Do you feel your mattress is too soft and causing you problems, such as waking up feeling tired and feeling pain and soreness in your body? What you feel are actually subtle signs that your mattress is causing issues and that it’s not the right mattress for you.
You might have heard that a mattress that’s too firm causes problems, and it’s the same for too-soft ones. Unfortunately, you can’t just leave your bed like that, or it will cause you more problems in the long run.
(Un)Surprisingly, a mattress that’s too soft can cause productivity issues (yes, all these for sleeping on a soft bed).
To properly diagnose if your mattress has become too soft, read on as we talk about the symptoms, subtle signs your bed is too soft for you, and ways how to fix your soft mattress.
5 Signs Your Mattress is Too Soft
Several symptoms and warning signs show up when your mattress is too soft:
1. Your Back and Neck Aches In The Morning
One of the most obvious signs that you have a soft mattress can be felt on your neck and back in the morning. Frequently, when a mattress is too soft or firm, you’ll have soreness, upper back and lower back pain, as well as neck aches since they bear much of your body weight and the bed lacks the right amount of contour.
Aside from your back and neck, other body pressure points may feel aching and pain, such as hips and shoulders, knees, and ankles. But for a too-soft mattress, the pain in your back and neck may be more pronounced than other pressure points.
Neck and back issues arise when using a too-soft mattress since there is improper spinal alignment (the s-curve of your spine is disturbed). The neck and back sink too much into the mattress, which stresses and compresses the spine. This may be more common in back sleepers.
2. You Constantly Toss and Turn
Tossing and turning are significant signs that you’re uncomfortable in your bed. To further understand, try to remember times when you constantly tossed and turned in your sleep. What did you feel back then?
We’re guessing you instinctively tossed and turned to try and find the right and perfect sleeping position in an otherwise uncomfortable bed. This is a natural reaction to discomfort and other issues, which unfortunately takes away a good night’s sleep.
In your case, your mattress that’s too soft is causing you to toss and turn in hopes of finding a more comfortable spot or position that has better support from your mattress. You may also experience feeling tired during the day as you can’t sleep comfortably.
3. You Prefer Sleeping in Other Places
If you find yourself wanting to sleep in other places aside from your own bedroom, it’s a good sign your mattress might be too soft that it’s making you sleep uncomfortable. This is a valid concern, especially for people who lack sleep almost all the time.
You may find yourself wanting to sleep on the couch in your living room or another bedroom with a mattress that’s neither too firm nor too soft, and leaning towards medium-firm ones. And in case you’ve been doing this for an awful amount of time, now you know your mattress is the culprit, but your bed frame may be a contributing factor too.
Aside from preferring to sleep in other places, you may find yourself avoiding your bedroom at times, and don’t fret because this is actually natural. Humans instinctively avoid places and situations that cause discomfort and are attracted to plush and comfortable places.
4. You Struggle To Get Out of Bed
If you can’t seem to get out of your bed instantly, your mattress is too soft it’s causing you to feel like sinking into your bed. You can get out of a firm mattress instantly, but in a mattress that’s softer, it’s quite the opposite.
It’s hard to find your footing when you feel like you’re sinking to the depths of the earth. Balance is also a concern since being on a too-soft mattress causes you to be wobbly. To get out of bed, you must do a sudden push-up to prop yourself up.
Sitting on the edge of the bed is also a great way to find out if your mattress is too soft. If you fall on the edge in mere seconds, it’s too soft. If there’s a considerable delay, your mattress is moderately soft (such as in memory foam mattresses).
5. You Struggle With Brain Fog
Possibly the most detrimental symptom of sleeping on a too-soft mattress, brain fog is relatively common. If you can’t sleep comfortably, you stay awake at night, and if you can’t sleep enough hours, you wake up with brain fog.
Brain fog affects productivity, leading to work and school issues, and these issues are actually caused by a mattress that’s too soft. Although indirect, brain fog can economically impact a person, primarily when it affects their work performance.
It’s also good to note that brain fog because of the lack of quality sleep can also be caused by a mattress that’s too firm. Simply put, anything excessive is bad—too firm is bad; too soft is bad.
Helpful Tip: Use a wearable sleep-tracking device such as a smartwatch to monitor the quality of your sleep. These devices have custom sleep technology instruments such as a gyroscope, accelerometer, and optical sensors to measure your blood saturation and heart rate during sleep.
What To Do With a Mattress That Is Too Soft?
Now that you know the symptoms of your bed being too soft, you may ask us what to do next. If you do have a budget for a new mattress, by all means, buy one. But if you’re on a strict budget, heed these tips:
– Use a mattress topper. A mattress topper enhances the overall feel of your mattress without buying an entirely new one. They can either soften up or firm up your mattress, helping you be in sync with your preferences.
– Use a plyboard or plywood. A plyboard helps distribute your weight evenly to prevent and alleviate your pressure points from becoming stressed by sinking too deep into the mattress.
– Flip or rotate your mattress. Rotating and flipping are ingenious ways to combat sagging and prevent your mattress from becoming too soft.
However, remember that not all mattresses can be flipped or rotated.
If these simple tips don’t seem effective in your case, learning how to make a mattress firmer will aid you in making your too-soft mattress firmer and more supportive.
Can Too-Soft Mattresses Cause Shoulder Issues?
Yes, in fact, shoulder pain is common when you sleep on a too-soft mattress. The softness of the mattress makes your shoulders bear the weight of your upper body, which stresses your shoulder blades and muscles.
Aside from that, if your upper body is sinking too much, your spine might not be aligned—leading to other problems such as neck, back, hip, knee, and ankle pain. A mattress that’s too firm can also cause these problems.
Can Too-Soft Mattresses Cause Hip Issues?
Yes, sleeping on a too-soft mattress might cause hip pain. The mechanism of action is the same for shoulder pain: the sinking feeling causes your hips to compress and absorb the weight of your lower extremities.
The softness of the mattress also disturbs the spine’s natural alignment, which puts stress on your hips and lower back.
