by Americans tend to replace their mattress every seven years on average, according to stats. It might have broken down if you have slept on a surface for that long. And this happens due to normal wear and tear caused by your regular mattress use.
People looking to replace their mattresses do so because their mattress has started to cause some pain or discomfort.
When you bring in a new mattress, you will have to adjust for some time. And there are various factors at play in why that happens. This guide will explore them individually and see how long it takes to adjust to a new mattress, so keep reading.
What’s a Mattress Adjustment Period?
This period is the time that a new mattress takes to adjust to your body fully or your body takes to adjust to the new mattress. It’s called the break-in period, during which your new mattress expands.
Just like a new pair of shoes, baseball gloves, or even a new car, your new mattress needs new materials and fibers to loosen up. This is exactly why a mattress feels much firmer when it arrives at your home when you have tried it in-store.
The mattress that is there in the store that you have tried has already expanded. But, the one that you have received is new. So, it needs some time to break in.
Why Does My New Mattress Feel Uncomfortable?
Some people tend to find it difficult to go for the perfect replacement for their current mattress. This occurs precisely because their older mattress has the time to break in and adjust according to their body shape.
Therefore, that older mattress always seems more comfortable. But then it started to break down. So, as that older mattress got its time to break in, the new model will need the same. And this is when you will feel slightly discomfort with your new mattress, even if you have bought it with the advice of a sleep expert.
It does feel slightly uncomfortable because it comes out fresh from production. This is particularly the case with those bed-in-a-box mattresses that are compressed into their packaging for quick and continent delivery.
These mattresses need to be expanded before they become much more suitable to be slept on. And this is the time when people seem to find these mattresses extremely discomforting.
Give Your New Mattress Some Break-In Time
You must give your mattress some time to expand or break in properly. As we have just mentioned, these new mattresses come out of production and are still new to the world.
The surface has to adjust according to your sleep position preferences and body type to become more comfortable for you to sleep on it. That is why new mattresses tend to feel discomfort when they arrive fresh.
With time, the materials will soften up and become much more comfortable. However, this little piece of information is something you must understand on your own because many companies out there don’t tell you about it.
As a result, you expect 100 percent comfort from your mattress from day one, ending up in a huge disappointment. But that is why mattress companies offer those sleep trials, and they are at least 30 days in their trials.
So, if you have bought a new mattress and are experiencing discomfort, there is nothing to worry about. You will have to give it more time to adjust according to your body type.
It is as if you have bought a new pair of shoes. And for them to feel comfortable on your feet, you will have to give them some time to break in to achieve maximum comfort properly.
Do All Mattress Materials Need to be Expanded or Break-in?
Yes, this is the case with all mattress types and materials. However, regardless of the materials and type of your mattress, you must break in your mattress by using it for a few nights. Now, all mattresses must be expanded in for some time.
Some materials and mattress types need more time than others. For example, a bed-in-a-box mattress needs at least 72 hours to expand or break in thoroughly.
A mattress that comes in via regular delivery might only need 24 to 48 hours for the same process. Moreover, firmer mattresses need more time to break in than softer mattresses due to their construction. This period can extend to a few more days and wells based on the environment and climate.
That is why most trial periods for these mattresses tend to be 30-day long. According to the experts, this time period is enough to judge whether a mattress is a right choice, as the materials have taken all the time they need to break in.
Tips on How to Adjust to Your New Mattress
Here are some essential tips that you can use to assist yourself in adjusting to your new mattress rather quickly and see if it’s the right fit for you or not.
Allow your mattress to breath
It’s much more tempting to jump into your new mattress immediately as it has arrived in your home. But let it breathe for a few hours, and allowing air into it will be a better option because those new materials will become much more flexible. You should open your room’s windows and ventilate them to make this process happen much faster.
Making it a bit warm in your room
Turning the heat up a bit will help in this scenario. You can do so by turning your thermostat up a couple of degrees, allowing the materials in your bed to become softer much faster.
Softening these layers inside the mattresses is essential if you want your mattress to feel more comfortable. It will also make the mattress more acceptable as it breaks in. This technique works the best with most memory foam mattresses out there.
Going for a supportive foundation
Another option you can try to make the break-in process much faster is to use a supportive foundation. You must use a proper foundation under your new mattress. If the foundation is not right, your mattress will feel a lot less comfortable.
It’s because the sleep surface is not correctly adjusted to your body, and it will make the wear and tear much faster. You can go with the recommended options by your mattress brand. Your mattress has instructions on what foundation you should use with it (also check 10 amazing mattresses for adjustable bed).
Adding some more weight
If you think the 30-day period is too long, you can add some weight to your mattress. Putting more pressure on your mattress during the break-in period works well.
This is especially the case when you are not using your mattress. You can put a few boxes on top of your mattress or some small furniture to make the process go faster.
Using your body
Have you ever thought about walking around on your mattress when it’s new? Well, that’s what the experts say to make the break-in process move along faster.
This is the best time to get your kids on the bed and tell them to walk or jump around and have fun. They love doing that anyways, and you might not have to tell them. This is especially the case with memory foam and latex mattresses.
For the innerspring and hybrids (check the top rated hybrid mattresses), crawling around the bed surface is a recommendation to prevent the spring from damaging. You can roll around as well, but sorry, jumping is not an option for you because you are heavier than your kids.
Spending some time on your mattress
If you spend some more time on your mattress, it will also make the break-in process much speedier. You will be able to adjust your mattress accordingly. Spend some time watching TV, reading books, or doing other work you usually do while sitting on your couch. It can help make the materials inside the mattress softer.
Giving the mattress more time
You have to give your mattress some time to break in. The materials inside the mattress must expand to make sure they feel much more comfortable when you are lying on the bed. Use your mattress more and adequately ventilate the room as well.
If you give it some time, your mattress will start to feel much more comfortable. And by that time, your body will adjust according to the new sleep surface. Most people ignore that your body has started to go out of shape a bit while sleeping on that deteriorating old mattress.
Adjusting to a New Mattress: What You Need to Know
The Mattress Adjustment Period
When you get a new mattress, there’s a period known as the adjustment or break-in period. Just like breaking in new shoes or a baseball glove, a mattress requires time to adjust to your body and vice versa. The mattress you try in-store feels different from the newly delivered one because the former has already expanded and adjusted over time.
Understanding Initial Discomfort
It’s not uncommon for a new mattress to feel uncomfortable at first. Often, people find their older mattress more comfortable because it had time to adjust to their body. The new mattress, especially the bed-in-a-box types, are freshly produced and compressed for delivery, so they need time to expand and adjust to your body shape.
Importance of the Break-In Time
New mattresses need time to adjust to your sleeping preferences and body type. It’s crucial to give them this time, as they’ll soften and become more comfortable with use. Companies offer sleep trials, often lasting 30 days or more, to allow for this adjustment period.
Tips to Accelerate the Adjustment Process
To expedite your mattress’s break-in process, you can let it breathe upon arrival, warm up the room to make the materials more malleable, ensure a supportive foundation, add weight to the mattress, or even gently walk on it, particularly for foam and latex types.
Conclusion:
Most mattresses tend to take at least 30 days to break in thoroughly. This is when your body also wholly adjusts to the new sleep surface.
Some ways to make this happen faster, but the best practice is to give it some time. Your mattress is adjusting to your body, and your body is adjusting to the new mattress. Mattress trials do have a purpose of serving here.
Mattress adjust FAQs
What should I do if my mattress doesn’t break in?
Of course, you are excited about your new mattress and have put a lot of money into it. When it doesn’t deliver according to your expectations, it feels frustrating. But you need to give your mattress some time; this is where those trial periods come into play. So use these trials and see if your mattress works for you or not at the end of these trials.
Is there a way to speed up the break-in period?
Yes, you can speed up the break-in process. Just ensure that you properly ventilate your room and use the mattress in addition to sleeping on it every night. Even if it is uncomfortable, use it to ensure the materials loosen up and expand. Then, you can watch TV on it, play games, read books and do all kinds of stuff. Heat your thermostats a couple of notches to make the mattress lose its stiffness.
Do all new mattresses cause pain?
They do cause pain because your body was used to your old mattress. The spine and joints are not returning to their correct form with the new mattress. As a result, the new mattress feels more uncomfortable. Moreover, the material in a new mattress is still fresh, so they tend to expand and get soft. And this is a time taking process, which is whether those sleep trials come in handy.