Last Updated on
While you sleep, the weight of your body causes a mattress to wear unevenly, leading to indentations and lumps on the surface. Aside from a misshapen appearance, this can make your bed less comfortable overall and may contribute to poor sleep quality.
Fortunately, rotating your mattress is a great way to keep your bed in top condition for as long as possible. Making it a routine part of caring for your mattress can help keep your bed stay comfortable for many years to come. Rotating your current mattress will ensure that it doesn’t lose its supportive features quickly as well.
So, how often should you turn a pocket sprung mattress? What does rotating your mattress regularly actually mean? And, do you need to flip your pocket sprung mattress in addition to turning it? This article explores the answers to all of these questions, and more so you can help preserve the integrity of your pocket sprung mattress for years to come.
Why Should You Turn a Pocket Sprung Mattress?
Sleeping in your bed can cause it to wear unevenly, leading to indentations and a less supportive mattress overall. Fortunately, rotating your current mattress can help preserve the integrity of its shape and increase its usable lifespan.
So do you want the long answer.. so because of the way pocket sprung mattresses work and are constructed .. part of the deal with buying a mattress was you need to turn and rotate it. That means one set of springs aren’t doing all the work and the other side can recover
— Ravi Motha (@ravimotha) January 9, 2020
Ideally, your pocket sprung mattress should be supportive and deliver accurate pressure relief for your joints to promote neutral alignment of your head, neck, and back while you sleep. However, your weight changes the shape of the bed and leaves an impression in the top support layer making proper spinal alignment and pressure relief for your joints harder to maintain over time.
An unsupportive mattress and improper spinal alignment, while you sleep can cause aches and pains in the morning and contributes to overall poor quality sleep. That’s why we recommend you rotate your mattress to help it wear more evenly so you can get a good night’s sleep for as long as possible without having to replace your mattress.
How Often Should You Rotate Your Mattress?
Many people find themselves sleeping in the same spot on their mattress night after night, leading to uneven wear and sagging over time. To help avoid this, it is recommended that we rotate all our mattresses regularly. This is true for all types of beds – whether you have a pocket sprung, memory foam or hybrid mattress.
For the most part, rotating a new mattress every three to six months is recommended to level out the overall wear of the surface. However, if the mattress is not used regularly, you can most likely extend the time between adjustments.
If your mattress starts to develop lumps, bumps or sagging, you should take that as a gentle reminder that it is time to rotate your mattress, regardless of when you did it last. In addition, if you sleep with a heavier partner than you or your mattress already has an uneven surface, we recommend you rotate your mattress more frequently.
Should You Flip Your Pocket Sprung Mattress?
Now that we discussed rotating a mattress, what about flipping your mattress regularly from one side to the other? Many, but not all pocket sprung mattresses can also benefit from being flipped. In general, older beds that do not feature a hybrid design or any single-sided mattress should also be flipped to help prolong their life.
A pocket sprung mattress with a pillow top, and many memory foam mattresses should not be flipped because it would make the extra comfort layer or layers on top irrelevant.
A double-sided mattress is actually designed to be flipped. Double-sided mattresses feature a memory foam layer or other specific layers designed for comfort on either side. This means flipping double-sided mattresses is not only possible but highly recommended.
If you are unsure whether your pocket sprung or memory foam mattress can be flipped, read the label or check the manufacturer’s website for specific details.
How Often Should You Turn Your Pocket Sprung Mattress?
If you do not have a one-sided mattress, it is generally recommended you flip it two times per year. You can also help yourself save time if you flip and rotate your mattress at the same time. Similar to the guidelines we described for flipping your mattress, if you feel any lumps or notice sagging on your bed, you may want to flip your mattress more frequently.
How Do You Rotate and Flip Your Mattress?
When it is time to flip and rotate your mattress, it should be fairly easy and quick, especially if you follow these helpful tips and simple instructions.
First, if you have a heavy mattress, get help from a friend or family member to make manoeuvring the mattress as easy as possible. Second, you will want to remove all of the pillows and bedding before you begin, so rotate your bed when you change your sheets. Third, clear the space around your bed. This includes removing any lamps, nightstands or furniture close by.
If you are only rotating your mattresses, all you have to do is lift the mattress and rotate it 180 degrees. This places the foot of the mattress at the head of the bed so you can start to even out the natural wear and tear that occurs.
If you want to rotate and flip your mattress, start by turning the bed 90 degrees. Then stand it on its side. Next, lay the mattress back down on the other side and rotate the mattress an additional 90 degrees. We find this way is more manageable than flipping the mattress from one side to the other and rotating it separately but do whatever works for you.
How Long Does a Pocket Sprung Mattress Last?
As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to get a maximum of 8 to years of use out of the perfect mattress before it loses its ability to properly support you while sleeping. However, many pocket sprung beds will wear down much quicker, especially if you don’t flip or rotate your mattress routinely.
Even with frequent adjustments, you will know your pocket sprung mattress needs to be replaced if the bed shows noticeable sagging and indentations greater than a few centimetres in depth. Or if you are no longer comfortable and find yourself waking up with aches and pains. Even the best mattresses for back pain need to be replaced with long-term use.
Should All Mattresses Be Turned and Flipped?
Different mattress types can benefit from various adjustments. Unless otherwise noted by the mattress company, most modern mattresses should be turned, but not all beds should be flipped. For example, a memory foam mattress, a mattress with a pillow top, and most hybrid mattresses should not be flipped but can be rotated.
Pro Tip: if you've got a memory foam mattress, rotate it a few times per year.
— Dave Hamilton (@DaveHamilton) September 1, 2020
Check your owners' guide as to whether you should flip it (probably not, but if it says you should, then do that, too).
And regularly rotate (and possibly flip) your non-foam mattresses, as well.
Of course, considering how beds are made from so many different materials, exceptions do exist. Therefore, check with the manufacturer for further information on your brand of bed.
One exception to this lies in pocket sprung and foam mattresses with zoned support systems. If you turn a mattress with zoned support, it can misalign the lumbar support and make the bed less comfortable.
Getting the Most Out of Your Mattress
Now that you know all about rotating and flipping all types of mattresses, including pocket sprung mattresses, you should be more than ready to add the task to your mattress care routine.
Keep in mind that rotating your mattress can help promote even support, added comfort, acute pressure relief, better quality sleep, and more rest overall. Frequently rotating your bed can also help keep a new mattress looking and feeling new for longer.
Considering all of the benefits, you may even want to rotate or flip your bed right now. So what are you waiting for? Get a friend a go for it!
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Emily is a woman of many talents. She has a B.A. in English and enjoys writing. Emily loves accessorising her home with quality products that not only serve a purpose but also enhance the overall convenience and tranquillity of her living space; there’s nothing like coming home to your own personal sanctuary after a long day! She loves anything that can make life easier or more comfortable—from dishware to furniture to lighting fixtures.
