How Often to Flip Your Mattress for a Better Night's Sleep, According to Experts

A good mattress is a pricey investment—and one that can significantly affect the quality of your sleep—so prolonging its life should be a priority. One mattress maintenance task is turning it over regularly, but how often should you flip your mattress? We turned to sleep experts to find out the ideal schedule to extend your mattress’s life, improve comfort, and support better rest night after night.

Why Flipping Your Mattress Is Worth It

According to behavioral sleep medicine clinician Andrew E. Colsky, JD, LLM, LPC, LMHC, flipping your mattress can extend its life and help maintain its support, thereby improving your sleep.

“We use our mattress for around eight hours a night every night,” Colsky explains. “That means that the same spot on our body will compress the same area on the mattress night after night.” Flipping and rotating it allows the weight distribution to even out on both sides (rather than wearing heavily on one section).

Does Every Mattress Need to Be Flipped?

Before you break a sweat, it's important to understand that not every mattress requires the care task. It's recommended you check the manufacturer's label for specific guidance.

If you can't locate these instructions, then look up your mattress type below to learn if it should be regularly flipped.

Innerspring Mattresses: Flip

Colsky explains that innerspring mattresses are built with a layer of coils in the center and padding on both the top and bottom. This uniform construction runs the entire length of the bed, which makes both sides identical. As a result, these mattresses are designed to be regularly flipped and rotated to maintain even wear.

Latex Mattresses: Flip

Similarly to an innerspring mattress, latex mattresses traditionally have a symmetrical design on both sides. This means these mattresses are designed to be flipped and rotated over time.

Pillow-Top Mattresses: Don't Flip

On the flip side (pun intended), Colsky doesn’t recommend flipping pillow-top mattresses. “Pillow-top mattresses typically have a thick pillow layer sewn on the top side of the mattress only,” he explains. “If you were to flip this mattress, you would be putting the soft side at the bottom and the firm side at the top. That is not how this type of mattress is designed to be used.”

According to Colsky, it should be fine to rotate these mattresses though being that the pillow top and design of the mattress are uniform throughout.

Memory Foam Mattresses: Don't Flip

Memory foam mattresses often feature a soft, cushioning layer on top and firmer support foam underneath, says Colsky. Therefore, these mattresses are typically suitable for rotating but not flipping.

There are also hybrid mattresses that combine coils and foam, usually with designated comfort layers on one side. These shouldn’t be flipped either, but can still be rotated for even wear.

Zoned Mattresses: Don't Flip

Some mattresses are specially designed with zoned support. This means different sections of the bed offer varying firmness levels, like extra support under where the hips would lay and softer cushioning in specific areas of the mattress. Flipping or rotating a zoned mattress that isn’t built for it can interfere with its intended support.

While rotating most mattresses can help extend their lifespan, it's important to check with the manufacturer before rotating a zoned model, as it may not always be recommended.

How Often Should You Flip Your Mattress?

Provided your mattress is designed to be flipped and rotated, mattress expert Derek Hales recommends taking on the task every six months.

Colsky agrees, adding, “If your mattress is also designed to be rotated, you would rotate it each time that you flip it. The flipping and rotation help to evenly distribute body weight and extend the life of your mattress.”

How to Properly Flip a Mattress

Never flipped a mattress before? Here's how Colsky suggests flipping your mattress easily when the time comes.

1. Strip your mattress of all bedding. This includes your pillows, blankets, sheets, comforter, and mattress protector.
2. Take a piece of masking or painter's tape and label the current head of the mattress. (This way, you won't get confused in the process of rotating it.)
3. Make sure the area around your bed is clear. You and a helper will need enough room to lift and/or rotate the mattress. If your bedroom is carpeted, lay a flattened piece of cardboard on top of the carpet to move the mattress on. (This will make it easier to maneuver and slide around.)
4. Once both people get a strong grip on the mattress, slide the mattress towards one side of the bed.
5. Stand the mattress upright, safely lowering what was the top portion of the mattress towards the bottom.
6. To rotate your mattress, take the side of the mattress where your head lies and rotate it to where your feet normally lie.
7. Remove the painter's tape. Add your mattress protector, sheets, comforter, and pillows back onto the bed.