How to Fix a Sagging Mattress: 5 Important Tips
Last Updated on Mar 20, 2023
Sagging is one of the most common issues found in beds. Sleeping on a sagging mattress has adverse effects on your sleep health. Irrespective of the quality of your mattress, it will sag someday, and you should know handy tips and tricks to fix your sagging mattress. Here’s our quick guide on how to fix a sagging mattress that will help you restore your sinking, sagging, and dead mattress with utmost ease.
Why Do Mattresses Sag
Sagging occurs when the mattress experiences excessive pressure from a sleeper’s body in a particular area—usually, the spots near the hips and shoulders. The sagging of the mattress depends a lot on the quality of the mattress and the type of material used.
The Memory foam mattress conforms to the sleeper’s body and tends to soften over time. It creates body impressions of the sleeper as the bed experiences excessive pressure from a sleeper’s body in a particular area. The softening of the foam mattresses gives you a feeling of sagging.
The innerspring mattresses consist of metal coils that lose rigidity over time, and the fabric tends to soften, giving less support to the sleeper.
How to Fix a Sagging Mattress
The bitter truth is you cannot fix a sagging mattress, but you can surely use our tips to minimize sagging effects. The effectiveness of these tips depends on many factors, such as mattress age and the extent of sagging.
Here are the tips to fix a sagging mattress:
1. Consider a Mattress Topper
Mattress toppers are placed on the top of your mattress. They add an extra soft layer of fabric on top of your existing bed. Mattress toppers are 2-5 inches thick and are made up of latex, foam, wool, down, or feathers.
Mattress toppers reduce sagging by providing the sleeper with some extra space to get a comfortable sleep. They are good options for people who don’t want to buy a new mattress but are looking to improve the comfort of their existing bed. Mattress toppers do not fix your sagging mattress but reduce sagging effects by providing an even surface to sleep.
2. Change the Foundation
With time, the foundation tends to wear and tear, causing the mattress to sag. Foundations with less than six legs can also lead to premature mattress sagging on one side. Foundations that use slats can also lead to a sunken bed in areas between the slats.
Getting the perfect foundation for your mattress prevents it from sagging. We recommend you check with the manufacturer to get the correct type of foundation for your mattress.
How to Fix a Sagging Mattress With Plywood
A sagging mattress requires the necessary support to provide an even surface to the sleeper. Plywood offers the necessary support to restore your mattress. You can place the plywood under the mattress and above the box spring where the mattress has sagged. At times, there is too much pressure on your box spring, and adding plywood can prevent the bed from squeaking.
If you place the mattress on the wooden bed frame without a box spring, you may need to put two plywoods between the mattress and the bed frame to keep the surface even. Plywood doesn’t fix the sagging mattress but reduces the effects of sagging.
3. Add Extra Pillows
Adding a few pillows in the areas where the mattress is sagging reduces the effects of sagging. However, this is a temporary fix and does not entirely remove the sagging. Some sleepers like to sleep with a pillow underneath their hips, back, or leg to retain their shape and get relief from neck and back pain.
Some people intend to place a pillow under the mattress to reduce mattress sagging on edges. This method is not recommended as it leads to an uneven surface and promotes early aging of the bed.
4. Rotate the Mattress
Turning the mattress regularly and swapping the foot and head of a bed can significantly increase the mattress’s lifespan and prevent premature sagging. We recommend rotating the mattress every 3-6 months for best results.
Even if your mattress is currently sagging, rotating the mattress still helps. Sagging occurs when the mattress experiences excessive pressure from a sleeper’s body in a particular area. Rotating the mattress allows most of the sleeper’s body to rest on not yet sagging areas.
How to Fix a Sagging Memory Foam Mattress
Usually, a good quality memory foam bed lasts for 8-10 years, but an average quality mattress starts to sag after using it for several years. To fix a memory foam mattress sagging, rotate the mattress by 180 degrees or flip the mattress. It ensures that the heavier parts of your body apply pressure in different areas, distributing the memory foam equally and making the bed even.
Another alternative is to use a memory foam mattress topper; it helps to even out the sagged areas of your mattress, making it more comfortable for you to sleep.
How to Fix a Sagging Pillow Top Mattress
It is challenging to flip a pillow top mattress; hence the best way to fix sagging is by rotating the mattress by 180 degrees. It redistributes the weight of the sleeper and evens out the bed.
If the above strategy doesn’t work, you can place a 1” thick wooden board between your mattress and the bed frame or the box spring. The wooden board provides additional support and reduces the mattress sagging in the middle of the bed.
A broken box spring may also lead to sagging in the mattress. We recommend checking the box spring by pressing the box spring with your hands and replace it in case of any wear and tear.
5. Check Out the Warranty of the Mattress
Last but not least, it is a good idea to check the warranty of the mattress. If the reason for the damage to your mattress is listed, you can easily get your bed changed or fixed by the manufacturer.
How to Prevent Mattress From Sagging
It is always better to prevent the mattress from sagging than to fix a sagging mattress. Here are some pro tips to prevent your bed from sagging.
- Change your sleeping position.
- Change the area where you sleep on the mattress.
- Rotate and flip your mattress at least every six months
- Use a box spring with your mattress
- Use a good foundation
- Regularly check the under mattress support
- Use a mattress topper
- Use a thick sheet of plywood between the box spring and mattress if excessive pressure on the bed.
Signs You Need a New Mattress
The bitter truth is that all the tips mentioned above are temporary, they may improve the mattress’s stability, but they will not fix the sagging issues permanently. There comes a time when you will have to change your bed. Here are some ominous signs that will reaffirm that it’s time to say goodbye to your sagging mattress.
- Your mattress has wear and tear, and springs are poking out of it
- There is a permanent snick of 1.5 inches or deeper
- Your mattress is over eight years old.
The Final Word
Mattress sagging is a serious issue that impacts your mattress health and your sleep quality. As mentioned above, there is no solution to fix the sagging of your mattress permanently. Still, you can certainly reduce the sagging issues by using the pro tips listed in our article. If your mattress continues to impact your sleep even after trying all the tips, it may be time to consider buying a new mattress.
