How to Stop a Bed from Squeaking?

By
Romeo Vitelli
Romeo Vitelli
Expert Writer
Received his doctorate in Psychology in 1987, spent fifteen years as a staff psychologist in Millbrook Correctional Centre. In 2003 went into full-time private practice. read more
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Reviewed By
Medical Advisory Team
Medical Advisory Team
Includes well-known professionals, who together provide decades of sleep medicine experience that enables Talk About Sleep to fulfill its mission of creating access to high- read more
Last updated: August 19, 2023
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After a long and tiring day, all you need is to sleep on your bed peacefully. However, if you tend to toss and turn in your sleep, you would have trouble sleeping if your bed squeaks. Nobody likes a squeaky bed, and it is the last thing you need after working the entire day. That is why, we will tell you how to stop the bed from squeaking here.

The article about  squeaky beds Trusted Source There's no respite from a squeaky bed - The Washington Post This just in: Adult children have their own opinions on everything. www.washingtonpost.com  on Washington Post also highlights how it can be nearly impossible to sleep in the constant noise. If you are facing this situation, it is time to remedy this problem as soon as possible.

Otherwise, you won’t be able to enjoy a peaceful sleep. Luckily, you can take certain steps to ensure that you won’t have to sleep with the noise for too long.

Figure out what makes the noise

How to Stop a Bed from Squeaking?

First, you need to find out where the noise is coming from or what is causing the sound. Maybe it is your mattress, box spring, or even your bed frame. You will have to disassemble the entire bed and check each one separately. Make sure you have enough space to place the box spring and the mattress separately on the floor.

Start with the mattress. Typically, mattresses are silent and don’t squeak unless they are hybrid mattresses with coils. If you have a foam mattress, you shouldn’t have to worry about anything. When you place your mattress on the bed, step all over it or try to twist it to see if it makes any noise. If your mattress is the culprit, see if the warranty is still active and replace it. However, if your warranty has expired, you can check out the hybrid mattresses to replace your existing one.

Moving on, if your mattress is soundless, it is time to inspect your box spring. It is known to be the biggest culprit in a squeaky bed. Just like the mattress, place the box spring on the floor and roll around on it. If you hear the squeaky noise, it is probably an old or deformed spring that refuses to do its job anymore, or it could be the wood coming in contact with something. This means it is time to replace your box spring.

Whether or not your box spring is making a squeaky noise, it is best to check the third component of your bed, which is the bed frame. Since you have already taken your bed apart, it wouldn’t take any extra effort to inspect it. You can start by pressing down on different places on the frame and shaking it lightly. Make sure to cover all four sides, the headboard, and the bottom bases. If you haven’t located the noise by now, it will most likely originate from the bed frame.

Guide to fix the squeaking

If you have successfully located the squeaking noise in your bed, you have done half of the work already. Now, all that remains is to fix the problem so that there is no noise. If the mattress or box spring is at fault, you need to replace them as soon as possible. However, if your bed frame is causing the squeaking, you can try these methods:

Tighten the joints

Usually, bed frames are joined together by joints, locked into place with metal bolts and screws. Naturally, when you put pressure on the bed, it automatically puts pressure on the joints, and they start to loosen up or become squeaky with time. First, tighten all of the screws or bolts that hold your bed together by using a wrench or screwdriver.

If the squeakiness persists, you can add plastic washers between the bolts and the joints to reduce the metal-on-metal contact. After doing this, you should apply pressure on the bed and lightly shake it to check if the problem has been solved.

Lubricate the parts

Sometimes, tightening the joints doesn’t do the job, and you have to lubricate it as well. To do so, you can use brake oil or engine oil and apply it where the joints meet. You can also use universal lubricants for this purpose. Once you have lubricated all four joints of your bed frame, you can tighten the bolts and screws once again and move the bed around to see if the noise has stopped. If this, too, doesn’t solve your problem, there are other things that you can try.

Add extra padding

Often, one source of noise overlooked by many is the squeaky sound that comes when the mattress rubs against the frame of the bed. If you tried everything else and the noise is still there, you can try adding an extra layer of padding between the mattress and the frame. To do this, you can grab some old and lightweight fabrics, such as towels, t-shirts, and socks. Place these fabrics on the borders of your bed frame, and place the mattress back on top. This should reduce the friction between the mattress and the frame and will definitely reduce the noise, if not eliminate it.

Check the legs

Another source of squeakiness can be the legs of your bed frame, or it can be that your floor is uneven, and the wobbliness is causing the bed to squeak. What you can do is place furniture or silicone pads on the legs of the bed frame to make sure that it doesn’t wobble and doesn’t make any noise by coming in contact with the floor.

If one of the legs is causing the noise, you can simply add padding underneath.

If you have tried everything that we mentioned above and the problem persists, maybe it is time you change your bed frame. Our expert recommendation is the Zinus Van that requires no box spring. If you are considering getting a new platform bed, check out the Adrian model from the same manufacturer.

Strengthen the foundation

Last but not least, you can also try strengthening your bed’s foundation, if you think it isn’t strong enough and maybe contribute to the noise. You can add cinder blocks to increase strength and stability to your bed, but you can also use plywood.

Final thoughts

We have always heard that good sleep keeps you healthy and smart and increases your productivity. However, the slightest disturbance or noise can disturb your precious sleep and keep you awake all night. Therefore, it is best to remedy the problem as soon as possible, so that you don’t have to spend any more sleepless nights. By following the steps that we outlined above, you will be able to learn how to stop the bed from squeaking. If you are able to identify the problem early on, you will be to fix it sooner than later.

References

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This just in: Adult children have their own opinions on everything.
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