How Often Should You Turn Your Mattress?

Why turn your mattress?

There are a number of benefits to regularly turning your mattress.

Most people tend to sleep in the same position night after night. As you can imagine, this can lead to dips in the mattress and sagging, making your mattress uneven.

This often occurs around the hips and shoulders and it is in these areas where the mattress can sag prematurely.

Rotating your mattress regularly can prevent this - giving you better support for longer, consistent comfort and ensuring the even distribution of fillings.

Regularly rotated mattresses are said to outlast non-rotated mattresses by a year or more. However, this will depend on the particular type of mattress you have, so be sure to always read the instructions.

How often should you turn your mattress?

In general, you should turn your mattress every three months - although individual manufacturers’ recommendations may vary.

Turning every three months will make sure that each side of the mattress gets equal wear and prevents it from dipping on one side.

One way to remember when to turn/rotate your mattress is to use the clocks changing and summer and winter solstice as reference points.

Rotating your mattress more regularly won’t do any harm – you can always try this if your mattress doesn’t seem as comfortable as usual – but we’d recommend rotating consistently and generally leaving the same gap in between rotations to minimise the risk of premature sagging in certain areas.

Exceptions can be made for mattresses that aren’t slept on every night. For example, you could rotate the mattress in your spare room every six months, if it’s just slept on occasionally by guests.

While rotating your mattress will extend its lifespan, if you’ve had your mattress for a long time you should be aware of signs suggesting it may be time to replace it, which include:

• It’s 6-8 years old (this is for hygiene reasons)
  
• You’re not sleeping as well or waking with aches and pains
  
• It’s noticeably saggy or damaged
  
• It makes more noise than normal

It’s important to note that not every type of mattress should be rotated. Read our guide on how to turn your mattress for more information about our non-turn, pillowtop and turnable/seasonable turn mattresses to make sure you understand which type of mattress you’ve purchased.

Should you flip your mattress?

Some mattresses should be flipped as well as turned e.g. turning it over so the side that was resting directly against your bed frame is now face up (please note that flipping is different to rotating/turning).

Flipping similarly helps extend the life of your mattress but it’s important to note that some mattresses are one sided and can’t be flipped (always check the manufacturer’s recommendations for your specific mattress).

It’s recommended that you flip your mattress less regularly than you rotate it – flipping every six months should suffice.

However, a lot of modern mattresses are designed to be one-sided due to their construction i.e. springs at the bottom and fillings on top with a possible topper for additional support. This is why it’s incredibly important to check specific recommendations from your manufacturer.

If you flip a mattress that isn’t meant to be flipped, you’ll end up with a less comfortable mattress, which is the opposite of what we’re trying to achieve.

The following mattress types should not be flipped:

• Memory foam mattresses – these contain memory foam in the top comfort layer, which is the layer that’s meant to be slept on. If you flip them, you will sleep on the core layer which will be too firm and uncomfortable (the construction of a memory foam mattress can be referred to as a top-down build)
• Latex mattresses – some latex mattresses can be flipped but it can take years before flipping is required.
• Hybrid mattresses – as with memory foam mattresses, hybrid mattresses contain a comfort layer and a coil layer at the base, so should not be flipped. – a pillow-top mattress has an additional padded layer on top so, understandably, this is the side you want to be sleeping on.

In general mattresses that can be flipped contain an innerspring coiled construction surrounded by fillings, meaning that either side makes a comfortable sleeping surface.

What if one person is heavier than the other?

If you share a bed with someone who is much heavier than you, you will need to rotate your mattress more regularly to ensure an even distribution of fillings and prevent sagging and dipping. It’s absolutely fine to do this and will help increase the life of your mattress.

Conclusion

Rotating and turning your mattress is key to ensuring a comfortable night’s sleep and increasing the lifespan of your mattress.

Remember that rotating is the same as turning, and that flipping is something different – and that not all mattresses should be flipped or turned.

Always check the manufacturer’s recommendation for your specific product and remember that while rotating is key, you should keep your eyes peeled for signs that it may be time for a new mattress too.