Turning over a new leaf

21/09/22

There are many different factors affecting how well we sleep at night. The temperature, external distractions such as noise or light, or our own peace of mind are all things that can make us restless during the night. But something that goes a long way to helping us get a good night’s rest is how comfortable your mattress is.

Wear and tear

Anyone who has ever slept on an uncomfortable mattress knows this can cause untold discomfort – and if it is making you sleep awkwardly, it is probably not doing your posture any good either. Over time mattresses settle and wear. Our weight compresses and squashes the foam and springs, and mattresses will eventually lose some of their rigidity and shape. This is especially true if we sleep in the same position, in the same place, every night. The mattress will adapt to your shape, but also wear unevenly, so that this one area will compress down to ‘fit’ us – this is of course not to be confused with memory foam mattresses, which are designed to adopt our shape.    

A new lease of life

One way of improving your comfort is by turning your mattress over to the reverse side. This may sound a simple idea, but it’s amazing how effective this is. Flipping your mattress over, or turning it around through 180 degrees, will give you a new area of the mattress to lie on. This will give you a level of comfort similar to when you initially bought the mattress and can give it a whole lease of life.

There are no hard and fast rules on timescales for turning your mattress, and it depends very much on your own comfort and the type of mattress. This means that mattresses should be turned anywhere from every three months to once a year. Some beds, such as orthopaedic and other specialist beds, are not designed to be turned, while memory foam mattresses should be turned and rotated regularly (as per the manufacturer’s instructions), to make sure they keep their shape. Unless your manufacturer specifically states that you should not turn your mattress, it’s always an option.  

Remember, if you are elderly or not used to lifting heavy objects, be careful turning or lifting the mattress. If there’s one thing that will give you back problems, it’s lifting or shifting a mattress the wrong way. It’s really a two-person job, so make sure you have help at hand. Mattresses are quite heavy and unwieldy, and are awkward to manoeuvre – especially in bedrooms, where there may be limited space to rearrange things. Make sure too that you have enough space around the bed, to manage to move it safely.

Improved comfort

If the mattress is getting to the point where turning it any which way isn’t helping, then a stopgap can be the use of mattress topper. These can be bought relatively cheaply and can make all the difference to your mattress. They are basically a thick layer – of foam, feathers or other material – that can be rolled out like a sheet and provide another level of comfort on top of the mattress. These are useful as a short-term measure, but you’ll need to buy a new mattress eventually.       

Getting a good night’s sleep can give you all kinds of benefits, from improving your mental health and energy levels, to helping with problems with back pain and posture. If none of these remedies helps with your mattress comfort, then why not come down to our showroom and have a look at our stock. Our latest mattresses feature some of the most comfortable brands on the market.