Can you sleep on a sofa bed every night? This is what to know before considering it

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If space or money is tight, you might be wondering if it’s possible to sleep on a sofa bed every night. While it’s probably not the ideal choice for you and your back long term, there are ways you can make this a possibility.

Even the best sofa beds aren’t really designed for every night use, year round. They’re built with occasional use in mind. But this doesn’t always mean once in a blue moon. ‘People use sofa beds as regularly as once or twice a week if they have kids coming to stay who don’t normally live with them, or for people who work different shift patterns and need to sleep undisturbed,’ says Megan Thompson, Buyer for Benson for Beds.

‘[Sofa beds] are also a great temporary solution for life change such as moving house and waiting for a new bed frame to arrive, or when you first have a baby and are taking it in turns to do the night feeds,’ say Megan. As someone who has tested more than 20 mattresses and plenty of other sleep products, I’m going to take you through the finer details of the pros and cons, as well as things to consider.

Are sofa beds good for long term use?

As with standard mattresses for beds, you’re going to have to do extensive research before taking the plunge on a sofa bed that’s worthy of sleeping on every night.

‘Sofa beds have amazing benefits when it comes to maximising space in a smaller home and giving you the option to host overnight guests,’ says Jade Crooks, Commercial Director at DUSK. ‘However, not all sofa beds are suitable for long-term use, so you should make sure to check individual product specifications when shopping around.’

‘Generally sofa beds are designed as a sofa with occasional use as a bed,’ says Simon Williams of the National Bed Federation. ‘That is because most sofa beds only contain a slim mattress that won’t provide sufficient support for long term use.’

OK, so perhaps not ideal but if you’re still keen on the idea of sleeping on a sofa bed every night, then what should we be looking for?

What should you look for in a sofa bed to sleep on it for a extended period of time?

‘Comfort is one of the main things you want to look for in a sofa bed. You need to make sure that it can fulfil both functions, allowing you to lounge on the sofa during the day and then get enough sleep support at night,’ says Jade from DUSK.

Comfort is going to come down to what the mattress is made from. As Simon Williams from National Bed Federation already pointed out, sofa bed mattresses are thinner so the mattress needs to do a lot of work here.

Generally pocket-sprung mattresses are going to be the ones to go for. The Oswald sofa bed from Heals is designed for everyday use and has a foam and pocket-sprung mattress. It also offers a king-size sleep surface, which is a rarity for sofa beds.

‘You also need to make sure that the mechanism on the sofa bed is sturdy,’ says Jade from Dusk. ‘That’s because, if you are regularly switching between sofa and bed, your mechanism will need to be robust to stand the test of time.’

Why should you not sleep on a sofa every night

1. Poor sleep quality

As sofa beds have thinner mattresses, they’re generally less supportive and comfortable. This will affect the quality of your sleep, and over a long period of time this can have a knock-on affect on your overall health.

This is because if you’re uncomfortable, you will wake more often and spend less time in deep sleep. Deep sleep is important because it strengthens your mental and physical health.

Initially you might not even be aware that you’re not getting good-quality sleep, as you might not fully wake up when you’re uncomfortable.

2. Could cause aches and pain

Again, the relative lack of support that sofa beds offer compared to standard bed mattresses is going to affect your body.

Ideally your spine should be aligned when you sleep. If your body isn’t properly supported it can cause hip, shoulder, neck and/or back pain. Generally speaking, sofa bed mattresses don’t offer decent support.

This will become exacerbated over time. The mattress will lose its support as it ages, and the more you use it the faster it wears out. Add to this that you’re constantly folding it in and out, this wear and tear really stacks up. This isn’t a spiral you want to put yourself in if you can avoid it.

3. Not great for allergies

Owing to all the nooks and crannies of a sofa bed, they are much more difficult to keep clean than regular mattresses.

Add to that, that people are using the sofa during the day – perhaps eating snacks, almost certainly wearing their clothes from outside while sat on it – and it’s just not going to be as clean as a standard bed.

Allergy sufferers especially are going to want a clean, hygienic sleep surface to keep allergens at bay. That’s going to be much harder on a sofa bed.

4. Shortens the life span of sofa bed

As sofa beds are generally designed for occasional use, if you sleep on one every night it’s going to dramatically reduce its lifespan. As we said earlier, while it might seem like a cheaper option than a bed, if you’re having to buy another one in a few years then it’s just a false economy.

FAQs

What is the maximum length of time you should sleep on a sofa bed?

Of course, there are no hard and fast rules here. You can make your own judgement on how long you want to sleep on a sofa bed for. It’s probably better to not think of a sofa bed as a permanent solution, but more of a stop gap as Megan from Bensons for Bed mentions above.

‘If the mattress is only a slim construction, it really won’t provide sufficiently robust support so anything more than a few nights would be more than enough,’ says Simon Williams from the National Bed Federation.

‘​​Sofa beds are perfect for short stays from a few days through to a couple of weeks. However, for long-term stays, nothing is as restorative as a full-size bed,’ says Patricia Gibbons, Head of Design at sofa.com.

How can you make a sofa bed more comfortable for everyday use?

‘Sofa beds are great when it comes to an occasional sleep solution. But if you’re looking for a more long-term versatile sleep solution, additional bedding products can help ensure your sofa bed continues to deliver a comfortable night’s

Sleep,’ says Megan Thompson from Bensons for Beds.

‘Blankets, mattress toppers and duvets can all help to enhance the comfort of a sofa bed,’ Megan says. ‘And don’t forget the importance of the right pillow for a good night’s sleep too. It’s worth investing in these extra bedding essentials if you’re going to be sleeping on a sofa bed for a good few nights.’