How to Make a Memory Foam Mattress Expand Faster

I’d hesitate to say you spend the last few months waking up to an aching body, but you’d have to sleep for that to be true, now wouldn’t you?

No, you’ve been getting up. Dragging yourself off the bed — or couch if things have been bad enough — after months of tossing, turning, and lying awake.

But your new memory foam mattress has finally arrived. 

To help you set up as quickly as possible and get the quality sleep that you deserve, we’ve put together this guide to making your memory foam mattress expand faster.

How to Expand a Memory Foam Mattress

The density of your memory foam is the key to how long it takes for your mattress to expand.

A thicker, denser foam will, of course, take more time to completely expand than a thinner, lighter foam.

This is doubly true for gel mattresses, as the gel-infused foam is much denser than a pure foam mattress.

Follow these steps to quickly expand your memory foam mattress:

1. Remove The memory foam from the package

Once you’ve received your memory foam mattress, remove it from the package.

If you can’t unpack it right away, don’t wait more than 72 hours.

Don’t use scissors or knives to unpack the mattress.

Take off the plastic wrapping with your hands. Sharp objects risk damaging the mattress. 

2. Expand the mattress

Bring your mattress into a spare or unused room, or a large open space.

Gently unroll or unfold the memory foam mattress onto a flat surface.

The mattress will need time to expand and air out.

3. Adjust to room temperature

Let your memory foam mattress adjust to room temperature.

This process usually takes one to two hours, and potentially longer in colder temperatures.

Bonus Tip: Memory foam responds well to heat.

You can speed up this step by placing your mattress in a warm room.

4. Separate the Mattress Layers

Now that the mattress has had some time to expand, you can attempt to separate the layers.

Using a slow, steady, uniform pulling motion, carefully separate the layers of the memory foam.

Be patient and don’t rush.

Otherwise, you risk tearing the mattress. 

This step is a little trial and error.

If you feel any resistance, stop what you’re doing, and come back later. 

5. Let the Foam Rest

Now that your memory foam mattress has expanded, move it onto your bed frame. 

Next, add your sheets and blankets, and enjoy!

Feel free to give it a test lounge before you finish making the bed. 

6. Center the memory foam on top of your bed

Now that your memory foam mattress has expanded, move it onto your bed frame. 

Next, add your bed sheet, and enjoy!

Feel free to give it a test lounge before you finish making the bed.

Back to Section Header

How to Make a Memory Foam Mattress Expand Faster

Oh! You were hoping to sleep on your mattress tonight?

Here are some tips to help your mattress expand faster.

Place Your Mattress in a Warm Room

Most memory foam responds well to warm temperatures as heat makes the foam more malleable. 

If you’ve purchased a mattress during colder months, place a space heater in the same room as your mattress to help it expand faster. 

Bedroomstylereviews.com recommends shooting for at least 20 °celsius (68 °Fahrenheit.)

Direct heat, however, can damage your mattress.

Don’t place your space heater too close.

Provide proper air circulation and ventilation

Active air circulation and ventilation will help your mattress expand faster.

If you’ve set up your mattress in a stuffy room, don’t worry.

You can create air circulation by turning on a fan or two.

Bonus Tip: Fan heaters might seem like the ideal combo, but be careful.

Make sure the heat is set to low, and again, they’re set up away from the mattress.

Human Assisted Mattress Expansion

Mattressnut.com says you don’t have to wait for the full-time length if you really don’t want to, and at least 4-6 hours is enough time.

If your old mattress is horrible, that’s a good argument for not waiting another night. 

In fact, your body heat will actually help the memory foam mattress expand faster, without causing any damage.

The wait time following an unboxing allows the mattress to let off chemicals.

The gasses it produces aren’t usually dangerous, but they can be irritating, especially to people with asthma.

Back to Section Header

Help! My Mattress Isn’t Expanding!

Remember, most mattresses take 24-72 hours to fully expand.

But, if it’s been over a week and you’re still having trouble, then you probably have a defective mattress.

This is highly unlikely, but if this is your situation, call customer service to tell them about the issue.

As long as you haven’t violated your mattress warranty, you should still qualify for a return.

Do I Have to Wait to Sleep on My Mattress?

So you’re adamant about not waiting another night to sleep on your new mattress.

The reality is, you probably won't damage it if you sleep on it the same night.

If anything, your body heat should break in the mattress faster.

That being said, if the manufacturer doesn’t want you to sleep on it the same night, waiting for the recommended time is better than voiding your warranty.

Don’t Fall Asleep Just Yet!

While you’re waiting for your mattress to finish expanding, leave a comment letting us know which tips helped you the most!

Also, let us know if we missed anything. 

If you have a super-secret method of getting your mattress unpacked and sleep ready in a matter of seconds, we'd love to know.

Popular Mattress Unpacking Articles

• Hunker - How to Expand Memory Foam
• Sleepjunkie - Can You Sleep On A Memory Foam Mattress Before 24 Hours?
• What Happens if You Sleep on a Memory Foam Mattress Before 24 Hours?

Back To Top