A squeaky bed may make some exciting scenes in a thriller movie, but in real life, it’s the worst. You might not realize this, but it is not only annoying but can also be harmful to your health like sleep disorders.
These creaking noises can prevent you from having a deep, restful sleep and keep waking you up at any time. They are also a sign that your bed can’t provide enough support for your back anymore. You should fix it as soon as possible, even just temporarily. But how to make a bed stop squeaking? Don’t worry. The guide is here to help.
Find Out Why Your Bed Squeak
Take Your Bed Apart
There are multiple reasons a bed can make those squeaky noises: the bed frame, box spring, mattress, and a combination of them. So the best way to determine where the noise comes from is to test each of these parts separately.
You can do this by taking the mattress and box spring off the bed frame then rolling on them or pushing on different places to find the noisy area.
Gently push on and shake the frame at different spots to see if there is anything wrong with it that can keep you awake, such as a loose bolt.
Keep doing these testing steps until you figure out what causes the noise. This is important since unless you know exactly where the noise is coming from, there is no way to fix it.
Innerspring Mattress
Compared to memory foam mattresses or air mattresses, the innerspring design is more likely to be the source of the squeaking.
As they are made with a lot of metal coils (the number can go up to a few hundred) that are interconnected with wire, squeaking noises after a long time of use is inevitable. This is because the pressure constantly put on those springs will wear them out over time, making metal parts rub on themselves.
Some models, like those with offset or continuous coils, do a better job in this. But these designs only delay this situation a bit, and eventually, sagging mattresses will become louder too. Keep in mind that this happens if you have a mattress with both coils and foam layers too.
Box Spring
If the test reveals your mattress is not the culprit, the foundation or box spring is likely the source of those annoying sounds. In fact, bed noises usually come from box springs the most, due to the wooden and/or coils construction.
A common reason is the wood frame that can come into contact with the bed frame, especially on box springs with tipped edges. They are intended to provide extra protection for your box spring, but these edges also often rub on the metal frame, causing squeaks. And just like your innerspring mattress, the old springs in your box spring can produce noise over time as well.
Bed Frame
If everything so far points out that neither the box spring nor mattress is responsible for the noise, the final answer is the frame itself.
Even if your bed is sturdy enough, it’s actually also prone to movement on the bed, especially when you change sleep positions often. And when the bolts become loose, a squeaky and wobbly frame is what you get.
If your bed frame is made from wood, humidity is also a big issue. The wood will contract with the weather and swell when there are big changes in humidity, making pieces rub on each other. This leads to squeaky noises that can keep you awake as a result.
And it doesn’t stop there! Not only the pieces of your frame can rub against each other, but the legs can also crunch loudly on the floor if the frame moves. This happens either when there is so much movement on the bed or when the floor is uneven, which causes the frame to wobble and hit the wall.
How To Stop A Squeaky Bed
Fixing A Squeaky Mattress
The easiest solution if all the tests tell you there is something wrong with your mattress is to get a new one. An old mattress may not only make annoying sounds but also reduce the quality of your sleep.
If a mattress has become squeaky, it means the springs have worn out and can’t provide enough back support anymore. These sagging springs will wake you up often, preventing you from having a good night’s sleep. However, there are still some workarounds to temporarily make your mattress a bit more comfortable and reduce the noise. This is good news if you can afford a brand new mattress right now.
For example, you can flip it over or place a thin plywood sheet between it and the box spring to make your soft mattress firmer. Using a topper is also a quick fix, which reduces noises while providing some comfort at the same time.
But at the end of the day, as long as the old sagging springs are still there, the squeaky sounds will come back eventually. So the best way to stop your bed from squeaking completely is still a new mattress.
Foundation or Box Spring
Like the mattress, if the coils are what makes the box spring squeaky, buying a new one is also the ultimate way to solve it. But if you are in luck and the sounds come from the metal or wood, some lubricant or a mattress pad can be enough to make it stop, at least temporarily.
Place a piece of old towels, T-shirts, or even a sock between the frame and the box spring. This can prevent them from rubbing against each other.
If you have a metal bed frame, spraying some lubricant (like the WD-40) can also silence those sounds. On top of that, a layer of plywood between the box spring and the mattress can also help. But remember, they are temporary solutions that may or may not work. A new box spring or its alternatives is still our recommendation to prevent your bed from squeaking.
Fixing A Squeaky Bed Frame
Unlike your mattress and box spring, you don’t need to replace a squeaky bed frame with a completely new one unless there are serious problems with it. If you really need to buy a new one, check out our collections of the quietest bed frames.
There are various ways to silence the sounds coming from a bad frame:
- Put some furniture pads underneath the legs so they can’t rub on the floor anymore.
- Tighten the loose bolts. You can also place a plastic washer between the bolt and the frame to make the joint silent and secure.
- Spray lubricant such as WD-40 or add beeswax to where the parts come into contact.
- If your bed is made from wood and has no bolt to hold it together, place some pieces of cork, which you can find at your local hardware store, at the squeaky areas between the mattress and the frame.
- When the floor is uneven, place something under the legs to even them out.
- Replace the squeaky wheels if your bed has casters.
- Prevent the bed from hitting the wall by placing cooling pillows between them.
Final Words
As you can see, learning how to fix a squeaky bed is not as hard as figuring out which part is the source of those sounds. As long as you can determine the culprit, the solution for stopping the squeaking maybe just some easy hacks.
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