Why is My Mattress Sagging?

A sagging mattress is a sad thing to see. Sagging is when the materials within the mattress are compressed and not able to expand again due to constant use. It’s a sign that your mattress could very well be on its last legs, or that it at least needs some extra TLC. Regardless, sleeping on a sagging mattress is a common cause for a bad night’s sleep. Often you’ll wake up with aches and pains in your back and joints.

As you start making plans to get a replacement mattress, reflect on why this one started sagging in the first place. This way you can get a mattress that might offer extra support and you’ll know how to take better care of it to extend its lifespan.

Regular Wear and Tear

Typically, a high-quality mattress has a life expectancy of between 8-12 years. That might not seem like a long time for some, but you need to remember that you’re using this bed for 8 hours per night. That’s 2,920 hours in just one year (and 2,928 in a Leap Year)

Naturally, any mattress used this much will experience regular wear and tear, and especially sagging, as a result. 

Additional Weight

If your mattress starts sagging sooner than expected, there could be other forms of strain being put on it. Specifically, the sagging could be caused by additional weight being put on it. This could be caused by weight gain or additional parties sharing your bed, from a partner to a large pet.

Extra bodies are an especially frequent cause of sagging. Not only is there extra pressure being applied to the materials, compressing them, but it’s happening in more than one spot. If two people are sharing a large bed, they often sleep on opposite sides. Or your dog is sleeping at the foot of the bed while you sleep at the head. Regardless, this additional weight is adding more strain to your mattress, which means sagging will occur.

Not Flipping or Rotating Your Mattress Enough

Typically, flipping or rotating your mattress is the best way to fight the compression that causes sagging. By doing this, you’ll have a new, firmer spot to sleep on while the old spot has time to decompress. This greatly extends your mattress’ lifespan. If you’re not doing this enough (typically once every three months), sagging is much more likely to start early.

Even if you are ready to get rid of your sagging mattress, flipping or rotating it could keep it going a little while longer while you shop for a new mattress. After all, you still need a place to sleep while you shop. Flipping now is also a good way to get into the habit for your next mattress.

Sagging might be a natural part of a mattress’ lifecycle, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know what caused it and perhaps how to keep it from happening sooner than expected. If you take care of your mattress, it will take care of you by providing years of comfortable sleep.