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Ideally, you should rotate your mattress about every six months. Practically all mattress models – modern or old, can be rotated. The only exception is if the mattress company specifically says otherwise.
Rotating your mattress means turning it by 180 degrees, so the side on which your head was now lies at your feet.
Sounds gross to you? Then use the opportunity to clean your mattress before rotating – vacuum it, spot clean, and air it out.
Older mattresses can still be rotated, even if you’ve never done it before. You can rotate it now and sleep like that for a while. When it gets worn out a bit, you can continue rotating the mattress regularly.
If you have a new mattress, you can just set reminders to rotate your mattress a couple of times a year.
How Often Should You Rotate Your Mattress? Depends On The Type
Latex mattresses are typically the most durable ones, so you don’t have to rotate a latex mattress as often as you would a memory foam mattress or an innerspring mattress.
It’s also important to note that different brands have different requirements. If you’re rotating a Tempurpedic mattress then there are some extra things you have to take into account.
If we consider the lifespan of each mattress type, we can make an approximate guide to how often you should rotate your mattress.
- Rotate an innerspring mattress every 3 months.
- Rotate a hybrid mattress every 4 to 6 months.
- Rotate a memory foam mattress every 6 months.
- Rotate a latex mattress every 8 to 12 months.
These are just approximations, because the frequency of rotation also depends on mattress quality, how often you use it, how heavy you are, and how much you move (or don’t) when you sleep.
Generally, the more you use it, the more you’ll wear it out.
What if you can’t be bothered with remembering the numbers and factors from above, but still want to care for your mattress? Then let one takeaway be this: rotate your mattress at least once a year.
Why Is It Good To Rotate Your Mattress?
Most people sleep in the same spot, on the same side of the bed every night. That spot wears out with time. If you inspect your mattress right now, you might be able to see a depression in the area where your stomach and bottom typically rest.
That’s where the memory foam comfort layer gets thinner, the support layer gets weaker, and springs get squeakier and worn out. On top of that, moisture and dirt from your body get trapped in there.
The lower part of the bed (where your legs are) just won’t get the same amount of pressure and bodily moisture. It typically has almost no mattress wear.
Mattress rotating means you’ll be sleeping on the “fresher” side of the bed. It’s a perfect thing to do – you’ll have a feeling of sleeping on a brand new mattress and you’ll be saving money because this way the mattress will start sagging much later. You’re wearing out two sides of the bed evenly, and you’re allowing the moisture to leave.
Can You Rotate a Mattress with Zoned Support?
You should be able to rotate any mattress without trouble. Some modern mattresses – such as Amerisleep and Saatva – have zoned support. These are typically memory foam mattresses or hybrids with specific layers – they are a bit firmer in the head and leg area, and a bit softer in the hip area, so that you can get the best support in all parts of the body and better sleep.
You can still rotate this type of mattress because those zones are normally symmetrical so you won’t lose the support features when you rotate it. However, you might not be able to flip this mattress. Also, if your mattress has zoned support that’s asymmetrical at the top and bottom (let’s say the head area is slightly softer than the leg area), you should either avoid rotation or contact the mattress company. Most mattresses are thoroughly described by mattress companies, so just visit their website or sift through the Q&A section, and you should be able to find the answer quickly.
How To Rotate Your Mattress
One person is enough to rotate most mattresses, but if you’re not feeling fit or if you have a really heavy mattress, you can call someone for help. It’s definitely easier when there are two people. Bear in mind that mattress types matter here – latex beds are generally heavier than hybrid or memory foam beds.
- Remove all covers, pillows, and sheets from the bed.
- Make sure you have enough space around. Move any furniture about 4 feet away from your bed.
- Go to the leg side of the bed and swipe your hands between the mattress and box spring/foundation. Check for hand straps, they can help and you won’t have to swipe your hands below.
- Start pulling to the left or right – whichever side you want to rotate towards.
- As you’re pulling, watch the mattress. You don’t want it to fall from the bed. Make any necessary adjustments until your mattress is rotated by 180 degrees.
You’ll need some more organization if you have a deep bed frame so that half of your mattress falls into it. Most frames and box springs are made so that the mattress lies on the very top of them and is easy to move around.
Should You Flip Your Mattress?
Mattress flipping means that you’ll turn it over and sleep on the side which was facing the box spring. How often should you flip your mattress? After several mattress rotation cycles, you can go ahead and flip it. This way you’ll wear out both sides of the mattress, which further adds to its longevity.
This only works if you have a flippable mattress, that is, a double-sided mattress that allows you to turn it over and still have the same firmness and support.
Most modern mattresses are one-sided mattresses, that is, they are not flippable mattresses – for example, a pillow top mattress or some innerspring mattresses. A one-sided mattress typically has specific layers on each side. Most hybrid mattresses are not flippable – they have a bottom side with a foundation and coils on it, and then the support core, several layers of foam, and finally comfort layers on the top side. They have so many different materials working together to provide proper support, and if you flip it – you lose those important features.
You should contact the mattress manufacturer if you’re not sure whether to flip or not. Mattress flipping is much harder than rotating, so you should definitely get some help there.
It’s generally not impossible to sleep on the wrong side of the mattress, but it’ll be much firmer. You can try to sleep on the bottom side if you’re into really firm mattresses, but it probably won’t be the best option for a lot of people.
Do You Have To Flip Or Rotate Your Mattress If You Have a Mattress Topper?
A mattress topper or a mattress protector gives you an additional memory foam layer. Apart from making a firm mattress feel like a medium-firm mattress and protecting it from dust mites, it also postpones the need for mattress rotating.
A mattress topper saves the comfort layer on the top of your mattress from pressure. Still, if your goal is to have the mattress for at least a decade, you should be rotating your mattress at least once in two years.
So, mattress toppers are a great thing, but it doesn’t cancel the importance of rotating mattresses. Mattress firmness changes over time and body weight plays a role in that.
What If You Don’t Rotate Your Mattress?
Your body will keep putting pressure onto the same surface month after month. This way, you’ll be “digging”, or better, compressing it until a noticeable depression appears.
After some years, this depression might start bothering you – first you may be waking up frequently, tossing or turning, or straightforward waking up sore/in pain.
You might wear out the top foam layers and start feeling the springs in the support layer. Then you might feel pain on the pressure points – typically hips, and your lower back might ache. Once you lose the neutral alignment of the spine due to poor support, you’ll either suffer the pain or decide to get a new mattress.
Mattresses might get premature sagging if not rotated. The whole time while you could be wearing the mattress slowly and evenly on all sides, you’ll be putting pressure on only one spot.
Your bed’s lifespan will definitely be shorter if you don’t want to rotate or flip your mattress. If you have a two-sided mattress, definitely make use of flipping it from time to time. If it’s not double-sided, just keep rotating your mattress regularly.
Can Mattress Rotation Improve Your Sleep?
Your mattress can last longer when you flip or rotate it regularly. Since this slows down the breakdown of the mattress, you can expect better sleep quality over a longer period of time.
We’re not saying that you’ll instantly increase sleep quality when you flip or rotate it. However, we are saying that it makes sense to sleep on a “fresher” side every once in a while because you’ll avoid sleeping in a dip in the middle of your mattress, which can cause you pain, discomfort, and poor sleep after some years.
Bottom Line
To avoid a sagging mattress, flip or rotate it at least once a year, but there are some differences in mattress types.
Ideally, you should rotate innerspring mattresses every 3 months, hybrid mattresses every 4 to 6 months, memory foam mattresses every 6 months, and latex mattresses every 8 to 12 months. Don’t forget to clean it once in a while. For those who have a topper, double those numbers and rotate the innerspring every 6 months and so on.
After a couple of rotation cycles, flip the mattress if it’s flippable and enjoy a good night’s sleep. Generally speaking, most modern mattresses aren’t flippable, so make sure to check if yours is.
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