A mattress that fits you is important for a restful night’s sleep, as it should evenly distribute your body weight based on your unique needs and preferences. The perfect mattress for your physique offers just the right amount of gentle resistance to keep you from sinking in too deeply or becoming misaligned. Adequate support helps maintain proper sleep posture and keeps your spine aligned, so you wake up feeling refreshed, relaxed, and tension-free! A thoughtfully designed mattress should reinforce and cradle your body while providing comfort, striking a balance between support and relief that is unique for you.

Are you feeling uncomfortable in bed? First things first, it's very likely your mattress, and choosing the right one can make a world of difference in your sleep health. An old, worn-out, ill-fitting mattress and foundation are likely reasons for the discomfort you're experiencing in bed. 

But why, exactly?

Next, the sleep specialists at Mattress World Northwest, a mattress store with great reviews, share their expert insight on why your mattress may feel so uncomfortable lately and how we can help you manage it.

Your Mattress Lacks Supportive Qualities

A supportive mattress should evenly distribute your body weight if it embodies the ideal qualities for your body type. The right mattress for your physique will provide gentle resistance, preventing you from sinking in too deeply and leading to improper sleep posture, spinal misalignment, and pain or discomfort when you wake up. A well-designed, supportive mattress allows you to rest comfortably on its surface while gently contouring to your body's curves. The right mattress for you will balance support and comfort by allowing your body to sink in just enough to experience relief without compromising support.

When you lie in bed, and your mattress causes pain or discomfort, it may have become worn out and unable to properly uplift and balance your shoulders, hips and spine. If you feel like your back and body sink into a dip, your mattress likely lacks the support needed for deep, restorative sleep.

Most of the time, if a mattress isn't providing adequate support, it's usually pretty obvious, and most of the time, your body feels it when you wake up in the morning. Still, there are instances when a lack of support from a mattress isn't so apparent. You can even experience insufficient support from a brand-new or minimally used mattress, which means that it isn't the right one for your body. For many people, a lack of positive resistance or support from their mattress is a common reason why their bed feels so uncomfortable.

If you're starting to notice that an uncomfortable bed is becoming a common issue in your home, it's important to consider both the condition of your mattress and the support system underneath it, including the foundation and bed frame it potentially rests on. These elements, together, serve as the functional sleep system that should provide sufficient support for your body and proper support underneath your mattress. If you can't confidently check off the boxes to make sure that your bed is set up correctly and performing optimally, this could be why your bed is so uncomfortable lately.

Coil System

The mattress support system, which typically consists of either wire-tied or independently wrapped coils, is the basis of the mattress support system. If those coils are old, worn out, or compromised in any way from their original condition, they may not perform as intended. Once the coils no longer provide pushback and resistance to the sleeper(s) on the mattress, many people feel unsupported, even experiencing pain. This stage is when many notice discomfort from sleeping on a saggy mattress or on one with a dip.

Pro Tip: Improper handling or storage of a mattress can cause damage or sagging to its coil system. Be sure to move your mattress carefully and always store it flat, never on its side.

Symptoms related to mattress support problems:

• You feel strained muscles or lower back pain.
• You experience hip tension, pain, or discomfort.
• When you wake up, you feel sore or stiff to the same extent or more so than when you went to bed.
• Restless movement throughout the night from back pain or other discomfort.

Foundation

If the foundation, often in the form of a boxspring or platform bed, is insufficient, this could be causing the issues with your mattress. Ultimately, a flawed or damaged mattress, or a platform bed with broken slats, could be the reason you're experiencing discomfort from your bed overall. The foundation is the bedrock of support for your mattress, and if you don't have the right setup for your bed, it could be causing issues with the comfort and supportive qualities of your mattress.

The foundation of your bed, whether it’s a box spring or a platform bed with a headboard, is important for your sleep experience and provides the necessary support for your mattress. While the mattress is designed to support and align your body, the bed's foundation is intended to support the mattress itself.

That said, if the foundation is insufficient—like a damaged box spring or a platform bed with broken slats—it can lead to discomfort long-term while you sleep. A heavy-duty, sturdy foundation is fundamental for supporting your mattress, so having the right setup for your bed is key to making sure your mattress delivers both comfort and support. If you're experiencing issues with your mattress, it might be worth looking into the condition of both the foundation and the mattress. If your existing mattress doesn’t seem to be up to par, consider shopping for a new one at a local, family-owned and operated sleep shop called Mattress World Northwest—one of the best places to buy a new mattress!

Bed Frame

Just as the foundation supports the mattress, the bedframe is the final piece that completes the sleep puzzle. Nevertheless, if your bed frame—whether it be a platform bed, a panel bed with a headboard, or a basic Hollywood frame—lacks center support for a full, Queen, or King-size bed, it may be the cause of your discomfort. A frame with incomplete or inconsistent support, such as broken slats or missing center support legs, could compromise the mattress's ability to deliver the intended support and comfort over the long term.

Your Mattress Doesn't Alleviate Pressure Points

Now, if you're still asking, why is your bed so uncomfortable lately? If sleeping on an old or worn-out mattress with a dip isn't the scenario you're dealing with, focus on comfort through the combination of padding layers necessary for the mattress to provide pressure relief. One of the first reasons a mattress isn't relieving pressure points is that it isn't the right comfort level or firmness for you.

Common symptoms of struggling to sleep due to discomfort, as related to the pressure-relieving qualities of your mattress:

• It takes a long time to feel relaxed and become comfortable enough to fall asleep.
• You're tired even after 6-8 hours of sleep and feel you need a nap halfway through the day.
• Still feeling tense with little or no relief after waking up and moving about.
• You experience restless movements throughout the night that wake you and disrupt your sleep.
• A numb or tingling feeling caused by the absence of comforting pressure-point relief and proper circulation in specific areas of the body, such as the hips and shoulders.

Your Mattress Is Too Firm

Struggling to fall asleep for over 30 to 60 minutes? It could be a sign that your mattress's comfort level or firmness isn’t quite right for you. Often, people err on the side of buying a mattress that's too firm. People hope to gain the support they need for their back pain or discomfort, so they end up buying a firm mattress. That said, it often feels a little too firm to actually sleep on, and most don't want to suffer through the break-in period to let it soften—that's not a trade-off most people are eager to make.

In a best-case scenario, for many body types and sleep positions, and for those with back pain, a medium-firm or firm pillowtop mattress is ideal. Regardless of the mattress's structure, you want one that offers ample support and comfort, providing the right balance of spinal alignment and pressure relief to transform your sleep for the better.

Next, the sleep specialists will explore a few select mattress models, available at Mattress World Northwest's Local & Family-Owned Locations, that deliver a balance of comfort and support for many body types and sleep positions:

• Aireloom Abstract Hues Luxetop M2 Luxury Firm - Features a handmade design with premium, Terrapur™ firm and luxury firm latex rubber inside the Luxetop—also called the pillowtop—that invokes a weightless, floating sensation of comfort.
• Beautyrest Black Series Three Pillowtop - Available in firm support, medium support, and plush support pillowtop versions.
• Purple RejuvenatePremier™ - Features a Hybrid support coil system with latex rubber, combined with Purple's innovative GelFlex Grid technology, for the ultimate balance of comfort and support.

Your Mattress's Padding Layers are Low Quality, or Worn Out & Compressed

If you're struggling to fall asleep or waking up feeling sore or stiff, your mattress's padding layers, also called the comfort layers, could be worn out from absorbing moisture and flattening or compressing under the weight of your body. Foam and other materials used inside a mattress, such as latex rubber, are highly susceptible to damage from UV rays and moisture, which is okay, as long as the layers are safeguarded within the zippable cover that comes on your mattress. But, an unprotected mattress often accumulates skin cells, sweat, and body oils, which can attract dust mites. Then, the unclean, moist padding layers become compressed, worn, and terribly uncomfortable.

One of the best ways to protect the comforting padding layers of your mattress is to use a mattress protector. You won't just want any mattress protector, though. Look for a waterproof, breathable protector; these will prevent trapped body heat and overheating while promoting healthy sleep hygiene.

Overall, a waterproof, breathable mattress protector will protect your sleeping surface from sweat, stains, and moisture that can prematurely wear down your mattress's comfort layers.

Make sure to check out these premium waterproof and breathable mattress protectors on sale at Mattress World Northwest:

BedGear

• Ver-tex Mattress Protector with instant cooling fabric and temperature-balancing technology.
• Dri-Tech Mattress Protector with Powerband® for a secure fit and moisture-wicking fabric to help reduce overheating.

DreamFit

• DreamChill Protector that's waterproof, breathable, and ideal for warm or humid climates and hot sleepers. Also featuring corner bands for a secure fit.
• DreamCool Protector with StaDry™ to wick away moisture. Ideal for co-sleeping beds where each person has different temperature preferences. Also featuring corner bands for a secure fit.

All in all, knowing when to replace your mattress along with routine mattress care and maintenance, such as using a protector and rotating it, is a savvy way to avoid sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress. So, now that you have all the expert insight as to why your bed is so uncomfortable lately, head on down to any Mattress World Northwest location—your one-stop mattress shop for savvy and viable sleep solutions with many reliable mattress brands, all under one roof!