The Simplest Ways To Make A Firm Mattress Softer

Getting a good night's sleep is essential; you want to wake up feeling well-rested, not achy and tired. However, purchasing a new mattress isn't always a simple task. Online descriptions of their firmness may not accurately reflect how it will feel to your body. Even if you try out a mattress in-store, you're only lying on it for a few seconds, making it difficult to determine how your body will respond after sleeping on it for several hours at a time.

If you end up with a mattress that feels too firm, it can really interfere with the quality of sleep you're able to get and may leave you feeling sore in the mornings. Fortunately, you don't have to settle for a mattress that feels too firm. You can do several simple things to make your mattress feel softer, helping you sleep more soundly and wake up feeling well-rested.

Just as you need to break in a new pair of shoes, the same is often true when you purchase a new mattress. And, you might be surprised to find out that one of the ways you can break in the new bed is by doing the same thing you'd do to break in that new pair of shoes: walking around. That's right; walking back and forth over your mattress for a few minutes daily can help make it softer.

Every time you step on the mattress, you'll put your weight down on it. This will work to help soften any high-density foams within its construction. If you're uncomfortable walking across the mattress yourself, ask your children or other kids in the family to help you out for a few minutes — they'll likely see it as a fun task. You can also apply the same logic by stacking a few heavy boxes or books over the mattress, particularly the areas where you sleep, to help soften it.

If you find that your new — or old — mattress is just too firm for your liking, you can try using a mattress topper to make it feel softer. Mattress toppers are often made from memory foam, down, gel, or other cushiony materials that may contour to your body and provide more of a cradling effect than your current firm mattress is able to. Others may be made from cotton, wool, or fiber, giving them more of a plush feel, while still other options are filled with down or down-like materials for a dreamily soft feel.

When shopping for a mattress topper, take note that they are not all the same. The topper's material will affect how it feels and the level of support it delivers. Typically, memory foam will be the best choice if you want to make your mattress feel softer. With this type of topper, your body will be able to sink into the mattress and feel more cradled. You could also consider a down mattress version if you want a softer bed. It will offer more of a plush feel. A latex mattress topper might not be the best choice, however. This material tends to make a bed feel bouncier and firmer, not plush and cradling. Think about what you're looking for in a "soft" mattress and choose a topper that will respond how you want.

If your memory foam mattress feels too firm, it could be related to the temperature in your bedroom. You may have even purchased the mattress months ago and felt it was fine, but now you think it feels firmer. Well, you're not crazy if this is happening to you. How soft a memory foam mattress feels can fluctuate based on the temperature inside the room. The polyurethane that is used to make it reacts to body heat, along with the surrounding temperatures. If the room is cold, the mattress is going to feel firmer than when the room is hot.

This is why some people complain about their memory foam mattresses feeling too hard during the colder winter months. If you have one that feels too firm and leaves you stiff in the mornings, try warming up the room or adding thick duvets or blankets to the setup. 

Changing up your bed frame is another option that could help make your mattress feel softer. The type of slats supporting your mattress plays a bigger role than you might think in determining how soft or firm the mattress feels. Many bed frames have solid slats. As you likely know, these are long, thick pieces of wood extending from one side of the bed to the other. Because of their sturdiness, solid slats can do a good job supporting a mattress. However, they will also make it feel firmer since they don't bend or flex when a user lies down on them.

If you have solid slats and find your mattress too firm, consider trying a base with sprung slats. Instead of being flat and rigid, these alternatives are curved and offer some flexibility. When an individual is sleeping on the mattress on top of them, they'll give a little bit, making the bed feel a bit softer.

In some instances, flipping or rotating your mattress can help make it feel softer when you sleep. If you've been sleeping in the same spot for months or years, the foam and other materials may have become compacted from the weight of your body. Rotating it to sleep on a different part may help to increase your comfort as you sleep. Some mattresses offer two different firmness levels, one on each side. If you purchased one of these models, it is possible that you've been sleeping on the firmer side, so flipping the mattress over would bring the softer surface up to the top.

Before flipping your mattress, verify that your model is actually flippable. Many mattresses are not designed to be flipped. Their design uses different components and materials from top to bottom. If you flip these mattresses, you'd end up sleeping on the base, which would likely feel even firmer than the top.

The way you're sleeping on your mattress could be making it feel firmer to you. When you sleep on your side on a firmer mattress, your hips, neck, and shoulders can't sink into the bed enough. These pressure points can make it difficult to get comfortable because it feels too firm. They can also lead to joint pain.

If you're having a difficult time getting comfortable on a firmer mattress, try sleeping on your back instead of on your side. Instead of concentrating the pressure on your hips, neck, and shoulders, your body should feel more comfortable because the weight will be more evenly spread out. Your spine will stay in better alignment, helping you sleep more soundly and keep you from waking up in pain. You could also try sleeping on your stomach. Stomach sleepers tend to be most comfortable on a medium to firm mattress that keeps their body from sinking too low and knocking their neck out of alignment.

Using a heated blanket with a memory foam mattress isn't always recommended because the warmth generated by the blanket can make the bed feel too soft and prevent it from being supportive enough. However, if your goal is to soften a memory foam mattress, using a heated blanket may be the solution you've been looking for.

As we explained above, the firmness of memory foam can fluctuate based on the temperature around it. The heat released by an electric blanket will warm up the polyurethane and cause it to soften up. The difference may be just enough to keep you more comfortable as you drift off to sleep and snooze through the night. However, before trying this with your mattress, you should check the manufacturer's recommendations. Some advise against using electric blankets — specifically fitted options — as they could damage the memory foam material.

While the suggestions shared above can help make a firm mattress a little softer, they're not going to transform a hard bed in such a way that it suddenly feels like you're sleeping on a cloud. If you purchased a new mattress and really don't think you selected the right firmness level for yourself, don't continue to make yourself more uncomfortable by trying to sleep on it. Most manufacturers recommend giving your body at least 30 days (or even 60 days) to adjust to the feel of a new mattress. However, if you're still not happy with your selection after this, it may be time to look into the options for refunds and exchanges.

Many mattress manufacturers offer free trials of their products. This means you can try out the mattress for several nights and return it if you're unsatisfied (though sometimes you have to pay a hefty restocking fee). When shopping for one online, looking for a company that offers a trial period can give you more peace of mind about the purchase. Many companies offer a 100-night trial, while others give you a full year to decide whether the mattress is actually comfortable.