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Ditching the bed this World Sleep Day? 3 things you need before putting your mattress on the floor
To celebrate Sleep Awareness Week 2025, we're looking at ways we can take care of our sleep and mattresses.
Thinking about putting your mattress on your bedroom floor? You should certainly think twice before handing your bedframe over to the scrap man.
Sleeping on the best mattress for your sleep style and body weight is key to getting quality sleep. But your mattress needs a solid foundation just as much as your sleeping body does and putting it directly on the floor comes with caution.
So, we're diving into whether it's really a good idea to start sleeping on your mattress on the floor and what you'll need to ensure you keep getting quality sleep.
Should you put your mattress on the floor?
An increasing number of people are shunning bed frames altogether in favour of the paired back aesthetic of a mattress directly on the floor.
While there are some benefits to this, there are a number of things to be cautious of too.
The decreased airflow when your bed sits on a solid surface as opposed to an airy bed frame means it can quickly become a breeding ground for the dreaded bedroom mold.
Whether you have carpet or hard flooring, your mattress will also be sitting closer to allergens and dust mites which can cause irritations while you sleep and damage your sleep hygiene.
But providing you put accessories in place to help temperature regulation and support, and prevent creepy crawlies joining you in bed, there is no serious harm involved in sleeping on a mattress on the floor.
3 things you need before putting your mattress on the floor
If you're deciding between a mattress on the floor vs a bed frame, you should know that there are accessories you need to buy to make sure your mattress remains durable, supportive and comfortable if you go with the former option.
1. A barrier between the floor and your mattress
Firstly, to prevent mold and allergens building up in your mattress you need a hygienic barrier between your bed and the floor. This could be a tatami mat or bunkie board.
A tatami mat is a traditional Japanese flooring mat made with a rice straw core and a woven grass cover. The mat sits under the mattress on the floor to add comfort and absorb moisture build-up.
Alternatively, a bunkie board is a thin, flat wood board. It can provide essential support, prevent sagging and lumps forming, ensure a firmer feel and more support and potentially prolong the mattress' lifespan when on the floor.
2. A mattress topper
Even the best memory foam mattresses will feel firmer when placed directly on the floor than they would on the slats of a bed frame.
So, you may find your mattress suddenly feels too firm for your liking especially if you're lighter than average or a side sleeper.
Therefore, a plush mattress topper can help add more cushioning. The best mattress toppers are complete with contouring comfort and ample pressure relief to help you sleep more comfortably on your mattress on the floor.
We particularly recommend a mattress topper with additionally cooling technology like a GlacioTex cover, copper infusions or phase change materials which can regulate your temperature throughout the night (more on why below.)
3. Cooling bed sheets
Cooling bedsheets become even more important for maintaining a comfortable and healthy sleep environment when you sleep on a mattress on the floor.
Mattresses placed directly on the floor have little ventilation as air cannot flow under them like it would with a open-slat bed frame.
This means they can trap heat, making your sleep surface warmer. To offset this, think about buying bed sheets that are breathable and cooling that will stop you overheating through the night.
Cooling bedsheets also tend to be hypoallergenic, which is good news if you have allergies, which, being on the floor, you will be closer to.
Are there any benefits of sleeping on the floor?
There's obviously a reason so many people are opting to put their mattress on the floor as opposed to a bed frame, so what are the benefits of this sleep set up?
Firstly, minimalist interior design is all the rage right now, down to its ability to reduce stress and improve mental clarity while offering better space utilization and easier maintenance.
Hence, decluttering your bedroom can improve your sleep quality. The stripped-back aesthetic of a mattress on the floor offers this minimalist appeal.
Moreover, putting your mattress on the floor makes it feel firmer as the solid floor surface is more sturdy than a slatted bedframe, making the mattress more responsive. This can be useful if you find your mattress is too soft to properly support your spine leading to back aches and pains.
Finally, if you're revamping your bedroom on a budget, sacrificing a bed frame is an easy way to save your dollars.
Other things to consider when putting your mattress on the floor
Beyond these sleep accessories, there are still a few more things to consider before you decide to switch to floor sleeping...
- Check your mattress warranty: Some manufacturers void your warranty if you put your mattress on the floor on the premise that it is an improper support surface, potentially leading to premature wear, damage or moisture issues.
- Ensure you lift and air your mattress regularly: Moisture can quickly build up between your mattress and the floor as air circulation is reduced. Regularly lifting your mattress with your bedroom windows open will ensure this moisture has a chance to dry out, so you can avoid mold and mildew.
- Regularly vacuum: Cleaning your sleep space is especially important when your mattress is on the floor as it is more prone to bed bugs, dust mites and allergens. Vacuuming your mattress, along with steaming, will make sure your bed remains bug-free.
