How to make your bed more comfortable (without replacing your mattress!)

_{Some items have been gifted}

We’ve all been there; you’re tired after a busy day and can’t wait to flop into your bed for a peaceful rest only to find yourself tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable but not feeling the level of relaxation you were hoping for.

If this is you, don’t worry – you don’t need to splash the cash on a new mattress. There are quick and easy things you can do to make your bed feel more comfy straight away.

By the way, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t replace your mattress – in fact, it’s good sleep hygiene to replace it at least every 8-10 years. In fact, when I got my Simba Hybrid mattress as part of my new year’s resolution to have a better night’s sleep, it made a huge difference to my comfort levels. However, a new mattress can be quite an investment and, if you’re on a budget, there are other things you can do to get a better night’s sleep.

Mattress topper

Some of the signs of a mattress needing to be replaced include the edges sagging or dips forming, signs of wear and tear (including staining and rips) and, if you’re sharing the bed, movement being more pronounced. If you’re not quite at that stage, you can revitalise your bed with a mattress topper instead.

Whether you need a bed topper king size, double or single, this will be a much more frugal way to bring your bed back to life than getting a whole new mattress, even if you’ve been using your mattress for many years.

Simply adding that extra layer on top of your mattress allows you to feel the benefit of having a refreshed bed; it’ll offer soft foam cushioning and aerocoil support to provide a like-new effect on top of your existing bed. This can be a quick and budget-friendly way to bring your mattress back to life for a fraction of the price of buying a new one.

Bed frame

Did you know that the bed frame can affect how comfortable you feel in your bed? Even the best mattress in the world can be improved if the bed frame is crafted in a way that supports the mattress and your body.

For example, the Simba bed frame I was recently gifted is built with a slat system that automatically adjusts to your sleeping position and bodyweight to support you properly while you sleep. This means the five different zones on the bed base can flex with you, providing different levels of support to areas of your body, such as more cushioning pressure relief around your shoulders and wider slats at the hip area for lumbar support. 

Who would have thought that a bed base could make such a difference? For many years, we used a wooden Vono bed (pic below) that had been inherited from my husband’s grandparents. This has springs on the base which were so springy that they could bounce you off the bed! So every movement in the night made the whole bed move – almost like a water bed – and it would be squeaky until the springs had settled.

So, you can imagine how un-restful it was to sleep on that bed, even with a luxurious and supportive Simba Hybrid Original mattress. If you’ve also got an old bed frame with broken slats, night-time creaks or uncomfortable springs, now’s the time to look at replacing the base and see if a new bed frame actually helps your lovely mattress to do what it’s supposed to do.

The bedding

Did you know that a good night’s sleep can be affected by the things you put on top of your mattress as much as what’s beneath it? I’m talking about the duvet, the bed sheets and blankets. That’s because your body temperature affects how soundly you sleep.

Ever had to poke your leg out from under the duvet for temperature control? If so, you’d probably benefit from a breathable duvet. You can choose an all-season duvet; the type that has a soft and light filling that supports airflow and has a cooling cotton outer for a cool-touch effect. It’ll keep you warm in the winter and ensure you don’t overheat in the summer.

Personally, I’ve always had a 3-in-1 duvet. This consists of a thin summer duvet, a separate mid-thickness duvet for spring and autumn, and the two can be attached together to create a thick and toasty winter duvet. Again, making sure it has a light filling and cotton outer can make all the difference to you being able to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the night.

Likewise, don’t overlook the sheets you use. Synthetic fibres will always be less breathable and cause you to warm up and sweat on hot nights. Even if it’s cold outside, you might find yourself being unable to sleep because your sheets are too hot. If you’ve ever turned a pillow over to access the ‘cool side’, changing the type of bed sheets you use will help.

I’d recommend going for fresh linen or pure organic cotton. If your only concern is comfort at night, you don’t need to worry about the pattern, embroidery or design of your bedding; it’s only the fabric composition that’ll be important = make sure it’s natural.

Natural fibres help to wick moisture away to keep you feeling fresh and cool while you sleep. Not only are they breathable, allowing heat to pass through them and helping you to regulate your temperature, but they’re also naturally hypoallergenic so you’ll be less likely to be woken up by coughs, itches, sneezes or skin sensitivities.

I hope that these tips will help you get a better night’s sleep without needing to replace your mattress straight away. Let me know what other things you can do to make your bed more comfortable int he comments below – I’d love to hear your hacks for a cosy bedroom.

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Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂