How to Keep Your Mattress From Sliding

Mattresses can slide off of box springs and bed frames for many reasons, including a lack of friction and poor support. If you’ve ever woken up in the middle of the night with your mattress halfway off the bed, you understand how frustrating it can be. Sliding mattresses can ruin your night’s sleep and make for an uncomfortable bed. Fortunately, there are a few tricks to stop it from happening.

Why Your Mattress Slides

Sliding mattresses can be a pain to deal with. The first step in fixing the problem is understanding why it’s happening in the first place. Getting to the root of the problem could help you find a solution quickly and easily.

Not Enough Friction

Dual-sided, memory foam, and latex mattresses all have tendencies to slide around, especially on metal bed frames or box springs. These types of mattresses don’t have textured covers that can help hold them in place through the night. Instead, they have slick, slippery covers that tend to slide around.

Lack of Support

Uneven support from your bed base may not be properly securing your mattress in place. This could happen if you have an old bed frame, a weak or damaged box spring, or slats that are too far apart.

Old Mattress

If your mattress is more than a decade old, its age may be the reason it’s sliding at night. Mattresses retain body oils that you excrete while you sleep (that’s why it’s important to clean them regularly). After years of build up, it could create a film under the mattress that causes it to slip. 

Old mattresses are also more likely to have lumps or saggy centers, which make for uneven sleep surfaces and an insecure bed. If you’re able to, dispose of your old mattress and purchase a brand new one with an even, supportive sleep surface.

Small Mattress

A mattress that’s too small to fit in its frame properly has more room to move easily. If this is the issue, you may be able to fix it by simply switching out your frame or mattress to get a snugger fit.

Tossing and Turning

Tossing and turning in your sleep can compound any of the issues mentioned above and can encourage the movement of your mattress, causing it to slip off of the frame or box spring. This can also happen if you share your bed with your wiggly kids or pets, which increases the amount of shifting.

How to Keep Your Mattress From Sliding

Nobody wants a slippery mattress. If you’re experiencing this issue, consider these tips to prevent mattress movement, and say hello to a good night’s sleep again.

Vacuum Under the Mattress

Accumulating dust and dirt can actually cause your mattress to slide out of place.  To combat this, vacuum it clean. Vacuums with brush attachments work best to thoroughly clean the area, but you can use a regular vacuum if you don’t have that attachment. Flip your mattress over and thoroughly clean the bottom to get rid of dust.

You should also vacuum the floor underneath your bed, as dust and dirt there can also cause slippage. Even if your mattress isn’t sliding, you should vacuum under your bed on a regular basis to prevent any dirt or dust buildup that could cause this problem down the road.

Use Rubber Mats

Not only do rubber mats make great shelf liners and rug anchors, but they also work to prevent your mattress from sliding out of place. Place the rubber matting between your mattress and bed frame or box spring. If your mattress begins to slide, the rubber mat will hold it in place.

Try a Non-Slip Pad

Non-slip pads work similarly to rubber mats. Stick a non-slip pad between your mattress and bed frame or box spring to discourage any movement. You can purchase non-slip pads at most home improvement or big box stores.

Apply Velcro Strips

Strong velcro strips can stop mattresses from sliding. Find them at your local craft or home improvement store. The strips are made up of two sections—one with hooks and the other with loops. Each section has adhesive. Apply one section to your bed frame or box spring and the other to the mattress. Repeat this several times on the sides and corners of the mattress. You can also use double-sided carpet tape instead of velcro, if desired.