We all love how memory foam mattresses contour themselves to our bodies because of their soft and resilient material.

But why would users want to know how to make a memory foam mattress firmer? It’s probably because of the following:

Your memory foam mattress lost its original firmness.
You bought the wrong memory foam mattress firmness.
Your memory foam mattress is sagging.

Whatever the reason is, use these essential steps to make your memory foam mattress firmer, especially if that’s what you prefer to get a good night’s sleep.

How To Make Memory Foam Mattress Firmer?

Lower back pain is a common disease affecting 84% of adults. In fact, it is the second ranked cause of lost days at work. In an evaluation conducted to 1,125 adults, it was determined that 60% or majority, identified spine as the primary source of lower back pain.

This is why keeping the spine aligned during sleep is just as important. Depending on a person’s sleeping position and weight, the firmness of the mattress affects the spine alignment.

Back and stomach sleepers would be more comfortable on firmer mattresses. In comparison, side sleepers would be more comfortable on softer mattresses so the hips can sink on the mattress.
People weighing more than 105 kg would be more comfortable on firmer mattresses so they won’t sink deeply on the mattress. People weighing less than 105 kg would be more comfortable on softer mattresses.

If your memory foam mattress is too soft, here’s some ways to remedy it.

Use a mattress topper

white mattress with brown accent underneath

A mattress topper can help make your mattress firmer by adding another top layer to the mattress. If you wonder what material for the mattress topper is best to make the bed firmer, we recommend using latex foam.

Latex foam works like memory foam, which means it contours to your body, but it has firmer and bouncier support that won’t make you feel like sinking onto the bed. If you want to know more about latex foam mattresses, you can head over here to see if it best suits you.

Check out these firm mattress toppers from Ikea.

Ikea thick memory foam mattress topper, priced at ￡179
Ikea latex foam mattress topper, priced at ￡165
Rotate or flip your memory fo

Rotate or flip your memory foam mattress

For a dual-sided memory foam mattress:

If your memory foam mattress can be flipped, you flip and sleep on the other side of the mattress. This usually applies to single-layered memory foam mattresses wherein the layer property is uniform throughout the mattress.
Most of the time, the side of the memory foam mattress that we use sags or develops indentation because of the body weight. When you lay on the unused side of the mattress, it will feel firmer as it won’t have any indentation or sagging.

For multi-layered memory foam mattresses:

Memory foam mattresses with multiple layers will usually have a firmer and denser foam as the bottom layer to provide more support. If this is the case, try flipping your mattress and feel for yourself if this firmness is the right one for you.

Otherwise, if the other side is too firm, you can rotate your memory foam mattress instead. This will make sure that you sleep on another area of the mattress and not on the sagging or indented part of the mattress.

Change the foundation of your mattress

If you are using a box spring, it is possible to wear out and lose its strength and support. As a result, you will feel like you’re sinking into the mattress, and if this is the case, you may consider:

Putting plywood under your mattress to lessen the movement
Laying the memory foam on the floor instead
Changing your box spring to a new one

Adjust the room temperature

well lit bedroom with standing lamp and bedroom chair

Ever wonder how memory foam contours your body? It absorbs and uses its heat to soften and mould the body. Memory foam’s elasticity is affected by the temperature. This means that the memory foam will be softer if the temperature increases.

If you live in a hot environment, your memory foam mattress will likely feel softer. In this case, keep your room as cool as possible by:

Adjusting the room thermostat
Opening windows
Using an electric fan

FAQ: Why is my memory foam mattress so uncomfortable?

Illustration suggestion:

back illustration of person lying on mattress

There are two probable reasons why your memory foam mattress feels uncomfortable for you:

too soft
too firm

And based on a study, medium-firm mattresses may help to reduce the risk of lower back pain, LBP, and help to improve your sleep. improve sleep quality and reduce the risk of developing lower back pain.

But medium-firm is different for everyone. For example

A medium-firm mattress may be too soft for people weighing more than 105 kg.
A medium-firm mattress may be too firm for people weight less than 60 kg.

It would be best to test out the mattress for yourself.

Is your memory foam mattress too soft for you?

Can a bed that is too soft hurt your back? Absolutely! Although you might think that a soft mattress is comfortable for sleeping, that won’t always be the case.

A memory foam mattress that is too soft can cause your body to sink deep onto the mattress, causing your spine to be misaligned.

Is your memory foam mattress too firm for you?

You might’ve heard that a firm mattress, sometimes called an “orthopaedic mattress”, is good for the back. But recent studies show otherwise, wherein it was concluded that subjects sleeping on an orthopaedic mattress have the lowest score in sleep quality.

If your memory foam is too firm, it would cause pressure on your lower back or butt area and cause spine misalignment.

FAQ: How can I make my memory foam pillow firmer?

Like the memory foam mattress, you can flip your memory foam pillow to lay on the unused side of the pillow. This is usually firmer than the one you’re constantly sleeping on because of less stress and compressions. Add Image

Final Advice

If you’ve done all the steps above and still feel like your mattress is too soft or sagging for you, it’s time to buy a new mattress. In buying a new mattress, make sure that you test the mattress yourself. The firmness of a mattress is subjective. A medium-firm mattress for me may not be a medium-firm mattress for you.

Most mattress sellers allow a trial period before saying yes to the mattress. Tempur provides 100 days of trial, while some sellers like Emma allow up to 200 days. Take advantage of this trial period to feel if the mattress is right for you.

Sources

Shemshaki, H., Nourian, S.-M. A., Fereidan-Esfahani, M., Mokhtari, M., & Etemadifar, M. R. (2013). What is the source of low back pain? . Retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3872656/
Kovacs, F. M., Abraira, V., Peña, A., Martín-Rodríguez, J. G., Sánchez-Vera, M., Ferrer, E., . . . Mufraggi, N. (2003, November 15). Effect of firmness of mattress on chronic non-specific low-back pain: randomised, double-blind, controlled, multicentre trial. Retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14630439/
Marin, R., Cyhan, T., & Miklos, W. (2006, May). Sleep Disturbance in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain. Retrieved from American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation: https://journals.lww.com/ajpmr/Abstract/2006/05000/Sleep_Disturbance_in_Patients_With_Chronic_Low.3.aspx

How to Make Memory Foam Mattress Firmer?