11 Ways To Keep Your Mattress From Sliding

You go to bed at night, and everything is in its place, but when you wake up, your mattress slides off the bed like it’s a magic carpet. 

Does this sound familiar? 

A sliding mattress can throw you off and even mess with your sleep. But we made this short guide to help keep your mattress from sliding. It’s simple: you need to figure out what’s causing the problem and find the right solution.

Why Is My Mattress Sliding?

There are several possible reasons for your sliding mattress. Reason number one: it magically became a sentient being overnight and decided to ruin your comfortable sleep. 

Just kidding, of course. Luckily for us, the reasons for this are way simpler.

So, why does your mattress slide off the bed and cause bad sleep?

Mattress Size

Let’s start easy. If your mattress is too small for the bed frame it rests on, it will slide around a bit.

When you toss and turn at night, you can cause your mattress to move along with you. And if the bed frame gives it enough room to do so, it will shift. 

Lack of Railing

Another situation where your bed frame may be at fault for the mattress sliding is when it doesn’t have railings to hold the mattress in place. However, most bed frames have these.

Suitable barriers are needed so a mattress can’t move around with you, even when they ruin your room’s aesthetic! 

Bed Support

Your mattress could also start roaming around if it lacks proper support. A mattress could start sliding around when the bed frame or box spring is uneven, has poorly positioned slats, or doesn’t offer a firm surface. 

Another telltale sign of inadequate support is noisy bed frames. Make sure to check what’s making this noise. 

Mattress Age

Is your mattress getting old? Mattress age is another one of the main reasons why your bed could be sliding around. 

An old, lumpy mattress can be hard to support. Also, the combination of worsened support and material filled with oils, dust, skin cells, and sweat can impact the mattress and make it harder for it to stay in one place. 

Lack of Friction

Some materials are just more prone to sliding than others. For example, latex and memory foam mattresses might have a different grip than other beds. 

However, it all depends on the manufacturer. Some mattress companies offer mattresses with a clear bottom side that can easily latch onto the bed platform.

Still, your mattress might slide around because there’s no friction between the mattress and the bed frame. This also often happens if you keep your mattress on the floor. 

Two-Sided Mattress

Two-sided mattresses often need more friction because both sides have soft layers made for sleeping, so there’s no clear bottom side to hold the mattress firmly in place. 

Since this smooth cover is usually made from materials with a slicker surface, like memory foam or latex, this could be making the mattress slip. 

Too Much Weight on One Side of the Bed

Lastly, your mattresses might slide around because you put too much weight on one side of the bed. Just like tossing and turning, this can impact bed movement. 

If this is the case, you could try fixing it by sleeping in the middle of the mattress. 

How To Keep Mattress From Sliding

Did the last part help you figure out why your mattress is sliding? 

If you have your answer, here are some tips you can apply to get your bed to stop wiggling. 

Non-Slip Mattress Pads

A non-slip mattress pad is the easiest way to go when dealing with a lack of friction. 

A non-slip pad is designed to keep a mattress from sliding. It’s usually very thin and made from rubber. Just put a non-slip pad between the mattress and the bed frame, and you won’t even feel it. 

You can find them in all standard mattress sizes, so make sure that it matches your mattress and bed frame.

Rubber Mat

You can also use rubber mats that aren’t explicitly designed to keep mattresses in place. However, a rubber mat might be too big or too small for your bed, so you’ll have to adjust it.

For example, if you have a rubber shelf liner or a thin yoga mat at home, you can try putting it under your mattress. However, a rubber matting of this size could only handle a small twin-size mattress. 

Rug Pad Grippers

Another similar solution is rug pad grippers, specifically designed to keep your carpets in place. These might be thicker and different from those made for mattresses, but they still get the job done. 

You might have to cut them to size or use two because they won’t fit your mattress. 

Velcro Tape

The cheapest and easiest way to handle mattress sliding is to use velcro strips. 

You need to stick one side on the bed frame and the other on the mattress. Just make sure the positioning is correct. You could put smaller velcro strips of the tape in 4 to 6 different spots under the bed or add two long velcro strips on each end. 

Carpet Tape

Double-sided carpet tape is a similar solution to velcro tape, but it’s not as good. 

Velcro tape is stronger than carpet tape, but both of these could damage the mattress material, so it might not be the best choice if you have a flippable mattress. 

Add Railing

If the main reason your mattress is sliding around at night is a lack of railings, you might need to add them. How easy this will be will depend on your bed frame and whether it’s possible to add barriers to it. 

Some bed frames allow for an adjustable railing you can purchase at a local hardware store, but you might need to make your own in some cases. We hope you’re handy!

Fill the Gaps

If your mattress is sliding around because it’s too small for the bed frame it sits on, you might need some gap fillers for the extra space to stop mattress movement.

You can buy unique mattress extenders and gap fillers for this, but you can also use other things around the house, like extra pillows, to keep the mattress from sliding until you find a better solution. 

Mattress Retainer Bar

You could also purchase a mattress retainer bar to keep your mattress from sliding off. Retainer bars are usually used for adjustable bed frames because adjustable beds need that level of support. But if you can’t find a retainer for an adjustable bed in stores, you could always make it yourself. 

Vacuum and Clean Your Mattress

An old mattress collects dust, skin cells, oil, sweat, and pet hair, so it might need a good cleaning to keep the mattress from sliding.

Get your vacuum out and clean both sides of the mattress with an upholstery brush attachment. To improve its condition, you can also use other tricks to clean a mattress, like baking soda. 

Vacuuming can also help with allergens, so it’s definitely worth it! 

Get a New Bed Frame

If your bed frame or box spring has an uneven surface or is getting creaky, it won’t stop your mattress from sliding. Sometimes other bed frames and box springs are the way to go.

The correct bed base doesn’t have to be anything fancy; make sure the bed frame fits your mattress size, offers proper support, and preferably has rails to keep the mattress from sliding. 

Get a New Mattress

If all else fails and you need to get rid of your old sliding mattress, it might be time to get a new one. 

An old mattress can negatively affect your sleep and health, so it’s essential to find a new one that will fit your preferences and needs. There are several ways to buy a new bed, from brick and mortar stores to online shopping.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Keep a Mattress From Sliding off a Box Spring?

Some mattresses need a box spring for proper support, but what if your bed keeps sliding off it? 

If this is the case, your box spring might be too old, and you need to get a new one. Also, your mattress might be too slippery or isn’t the proper size, so you should fill the gaps or get sufficient grip with anti-slip pads and mattress straps. Also, if you have a bed skirt, try removing it.

How Do I Keep the Mattress From Sliding off a Metal Bed Frame?

Most metal bed frames lack friction and proper bed rails. While adding railings can be more challenging and expensive for a metal bed frame, you can improve friction with a nonslip pad, rubber matting, or velcro tape. Just add these between the mattress and the metal frame, and they should get the job done.  

How Do I Keep a Mattress From Sliding off a Platform Bed?

When it comes to a mattress moving around on a platform bed, the most common reasons are the wrong size of the bed base and a lack of friction. 

If your mattress is too small for platform beds, you can add mattress extenders and use gap fillers to fill the extra space and prevent mattress sliding. And if the problem lies with friction, you can add non-slip mattress pads, rubber mats, carpet mats, or even apply velcro and carpet tape. 

How Do I Stop a Mattress Topper From Sliding?

Mattress toppers can come in handy when you want to improve your mattress without getting a new one, but they tend to slide a lot due to friction or your tossing and turning. The best way to fix this is by using a tightly fitted sheet, but you could also get a mattress cover, as long as it’s big enough. 

How Do I Keep a Memory Foam Mattress From Sliding?

Foam is a material that’s prone to sliding around because it lacks friction on the bed base, and this is especially true for double-sided memory foam mattresses. If you want to keep your memory foam mattress from sliding around, get a reasonable bed frame with proper railings to keep it in place and use mattress pads under the mattress. Remember that velcro and carpet can damage the material. 

Final Thoughts

We hope this guide helped you figure out why your mattress is sliding and what you can do to stop it from going further. 

Sometimes the solution to handle the mattress slide is simple, like adding a rubber mat, but other times you might even need to get a whole new mattress. 

Whatever it is, we wish you luck and a good night’s sleep!