Why is my mattress sinking? First, the bad news: Even the highest quality mattress models don’t last forever. At some point the mattress sagged. Then a suitable replacement urgently needs to be found. However, the lifespan can be extended with some know-how and clever care. We’ll tell you exactly how to do this in this article.

How do lounger hollows arise in the mattress?

Hollow formation is the formation of dents or hollows in the mattress. These hollows are caused by insufficient restoring force or the mattress being too old. Hollow formation in the mattress occurs when there is no longer sufficient restoring force to return the material to its original state.

The lying surface of a mattress is flat without any load and has no dents or hollows. If pressure is applied to the mattress or a weight, for example a lying body, acts on the mattress, it deforms and gives way. This deformation varies depending on whether the lying surface is point-elastic or area-elastic. If pressure and/or weight is changed or removed because the person changes their lying position or stands up, the lying surface should adapt to this as quickly as possible. This requires the restoring force, which ensures that the mattress returns to its original state. However, if this restoring force is not present to a sufficient extent for the material to return to its original state, hollows will form in the mattress. Why is my mattress sinking? This means that a hollow remains where the weight was on the mattress.

Note: The process of hollow formation does not happen overnight. Rather, the restoring force of the mattress slowly and steadily decreases. At first a very shallow, barely noticeable hollow forms, which only becomes deeper over time.

Age of the mattress

Many different factors can be responsible for the formation of hollows. One of these factors is the age of the mattress: With older mattresses, hollowing can occur because mattresses are everyday items and do not last forever.

Slatted frame for a mattress

But an incorrectly chosen slatted frame, for example one that has too few slats and therefore offers the mattress too little support and support surface, can also be responsible for hollow formation. As a rule of thumb, a slatted frame for a mattress made of cold foam or visco foam should always have at least 28 slats and the distance between them should not be more than 3 cm.

Mattress density

Yes, mattresses also age and deteriorate at some point: This is a natural process, but it can be delayed with the right mattress care. However, if treated negligently, the deterioration can accelerate. Basically, the life expectancy of all mattress is between five and ten years – so there’s quite a range. Which end of the spectrum the respective mattress model is at initially depends on its basic properties. This includes the material as well as the general quality and, above all, the density. In short, this term refers to the material density and is considered one of the most crucial quality characteristics. For the longest possible lifespan, the value should be at least 30, but preferably significantly higher.

In addition to these properties that are already established when purchasing a mattress, the subsequent type of use and care also have an impact on whether the sleeping surface will sag prematurely. This includes in particular the following points:

Why is my mattress sinking? This promotes the formation of hollows:

• Low density of the mattress
• Body weight of the sleeper: The higher this is, the faster the mattress will sag.
• A hardness level that has already been selected incorrectly when purchasing a mattress – the value must urgently be tailored to the stature of the user.
• Slatted frame with a slat spacing of more than 4 cm
• Inadequate mattress care and failure to turn regularly accelerates the formation of hollows.
• Frequent use, for example during the day for reading or relaxing on the bed
• The mattress is used by children for trampoline jumping

When does my mattress sag?

Why is my mattress sinking in the middle? Typically, mattresses are sagging in the middle and have the characteristic hollow formation that can be clearly seen with the naked eye. But sometimes the wear and tear becomes noticeable before the wear is visible. For example, if you suddenly wake up with tension or back pain, are no longer able to rest well at night or simply no longer feel comfortable in your otherwise comfortable bed, then these can be clear signs of a sagging sleeping surface.

Of course, all of these effects can also arise from numerous other influences. However, they should be kept in mind. This is especially true when the once perfect sleeping surface is starting to show its age. If there is already a clearly noticeable and visible hollow, a mattress is considered to be sagging if the hollow depth is more than two centimeters. This means that the deepest point of the dent is more than two centimeters below the surface of the mattress. By then, anti-aging will no longer help and you should urgently upgrade your bed.

Once a mattress has worn out, can it still be saved?

If the signs are clear and the mattress is sagging, the question arises: What to do? If you don’t want to or can’t go shopping for a mattress right away, you can use a few tricks to bridge the gap. If you’re asking why is my mattress sinking and can it still be saved we will present three bridging measures as emergency aid in more detail:

1. Turn

If the cold foam mattress has clear hollows in the buttocks or shoulders, it can help to rotate it so that the head and foot sections are swapped. However, if the mattress is sagging in the middle, as is often the case with spring core models, this measure is unfortunately of no use. Instead, you can completely turn such mattresses over, i.e. bring the side that was previously facing the bed box upwards.

2. The thing with the board

As an old home remedy for a sagging mattress, you may know the tip of placing a board or hard cardboard directly under the sagging area. A tightly folded towel can also be an option. However, you should always remember that such measures are only intended to bridge the gap. They should therefore only be used as an emergency solution for a few days or weeks.

3. Adjust the slatted frame

If you have an adjustable slatted frame, you can adjust the individual struts in the hollow area as tightly and tightly as possible. This can help temporarily give the area a little more stability.

Daily measures

For optimal hygiene, it is essential that the mattress can breathe. It’s best to put the duvet and pillow back every morning when you get up and let the bed air out for at least 20 minutes with the window open.

Every now and then

Normal hygiene also includes changing bed linen about every two weeks. As you do this, you can always turn the sleeping surface so that you swap the head and foot sections. In this way, zones with different levels of stress can be easily balanced out.

With this in mind, it is advisable to completely turn the mattress around once every three months – if the model allows it. This method is particularly effective with a visco foam mattress. This way you can perfectly balance the different pressure on the fabric. The pelvis, as the heaviest area of the body, does not always rest in the same place and therefore cannot easily contribute to hollow formation.

Anyone who makes these simple measures a routine and also ensures that the slatted frame is set as tightly as possible with slatted spacings of no more than four centimeters will give their new spring core, latex or cold foam mattress an effective slow-aging program.

A new mattress is needed: What you should pay attention to

When purchasing, you should consider a few points so that you can enjoy your mattress for as long as possible:

• Buy a mattress with a level of firmness that is comfortable and suitable for you: the more body weight the mattress has to support, the harder it should be.
• The higher the density of the mattress, the better it is and the longer it retains its shape. Never buy a mattress with a density less than 30.
• Buy a suitable slatted frame with a maximum slat spacing of 4 cm.
• When it comes to a spring mattress, the more springs the better.