness. Both the Comfort Lift® and the Support Lift® can be used to adjust the level of firmness in your mattress. Our MicroGrip® technology is included into these toppers and works by creating a soft frictional surface between the topper and the mattress.

Prices of our Amerisleep Mattress Toppers

FAQs

Do firm mattresses get softer?

In the first 50–60 nights of regular use, every mattress softens a little bit. This is known as the “break-in” stage. This natural break-in process softens the too stiff feel of a brand new mattress without making it uncomfortable.

Do mattress toppers help in firming up or softening your bed?

Mattress toppers can, in fact, change the way your bed feels. Use a thick memory foam mattress topper to give your bed a more luxurious feel. Pillows made of memory foam can range in height from 2 to 4 inches. Mattress toppers made of dense wool, latex, or memory foam can be used to add firmness to a softer mattress. To put it another way, they provide you the firmness you need without being too stiff to provide the necessary support.

Do I need a firm or soft mattress?

Both your sleeping position and your weight play a role in this. A comfortable mattress will have just the perfect amount of firmness for your needs. Sleepers who prefer to lie on their stomachs or backs should opt for medium-firm or firm mattresses, while side sleepers should go for something in between.

You shouldn’t sleep on your stomach since it puts too much pressure on your spine and can lead to health issues including headaches and stiff neck. To accommodate their shifting postures throughout the night, those who are combination sleepers require a mattress that strikes a fine balance between softness and firmness. A medium-firm mattress will provide them with the best possible night’s rest.

Those who weigh more than 230 pounds require a mattress with more support, while those who weigh less than 130 pounds should go for a softer option. If your weight ranges from about 130 pounds to about 230 pounds, a medium-sized mattress will work wonderfully.

How do you firm up a sagging mattress?

Put some bunkies under a sinking mattress for a low-cost solution to the problem. This isn’t a permanent fix, but it can help you get a little more use out of your mattress. If your mattress begins to sag while still covered by its guarantee, contact the manufacturer for assistance. Mattresses that droop more than an inch are usually serviced or replaced free of charge by the manufacturer within the warranty term. Some manufacturers may provide lifetime guarantees, although the industry standard is 10, 20, or 25 years.

Can you flip a pillowtop mattress to make it firmer?

Pillow top mattresses can’t be turned over, unfortunately. They’re extremely comfortable since they have a layer of padding on top of the mattress. The benefits of a pillow top mattress are lost if the mattress is flipped. In general, modern mattresses are not reversible unless they are designated as such.

Is memory foam too soft?

Mattresses made of memory foam can range in stiffness from very soft to quite firm. A variety of alternatives are available, so you can find one that works for your size and preferred position in bed. A thin mattress topper can be used to provide firmness to an already existing memory foam mattress.

How to make your bed comfortable for the most luxurious sleep ever! | The DIY Mommy | Make your bed, Bed, How to make bed

Conclusion

If your bed is too soft or too hard, it won’t be as restful as it should be, preventing you from getting the rest you need after a long day. Poor sleep quality brought on by an unsuitable mattress will have a negative impact on your performance at work the next day. If you want to avoid this result, try making your bed a little softer. There are a number of methods for adjusting the firmness or softness of an existing mattress, but if it is more than 7 or 8 years old and sags, it may be time to get a new one. Inevitably, the lack of support from a mattress is caused by its natural degeneration over time.