Body Indentations and Sagging of Mattress: Reasons and Remedy
Dr Ilyas Ansari, Sleep Harvester ® Founder
Your peaceful sleep is essential to maintain your health as rest and restorative processes take place during this time. Physical, psychological and physiological factors can affect the quality of your sleep which also depends on temperature, humidity, body movements, mattress firmness, mattress height, pillow and duvet.
Your sleep problem may be related with the uncomfortable mattress you are sleeping on. A complex interaction between your mattress and your body decides the quality of your sleep. It may be possible that your mattress either develops the body impressions or collapses (sagging) with time. While you can minimise the indentations, a defect of sagging may deprive you of a quality sleep.
Reasons for Body Indentations
A natural body impressions on the surface of your mattress happen no matter what. This is absolutely normal as long as it is between the advised indentation depths up to 2.5" (6 cm). The indentations can either be a result of a normal compression of the top comfort layer (consisting of fibres and foams) due to your body weight in the same area of the mattress you sleep on every night to conform to your body or when you employ an inappropriate or inadequate base. The impressions can gradually come into existence or may happen within 2 months of your new purchase.
If you use a King (5'0") size mattress, then the indentations is highly noticeable either in the middle or the outer sides depending on where the couple sleeps on every night. If the couple sleeps in the middle then the indentation will be in the middle and the mattress will develop a hump on the either sides, whereas if the couple leaves the middle space unoccupied then the mattress will develop a hump in the middle with the indentations on the outer side. In such a circumstances, a normal indentation can be mistaken as sagging of the mattress.
The advised body indentation depths in your mattress can assist you to support your spinal alignment and minimise the body pressure points for a peaceful sleep. Sagging is a defect either due to the wrong composition of mattress especially of comfort layer, poor quality of fibres and foams of the comfort layer or broken spring.
How to Measure it?
It is as simple to measure as to read ABC. You can either use a level staff, a string or a broomstick to take a stock of the body impressions in your mattress. You need to place either a level staff, a string or a broomstick from one side of mattress to the other. Then measure the distance between the deepest (lowest) point of your mattress surface and the bottom side of the object (a level staff, a string or a broomstick). There is no need to worry if the distance between the lowest point of the body impression and the object you placed on the top is not more than 2" (5.08 cm). If it is more than 2" then it is definitely the sagging of the comfort layer of your mattress.
You need to keep in mind that foam based mattresses or memory topper mattresses may need a few hours to decompress fully to their natural state.
How to Minimise it?
The magnitude of indentations can be minimised by taking a few simple steps as below:
1. ROTATE/TURN your mattress every 2 weeks for the first 3 months after your new purchase, then once every month. If yours is a non-turn mattress then you need to rotate it only.
2. SWITCH the sleeping sides to redistribute your weight to even out the effect of indentations. If you sleep alone, then keep switching the sides regularly.
Sometimes people do incorporate a topper for more comfort which also minimises the severity of indentations.
If you need any help in choosing a mattress or if you have any concern about your existing mattress then do feel free to contact us for an impartial advice.
Your sleep problem may be related with the uncomfortable mattress you are sleeping on. A complex interaction between your mattress and your body decides the quality of your sleep. It may be possible that your mattress either develops the body impressions or collapses (sagging) with time. While you can minimise the indentations, a defect of sagging may deprive you of a quality sleep.
Reasons for Body Indentations
A natural body impressions on the surface of your mattress happen no matter what. This is absolutely normal as long as it is between the advised indentation depths up to 2.5" (6 cm). The indentations can either be a result of a normal compression of the top comfort layer (consisting of fibres and foams) due to your body weight in the same area of the mattress you sleep on every night to conform to your body or when you employ an inappropriate or inadequate base. The impressions can gradually come into existence or may happen within 2 months of your new purchase.
If you use a King (5'0") size mattress, then the indentations is highly noticeable either in the middle or the outer sides depending on where the couple sleeps on every night. If the couple sleeps in the middle then the indentation will be in the middle and the mattress will develop a hump on the either sides, whereas if the couple leaves the middle space unoccupied then the mattress will develop a hump in the middle with the indentations on the outer side. In such a circumstances, a normal indentation can be mistaken as sagging of the mattress.
The advised body indentation depths in your mattress can assist you to support your spinal alignment and minimise the body pressure points for a peaceful sleep. Sagging is a defect either due to the wrong composition of mattress especially of comfort layer, poor quality of fibres and foams of the comfort layer or broken spring.
How to Measure it?
It is as simple to measure as to read ABC. You can either use a level staff, a string or a broomstick to take a stock of the body impressions in your mattress. You need to place either a level staff, a string or a broomstick from one side of mattress to the other. Then measure the distance between the deepest (lowest) point of your mattress surface and the bottom side of the object (a level staff, a string or a broomstick). There is no need to worry if the distance between the lowest point of the body impression and the object you placed on the top is not more than 2" (5.08 cm). If it is more than 2" then it is definitely the sagging of the comfort layer of your mattress.
You need to keep in mind that foam based mattresses or memory topper mattresses may need a few hours to decompress fully to their natural state.
How to Minimise it?
The magnitude of indentations can be minimised by taking a few simple steps as below:
1. ROTATE/TURN your mattress every 2 weeks for the first 3 months after your new purchase, then once every month. If yours is a non-turn mattress then you need to rotate it only.
2. SWITCH the sleeping sides to redistribute your weight to even out the effect of indentations. If you sleep alone, then keep switching the sides regularly.
Sometimes people do incorporate a topper for more comfort which also minimises the severity of indentations.
If you need any help in choosing a mattress or if you have any concern about your existing mattress then do feel free to contact us for an impartial advice.