To make your mattress firmer, you can explore several practical methods. Making a mattress firmer often involves adjusting its support structure, temperature, or adding supportive layers.
Here are effective ways to firm up a mattress, based on information from Sleep Foundation (June 28, 2024):
- Check Your Sleep Trial Period: Before attempting modifications, verify if you are still within the return or exchange period of your mattress's sleep trial. If so, you might be able to swap it for a firmer model directly from the retailer or manufacturer.
- Use a Mattress Topper: Adding a firm mattress topper made of dense foam or latex can significantly increase the surface firmness of your current mattress.
- Flip or Rotate Your Mattress: Depending on its design, flipping (if it's a double-sided mattress) or rotating your mattress regularly can help distribute wear evenly and potentially restore some firmness.
- Place Your Mattress on a Firmer Base: The support system under your mattress matters. Switching from a flexible box spring or slats spaced too far apart to a solid platform or closer-spaced slats can provide a firmer foundation.
- Consider Using a Bunkie Board: A bunkie board is a thin platform, typically made of wood or particleboard, that can be placed between your mattress and its base (like slats) to provide extra rigidity and create a firmer feel.
- Put Your Mattress on the Floor: As a temporary solution or test, placing your mattress directly on the floor can provide maximum support, eliminating any softness from the base.
- Replace the Layers in Your Mattress: For mattresses with removable or replaceable layers (often seen in some foam or latex models), swapping out softer layers for denser, firmer ones can customize the feel.
- Find the Right Room Temperature: Temperature can affect the feel of some mattress materials, particularly memory foam. Cooler temperatures can make memory foam feel firmer, while warmer temperatures soften it.
Implementing one or a combination of these methods can help you achieve a firmer sleeping surface for better support and comfort.
