For a good night’s sleep, your mattress needs to offer comfort when sleeping. It has to provide you with adequate support.
You may have invested a lot of time, and a sufficient amount of money, to get the perfect mattress. However, it would mean little if your mattress keeps sliding out of your bed.
Every time you feel your mattress moving when you turn sides, or you feel the mattress slipping when you try to make your bed, you end up feeling uncomfortable and frustrated.
Moreover, mattresses can be heavy, and moving them back in place now and then can become a strenuous chore.
That’s why you need to take measures to keep your mattress in place. All bed frames are different, and it can be difficult to ascertain the right mattress for the bed at the beginning. But changing a perfect mattress that gives you adequate back support and good sleep simply because it is slipping away is not a good idea.
Instead, you can take certain measures to ensure your mattress does not slip out of place. There are very simple ways of doing so, and you can pick what works best for you.
Why Does a Mattress Slide?
Mattress can slide away from the bed frame for many reasons. This is mostly a problem with lighter mattresses, although heavier ones can also have this issue. Here are some common reasons.
Missing Slats
Every bed frame has raised edges that allow the mattress to stay in place once fixed properly on the frame. These are called slats.
In the case of modern beds – that double up as multifunctional divans or couches, these slats are often missing. This will cause the mattress to slip whenever you try to sit or turn sides.
Wrong Bed Frame
Even if your bed frame has slats, your mattress will shift if it does not fit snugly into the frame. It will either spill out of the frame in case it is smaller than the mattress or will be around in the extra space if the frame is larger.
Measuring your bed frame before ordering your mattress is important to avoid such hassles.
Oil and Grease
When used over a long period, the bottom part of the mattress that is in direct contact with the bed becomes too smooth due to continuous movement and brushing.
On the top side, the mattresses absorb a lot of body fluids, such as grease, sebum and oil, dirt, dust, and dead skin cells, over time. If this top side is alternated to become the bottom part, it further goes through brushing due to movements. Both sides become smooth and too polished, and thus, it slides and slips out of place.
This is often not visible but creates a change at the bottom layer of the mattress.
Lack of Friction
If there is no friction or resistance between the mattress and the bed frame, it will slide. This often happens when your bed frame is too polished. Your mattress will just move when you try to sit.
On the other hand, if you have a two-sided mattress, it will have soft top layers on both sides. This will also cause the mattress to slide on a polished bed frame, no matter how you place it.
Ways to Prevent Mattress From Sliding
There are a few easy ways to prevent your mattress from sliding. Try the ones that you feel are most well-suited for you.
1. Vacuuming the Bed Frame
Powdery substances will make your mattress slip. This is why it is important to vacuum your bed frame from time to time. It will clear the bed frame and allow more friction, preventing your mattress from slipping.
2. Non-Slip Mattress Pad
You can invest in a good non-slip mattress pad to place between the mattress and the bed frame. Rubber has excellent grip and will stay on the bed frame.
The mattress will sit on the rubber and will have something that creates friction. These pads are quite thin, so you won’t notice any difference in the height of your bed.
It would be best if you also remembered to buy a mattress pad that fits your bed frame, as you don’t want them spilling out of the edges.
3. Carpet Tape
If you do not want to spend money on rubber pads, you may try a more affordable option. You can use carpet tapes to create friction between the mattress and the bed frame. These tapes are double-sided.
Place the tapes on the edges of the bed frame and place the mattress on them. The mattress will stick to the frames because of the tapes and will hardly move.
4. Velcro Tapes
Velcro tapes are also like carpet tapes. Attach the tapes on the head and foot of the mattress. Then place the mattress on the bed frame.
The glue of the tapes will hold the mattress in place for a long time. If you notice the glue weakening after a few months, replace the tapes.
5. Adding Railings or Slats
If your bed does not have raised edges or slats, then the mattress is bound to move around. You can add railings or slats to the bed frame or order a custom bed. You can choose from different types of adjustable railings that are readily available in stores.
Choose from that matches the shape and size of the bed and have them attached. Your mattress will stay firmly in place with this. You can also add retainer bars to your bed. They are larger than railings but work well with larger mattresses.
6. Right Bed Frame
If you are ordering the mattress and the bed frame simultaneously, make sure you have the correct sizes. Do not order a bed larger or smaller than the mattress.
You can have the mattress professionally measured to order the right bed frame. If your bed frame has raised edges, it will not have any issues.
7. Use Gap Fillers
If your mattress is smaller than the bed frame, it will have space to move around. You can use gap fillers like sponges or rubber strips to fill in the gaps. This will make the mattress snug and sit firmly in the bed frame.
Push the fillers in the space between the mattress and the bed frame, and your mattress will stop slipping.
FAQ’s
How to Prevent Mattress from Slipping off a Metal Bed Frame?
Metal bed frames are very durable, but they are also very sleek. Hence, they hardly provide any friction. Any mattress you lay on top of will slip away if there aren’t high enough railings or slats. You can either add railings to your metal bed frames. Or, you can attach carpet tape to the bottom of the mattress to keep it in place.
How to Prevent Mattress from Sliding off a Box Spring?
Box springs usually provide very good friction to mattresses and keep them in place. However, as your mattress gets older, you may find them slipping. This is because of the oil, dirt, and sebum that lodge at the bottom of the bed over time. You can use Velcro tape or carpet tape to keep your mattress in place.
How to Prevent Mattresses from Sliding off a Platform Bed?
Platform beds are sleek and suit the modern household perfectly. However, in an effort to appeal to modern customers, many of these beds do not have slats or side rails. This causes the mattresses to slip out of place. You can add railings to bed frames or use rubber mats to keep the mattresses in place. The rubber will provide ample grip to the mattress and won’t let it slip.
Conclusion
You won’t get a good night’s sleep if you constantly worry about your mattress slipping. A moving mattress every time you turn sides, or try to get up from the bed at night, can be very distressing.
Having the right size of bed frames with raised edges solves most of the problems. Adding rubber pads, carpet tape, and Velcro will often take care of the mattress. By keeping these points in mind, you will be able to solve the issue of a sliding mattress quite easily.
