5 Signs Your Mattress is Too Firm

It’s not easy to select the right type of bed to suit your own sleep habits, not to mention your partner’s. While it’s true that all of the options out there make it more likely a good match for your sleep style exists, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be easy to discover that match. Ever ended up with a new mattress, but didn’t feel like you were getting good enough sleep? Or have you ever wanted to jettison an old mattress, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on what was wrong with it? Here are some important signs that your mattress is too firm.

1. If you’re waking up with back, neck or shoulder pain, your mattress might be too firm.

If you wake up in the morning — or during the night — feeling discomfort at certain pressure points, like your shoulders, hips, or knees, your mattress is probably too firm. Foam and hybrid mattresses are great for pressure point relief. Add an adjustable foundation to the mix, and you can get comfortable in a variety of ways!

2. If you have numbness or tingling in your arms and hands, your mattress is too firm for your preferred sleep position.

Waking up in the middle of the night with a dead arm or a tingling foot is no fun. It can even be a little bit scary in that drowsy state between sleep and wake when you can’t figure out exactly what’s going on. That experience is often caused by a bad sleep position or a mattress that’s too firm. A firm mattress isn’t contouring to your body and taking pressure off of the places you most heavily interact with the mattress.

3. Your mattress might be too firm if you wake up feeling tired

Sleepless nights create a domino effect of other problems, from lowered immune function to health issues to simply feeling too exhausted to do many of the things you typically enjoy. If you’re tossing and turning at night trying to find a comfortable position, it’s unlikely you’re getting a full night’s sleep. You might notice this simply because you can’t get to sleep at night, or if you sleep with a partner, he or she will also likely notice. A partner can be a good gauge of how much steady sleep you’re getting. Do you wake them up with restless movements or snoring?

4. Your mattress is too firm if it doesn’t contour to your body at all when you get into bed.

This is related to the first item on our list — pressure points. When you test a new mattress, it should give under your hips and shoulders. Think about your spine when you lie down. Ideally, it remains in a neutral, straight position when you get into bed.

5. If hotel beds or guest beds give you a better night’s sleep, your mattress may be too firm.

If you wake up from a night at a hotel more well-rested than you do at your own home, or if a friend’s guest bed feels like heaven compared to your mattress, it’s time to break up with your bed. Trying out other mattresses when you travel is actually a great way to gauge what you like and don’t like about your own bed. Make a list of those features, and then come visit one of our stores. Mattress Man sleep experts are great at guiding you to the right style of mattress. And when you’re in-store, you can try them all out and make sure you go home with the perfect bed for you.