Save your back, flip your mattress

I’m not going to lie. I flipped my mattress a grand total of 0 times this year. How about you? When we asked around we got a wide range of answers as to how many times its necessary to flip a mattress. Some said once a year. Twice. Five times. Someone even said 104 times a year.

So what is the correct number? The answer to this depends on the person sleeping on the mattress, and, more importantly, on whether or not they’re sharing that mattress with someone else.

When first introduced to this crazy concept of mattress flipping, my first response was “Why would I ever do that?” Well, the answer is simple. To make the mattress last longer and sag less, both of which will save your back in the long-run. A mattress that is regularly flipped can last from 5-7 years longer. But what constitutes a “regular” amount of flipping? Was the person who recommended flipping twice a week for a total of 104 times a year right? Not exactly. Flipping a mattress once a month should suffice to prevent irregular wear.

If you do not flip your mattress, permanent sag will eventually set in, and it’s not always the kind of wear and tear that’s immediately visible. Sags tend to form in the middle of the mattress where bodies meet. The pressure from those bodies can cause springs to loosen, robbing the sleeper of the full support they need for rest.

Remember, it’s not enough to flip the mattress from left to right but from the head of the bed to the tail. This way, the whole mattress is being equally stressed.