How to Break In a New Mattress - Tips and Advices

Statistics show that on average people replace their mattresses every seven years. If you have an old mattress at home, you will understand why it starts to lack support after around 5-7 years, it has shown to be broken down, and up for a replacement. 

Sleeping on an old mattress causes pain and discomfort. We have covered this topic in the Why You Should Fix Mattress Sagging As Soon As Possible? Sleeping on an old or too firm mattress can cause long-term negative effects, and a night of bad sleep is the start of a vicious cycle. 

Take action and find yourself a good mattress from today. We have covered how you can pick a mattress based on your sleeping position preference as well as material-wise here with How to Shop for A New Mattress and How to Make Your Mattress Last Longer.

In this article, we will cover what happens when you just bought a new mattress, and how you can use the fastest way to get used to your new mattress. 

Why do you need to break in your mattress?

You might know that shoes need to be broken in, so are the engines, cars, jeans, and pretty much new everything. A new mattress also needs a break in time and period. 

Your body needs to adjust to the new item and the mattress also needs to regain its shape after being released from the box or brought back from the store. Normally it takes around at least 30 days for a body to get used to the mattress, and that's why mattress companies offer at least 30 days return policy, while brands usually go for at least 100 days free trial. Newentor has a 120-night free trial, for more details, view here. 

Depending on the mattress material, they all take different adjusting periods, which we will analyze in the following. Some people might take a night or two to adjust, some might need at least a month. 

Memory foam mattress takes the most time to break in, especially if they're high-density memory foam, which is heavier and contains more material than low-density memory foam. Some experts say if your new mattress is made of memory foam, give it at least 60 days before you decide whether or not it's right for you. As a general rule of thumb, the higher the density of the memory foam, the longer the break-in period.

Also, the larger the number of layers, the more rigid the mattress may feel initially, and the denser the foam, the more time it will take for it to soften.

Hesperis Mattress is a three-layered memory foam mattress, and Newentor is giving a 120-night free trial for customers to fully adjust to the mattress and make their decision at ease. 

Innerspring mattresses

This type of mattress is composed of a layer of coils, solid or individually wrapped, with a top comfort layer made of foam or padding. 

Because of this, innerspring mattresses usually break in more quickly but also wear out more quickly than other mattress types.

Many people find traditional spring mattresses comfortable right away (especially if they have a pillow top) since they're designed to adjust to your weight. It can take around a month to completely break them in.

Because springs degrade more quickly than memory foam, it's important to rotate these types of mattresses every three to six months so they break in evenly and you don't get the dreaded mattress sinkhole.

Latex mattresses

Natural latex is more elastic and breathable than memory foam, which is why they need about the shortest break-in time. You might not feel much different after they broke in versus before. 

It usually takes two to 14 days, although the time can vary based on whether the latex is synthetic or real and if the mattress is 100% latex or some type of hybrid.

Hybrid mattresses

The break-in period for hybrid mattresses may vary significantly, depending on their construction. For example, models with coils will break in faster than those made of a foam and latex combination. 

The coil gauge and foam density may also increase or decrease the duration of the break-in period, so there’s no way to estimate general timing for all hybrid mattresses. Based on its composition, the time it needs can be estimated from the above info. 

Tips for breaking in a new mattress

If patience is a virtue hard to come by for you, here are some tips to fasten the process of breaking in the new mattress.

Let your mattress breathe

Nowadays, most online mattress shopping is wrapped in the box, the materials may give off an off-gassing odor for a day or two. Further, if your mattress was compressed for shipping, it can take some time to expand to its full size.

Depending on the size, it might take at least half a day for it to fully expand. Sleeping on it too soon will not only cause discomfort but also affect the ability of the mattress to expand fully. 

What may help is allowing your mattress to breathe without any sheets or bodyweight for the first 24 hours.

Put on the pressure

Try walking on the bed, this method works well for latex and memory foam mattresses. If your mattress is an innerspring or hybrid, crawl on your hands and knees instead. The reason for this distinction is that springs can buckle or deteriorate more rapidly when your body weight is overly concentrated.

If you don’t feel comfortable walking along your bed, try stacking piles of books on it instead.

Be patient

Try not to give up or let down when you don’t feel 100% right on your new mattress. Give it a few days to be adjusted. 

The higher the quality, the longer it might take due to the durability of the materials, so that’s something else to keep in mind during this process.

Warm it up

If you have memory foam, you should understand that it is very sensitive to temperature. Therefore, if you’re in a particular hurry to break in a new mattress, try keeping your bedroom a few degrees warmer than normal. It should make your bed feel softer.

Take note that high temperatures can also disrupt your sleep, so this tip is a bit of a tradeoff. It works best if you’re in a colder room, and you had planned on warming it up anyway.

Sleep on it consistently

You might get discouraged and be tempted to take a break from the process and spend a night on the couch or in the guest room. It may be helpful to keep in mind that consistent use of your mattress can accelerate the breaking-in process. This should allow you to enjoy your purchase that much sooner.

Put it in the right foundation

It is crucial to have the right support for your nice new mattress, especially for materials like memory foam or latex. We have covered this topic here, How to Choose the Bed Base - Your Bed Base Decision Guide. For example, if you have a new memory foam mattress, it’s best to use a slatted or solid mattress foundation, or modern platform beds. 

Follow your gut

If you know that deep down this bed isn’t for you, then, by all means, don’t suffer through it. However, it might be worth giving it a chance before rushing to judgment.

Give it the full time

Most companies ask customers to spend a specific number of nights sleeping on the material before deciding to initiate a return or exchange. These brands know that many people require some time to adjust to sleeping on something new. The amount of time they specify is usually the upper limit of when their customers either decide they love or hate their purchase.

If they say to sleep on it for thirty nights before asking for a return, then why not give it a go? If you’re concerned about being locked into four or more weeks of sleeplessness, try looking for a company that doesn’t have this requirement or reaches out to the brand with your concern.

Give it time to breathe

When you first get your new mattress, resist the urge to climb right into bed and give it some time to breathe instead. This is especially important if you bought an online mattress that arrives compressed and wrapped in plastic. 

It can take four to 10 hours for a compressed mattress to fully expand, although some companies recommend waiting 24 to 72 hours if you have the option of sleeping somewhere else.

If you put your full body weight on the mattress too soon, it can prevent the mattress from properly expanding and leave you tossing and turning.

Buy a mattress topper

If you bought a new bed with a short trial period or you love everything about your mattress, but you just want to know how to make the mattress softer or firmer, a mattress topper is a good option. It can add thickness to your mattress, change up the feel, and even make it feel more plush or firm. They're also much cheaper than a new bed and come in a wide range of different materials.  

When to consider a return

If you have exhausted all the above after at least 30 days and still do not get much further, then this mattress is not good for you. Do not hesitate to return it no matter what the promotion lines say. 

You might get back into the problem of how to choose a mattress, here we provide some tips to see whether it is too soft or hard for you from easy to check ways. 

Signs your mattress is too firm

• You wake up with upper back, neck, or shoulder pain
• Discomfort in your shoulders, hips, or knees
• Numbness or tingling in your arms, hands, legs, or feet
• The mattress doesn't contour to your body, or there's no give on your pressure points

If you're experiencing any or all of these things, it's a good sign that you need to swap your mattress out for a softer one.

Signs your mattress is too soft

• There's a dent in your mattress when you get out of it
• You wake up stiff with lower back pain
• You toss and turn a lot
• It's difficult to get in and out of bed; you sink into your mattress and have a hard time pulling yourself out
• It feels like you're sinking to the bottom of the mattress

If these problems are more in line with what you're dealing with, get a firmer mattress next time around.

A mattress is never meant to last forever, no matter how good it used to be. Over time we feel the indentations and sag, and it's time we get a new one. 

However, the latter is an exciting and difficult task. Some people might fall in love with their new mattress right away, or most people will need some time to adjust. We understand it might be a period of trepidation.

Conclusion

We hope the tips are helpful to get you suited with your bed quickly. With all the new changes in life, we all need a bit of tip and advice here and there.