So you got yourself a brand new memory foam mattress, and sleeping on it for the first night was underwhelming? Well, some discomfort is to be expected when you shift to a new mattress, more so when you shift to a new mattress type. It will take some time to break in your new mattress, though you can speed things along.
Adjusting to Your Memory Foam Mattress
1 Know Your Mattress
Memory foam is slightly different than your conventional mattress. It’s not bouncy, and doesn’t give way as easily. That’s plenty obvious for a new mattress. If you tried the mattress at a store and find the mattress delivered to be different, it’s because your new mattress needs some time to break in.
2 Let it Breathe
In a freshly manufactured memory foam mattress, the cells that make up the foam are not fully open. Breaking in your mattress revolves around getting those cells to open up. Your first step, if possible, is to remove the covering on the mattress and let it breathe. Extra points if you do this in a well-ventilated area as it will help carry away the smell from the mattress. Although, don’t fret if your bedroom isn’t suited for this, it’s okay to let the mattress breathe anyway.
3 Put it to Work
Get overly attached to your mattress, metaphorically speaking. Walk on it, sit on it, crawl, watch TV, read, maybe even ‘Netflix and chill’. You can also place some heavy books and boxes on the mattress and move them around periodically. The constant motion and application of pressure will force the cells to react and speed up the process.
4 Bring on the Heat
Viscoelastic foam a.k.a memory foam is at its most active at higher temperatures. If you can push up the temperature by even a couple of degrees, the foam will get more ‘viscous’ and flexible. Conversely, cooler the temperature, the harder the foam is.
5 Sleep on it
Yep, the wild mattress isn’t housebroken yet, but lead it in that direction anyway by sleeping on it. It’s possible sleeping will be uncomfortable, not just because the mattress isn’t ready yet, but also because your body isn’t prepared for the mattress. Your body has likely adjusted to the old, perhaps out of shape mattress you were previously using. It will take some time to adjust to the newfound goodness of memory foam.
You might have trouble sleeping, toss and turn, and perhaps even wake up experiencing the notorious sleep hot effect of memory foam. If you can, brave through it for a couple of days and you’ll find your body and mattress adjust to each other. In case there was some soreness, it should start to go away too.
6 Rotate the Mattress
Rotate the mattress every 30 days when it is new, and 60 days for when it is a bit old. This will let the mattress wear-out evenly. This will ensure that there aren’t any stiff spots on the mattress, and it will last longer. Remember, rotate the mattress, you must not flip it upside down.
7 Give it Time
Many mattresses will be ready in two to three days, however, some will take longer to fully break in, taking as much as six weeks. Most mattress companies do allow generous trial times, often going beyond 60 days, so you will have plenty of time to break in the mattress and see if it is right for you. Do remember to stick to the terms of the trial period.
How Long Does it Take to Adjust to a Memory Foam Mattress – Final Word
Any mattress takes time to break in, same goes for memory foam mattress. Our sleep habits don’t change quickly, so don’t be in a rush. Give yourself time to adjust to a memory foam mattress. If it is the right fit, you’ll find the comfortable sleep you’ve always wanted.