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5 signs your mattress is why you keep waking up during the night — plus, 3 quick fixes to boost your comfort
Cortisol spikes, disrupted circadian rhythms, hormone fluctuations — all kinds of things leave us blinking blearily awake at 3 a.m. But might the reason be quite literally beneath you? Is your mattress waking you up in the middle of the night?
I've tested all kinds of beds to find the best mattresses you can buy online. That's meant drifting off on some truly luxurious beds but it's also resulted in nights struggling to sleep on a mattress that doesn't suit my needs.
1. Your back hurts and you're stiff moving around
Going to bed should be restorative — deep sleep is literally when your body repairs itself — but sometimes a 3 a.m. wake up is accompanied by an aching back and joints that need greasing.
On my old mattress I was so accustomed to an ache in my spine I never thought to blame the bed. Then I upgraded to one of the best mattresses for back pain and I realized waking up sore wasn't par for the course.
My tip for identifying this cause comes direct from our testing: lie on your back, side and stomach for 10 minutes each.
Then do a full body scan. Can you feel strain or pain in your back? If it feels like your spine is hard at work, you aren't getting support as you sleep.
2. You wake up with aching shoulders and hips
I have a preference for firm mattresses and sometimes I shift onto my side during the night. That can result in waking up during the night wondering why I can't feel my arm anymore.
A build-up of pressure is a common problem among side sleepers and something the best mattresses for side sleepers will try to off-set with ample cushioning at the shoulders and hips.
When there's not enough cushioning — or the right support — you might wake up feeling like your entire body weight is pressing onto your shoulder or hip.
3. You toss and turn to get comfortable
Sometimes I lie on a mattresses and enjoy immediate relief. It's like the weight of my body becomes the responsibility of the bed.
Other mattresses, not so much. I'll lie on my left side, my right side, have my arm up, over and out, life the knee, drop the knee, all in search for comfort that's not easy to come by.
While it's not unusual to have a few restless moments as you settle in, if you spend multiple minutes trying in vain to get comfortable, the problem lies with your mattress.
And it's not just at the start of the night it's causing problems. You're likely to wake up early, as your body can't get comfortable enough to drift into deep sleep.
4. You're sweating even with the heat off
Night sweats are common sleep disruptors and can be caused from everything from hormones to heating errors.
But also, your mattress might be to blame; I'm not a naturally hot sleeper but on some beds I've tested I find my covers migrate to the floor overnight.
We use a thermal camera to identify areas of heat build-up during mattress testing... but I understand you probably don't have the means at home.
Instead, I recommend turning the heat off overnight and opting for light layers. If you still find yourself sweating awake in the middle of the night, it's likely your mattress is trapping heat.
If you're in the market for a new bed, then I recommend trying one of the best cooling mattresses. These feature cooling materials and even high-tech cooling systems to fight heat build-up.
5. You wake up coughing and sneezing
We have a sophisticated mattress storage system in our Sleep Lab but over time, some of the beds get dusty.
I never notice until I lie back to test the support and find myself sneezing up a storm.
Your bed at home can also become a trap for dust, pet hair and even some unwanted creepy crawlies. Particularly if you owned it for several years and you're just learning you can vacuum a mattress.
If your 3 a.m. wake ups are characterized by watering eyes, sneezes and itching, then your mattress is probably harboring some allergens.
Quick mattress fixes to try today
If your mattress is regularly causing you to wake up at 3 a.m., the best solution is likely to buy a new bed — our guide to choosing a new mattress can help you find one that will support you as you sleep through the night.
But if a new bed isn't in your plans, you can try these quick fixes instead:
1. Clean your mattress
Deep cleaning your mattress can dislodge any lurking allergens that might be causing your sneeze-filled 3 a.m. wake ups.
During your clean, you can also assess for any structural damage. Look for dips and lumps in the mattress that might indicate sagging and are a sign you need to think about replacing your mattress.
2. Use a mattress topper
The best mattress toppers are a layer of cushioning that sit on top of your mattress to alter the feel.
They're best used to soften a firm bed, making this an ideal solution for side sleepers who are waking up with shoulder, hip or knee pain.
Alternatively, mattress toppers can be used as a quick, short-term solution for an old mattress, masking some lumps and bumps to stop your spine from sagging uncomfortably overnight.
3. Invest in cooling sheets
Hot sleepers can often benefit from carefully chosen bedding, particularly during changing seasons when you can never quite tell what the weather is going to be doing.
Cooling sheets infused with materials like copper and graphite are good at drawing heat away from the body, while breathable materials like cotton and bamboo keep air circulating and cooling.
4. Target aches with pillows
You can offset some discomfort from the wrong mattress with the use of pillows and cushions, carefully placed to provide targeted cushioning or support.
A pillow under the shoulders can reduce pressure build-up, while one between the knees can limit aches and pains at the joints.
And if you're struggling with back pain, a pillow at the lumbar can fill the gap between the bed and your spine, to prevent strain.
