What happens if you sleep on a mattress too soon?

Nowadays, every famous mattress maker in the country is making “Mattress-in-a-Box.” This has revolutionized how mattresses are delivered to end customers. However, this process has its repercussions. You need a lot of time to prepare it after unpacking it and before you can use it. In technical terms, it is called Breaking-in.

An average mattress takes 30 days to expand and fully provide the advertised features. So, although no one likes to wait to try out their new possession, it is better to wait.

This post will make this waiting easy for you by revealing some tips and tricks to speed up this process. So, read till the end.

How to Break in a New Mattress

The more appropriate question is why someone needs to break into a new mattress. Mattresses are supposed to give you peace of mind and body and remove all the tiredness of your body. When you buy a new mattress, you expect to feel all the new features that attract you in the first place. However, most mattress makers want you to wait for a few hours or days to get the best experience.

Imagine buying a brand-new car and not being able to use the built-in smart system at once. It’s devastating, and the feelings are the same when not being able to enjoy your new mattress at once.

So, why and how to break in a new mattress? Because all the magical ingredients in making your mattress need time and space to provide you with the best of comfort fully. This is especially the case if you get a mattress-in-a-box because all the layers of your mattress require time to inflate in their original position.

There are multiple tricks to break in your mattress and do it quickly and properly. You will find more in detail below.

What To Do, And How Long It Takes?

Whenever you buy a new mattress, you must face the dreadful time of breaking in. It happens to all types of mattresses, and their breaking-in time varies with the style of the mattress. Average mattresses will generally take up to 30 days. However, mattresses with some special material might take up to 90 days to break in (also check the top rated mail order mattresses).

You can only wait for your mattresses to break in before using them. However, if you realize that you will be enjoying your mattress for 7 to 10 years, then waiting for 30 days might not hurt.

To better understand the breaking-in time and what to do, the breaking-in time of some common mattresses is discussed below:

Memory Foam

Memory foams are the highest time takers in breaking in; the same is true with hybrid mattresses (check the best selling hybrid mattresses). Expect up to 60 days of braking in time for both memory foam and hybrid mattresses. This time can even increase if the foam is denser.

Spring

Many users of old-school spring mattresses are found of this type only because of their immediate comfort level. A spring mattress would take up to 30 days to break in properly. It’s better to rotate your spring mattress every 6 months, so it is evenly broken in.

Latex

Latex is an exotic material for a mattress, and you will find it in high-end mattresses. However, natural latex will take the lowest time to break in. Your mattress will be ready to enjoy within 2 to 14 days. However, the time will vary if the latex is synthetic.

Breaking in a New Mattress – Tips & Tricks

Put On the Pressure

Remember those childhood days of you jumped on your parents’ bed? Bring that silliness back and jump on your brand-new mattress to put pressure on it. If you don’t want to jump, just lay over it or sit on it to put pressure. Then, let your children test their jumping techniques on the mattress.

Placing pressure on your mattress is one of the easiest methods to break in as it will loosen up the materials inside it, speeding up the expansion process. However, avoid placing too much pressure, so your mattress is safe from damage.

Be Patient

Listen to your dad saying to be patient in everything, and so be patient with your new mattress. Give it time, use it daily, and wait for it to expand fully. Being patient with your mattress is important because once it’s fully expanded, only then can you judge the quality of your mattress and initiate the return process. Your mattress will come to its size and dimensions when completely broken in from the inside.

Many companies don’t even start the retuning process before you haven’t tried your mattress for an average of 30 nights, during which most mattresses expand.

Warm It Up

Just like putting pressure on, giving your new mattress a warm welcome will speed up the breaking-in process. When you get the delivery of your mattress, it’s better to open it in a separate room where you can spread it on a flat and clean surface. Then, raise the temperature of that room to keep it warm. Heat will loosen up the materials inside your mattress to take their places and help break it in.

Another benefit of using a separate room is to let your new mattress get some air and avoid the stinky chemical smell of your mattress.

Sleep On It Consistently

Give your mattress at least 24 hours after opening it and before using it every night. Then, once the mattress is flat, you can freely use it to sleep every night. Don’t worry about the breaking-in process. Consistently sleeping on it will put pressure and provide body heat to your mattress, which will loosen up the materials. This way, you can speed up the expansion process.

However, you might feel hard or not get the advertised features in the initial night’s sleep. Just bare it for a few nights before making any returning decision. Your mattress is actually in a breaking-in process.

Put It in The Right Foundation

It’s important to place your mattress in the right bed foundation to enjoy the benefits of your mattress fully and to increase its life. The right bed foundation is essential for a proper breaking-in process. As your mattress expands, it comes to its original shape and size. If you don’t use a good foundation, you might not be able to utilize your mattress fully. Furthermore, placing your mattress in a proper fitting is necessary to avoid early and extensive wear and tear.

Initially, it is better to place your mattress on a flat foundation. If your mattress is suitable for elevated foundations, wait for it to break in and then put it on the foundation of your desire.

Give It the Full Time

After all the tips discussed above, the only thing left is to give your proper mattress time to break in. After that, you will never be able to fully enjoy your mattress or make the right decision about the quality of your mattress before it comes to its full form.

So, wait a few days and then enjoy it for a long time.

Can I Go To Sleep Right After The New Memory Foam Mattress Has Expanded?

It’s absolutely fine and safe if you sleep right after your new memory foam mattress has expanded. Your memory foam mattress must fully inflate to give optimal body contouring and comfort. That’s why most mattress makers who use memory foam recommend allowing breaking-in time to their mattress before judging the comfort level.

A minimum of 24 hrs. should be allowed to expand your memory foam mattress fully. However, if you cannot wait, then there is no issue with it; much better, your body heat will speed up the expansion time in your memory foam.

Since your memory foam mattress is fully expanded, you can sleep without worrying about extended wear and tear. It is always better to rotate your memory foam mattress once every 6 months for the longevity of its life.

Enjoy your fully expanded memory foam mattress to the fullest, as it will give you maximum comfort for 10 to 12 years.

How Do I Speed Up The Expansion Process?

To achieve your brand-new mattress’s full expansion and speed, you have to work for it to expand. The rule of thumb is that heat and body weight helps in boosting the mattress, so jump on it, sleep, or roll around to speed up the breaking-in process.

You can take some more steps to speed up the expansion process. For instance:

1. Fully unwrap your new mattress to let it breathe and return to its original condition.
2. Place it on a flat surface so the machine-packed mattress can take its position.
3. Heat the room. Heat is one of the effective ways to speed up mattress expansion. So, crank up the room temperature, for that matter.
4. Use it every night for sleeping
5. If you can separate the layers of your mattress, then do it. Separating the layers will speed up the expansion of your whole mattress.

Taking Care of Your Foam Mattress

Getting a mattress is an investment, and it is important to take good care of your mattress for the longevity of its life (also check the top rated durable mattresses). The initial days of your new mattress require pre-expanding care such as careful unwrapping, placing it on a flat surface, proper heating, etc.

Following are some tips and tricks that would make caring for your mattress easy:

• Rotate your mattress periodically for even weight distribution and equal pressing from all sides.
• Use a water-resistant cover to prevent your mattress from getting wet.
• Use a suitable/ recommended bed base for your mattress
• Keep your mattress away from a comprehensive heat source like an iron or hot water bottle.
• Avoid extensive jumping over your mattress.

Key Takeaways: Sleeping On A Mattress Too Soon

Breaking-in Period for Mattresses

The rise of the “Mattress-in-a-Box” trend requires a breaking-in period before the mattress can fully provide its advertised features. On average, this process takes 30 days, but can vary depending on the mattress type.

Importance of the Waiting Period

Immediate use of a new mattress might not provide the desired comfort and support. Hence, waiting for the mattress to expand and settle is essential for the best experience.

Different Mattress Types and Their Break-in Times

Memory foam and hybrid mattresses can take up to 60 days, spring mattresses around 30 days, and natural latex mattresses between 2 to 14 days to fully break in.

Tips to Speed Up the Break-in Process

Applying pressure, warming up the mattress, sleeping on it consistently, and placing it on the right foundation can help accelerate the breaking-in period. However, patience is key.

Safe Use of Memory Foam Mattresses

Once a memory foam mattress is fully expanded, it’s safe to sleep on. A minimum of 24 hours is usually recommended for expansion, but using it earlier can even aid the process due to body heat.

Proper Care Extends Mattress Lifespan

Rotating the mattress, using protective covers, and placing it on a recommended bed base can help ensure a longer lifespan for your mattress.

Conclusion

Mattresses provide you full comfort and support for a long time, and with technological advancements, many mattresses are now delivered in portable boxes. These are packed with machines and require a proper setting and time to regain their shape fully. Breaking in or expanding a mattress is essential because you will enjoy every feature of your mattress after that.

After reading this post, you will be able to know the expansion process and how to speed it up. From now on, you won’t be mad at the mattress maker whenever you buy a new mattress.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4688575/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147651314003005

https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20190710/is-your-mattress-releasing-toxins-while-you-sleep