How to Prevent Your Air Mattress From Deflating Overnight

The frustrating phenomenon of air mattresses deflating overnight remains a mystery to many consumers all over the world. You inflate your mattress to full firmness and sleep comfortably on it and then wake to no cushion whatsoever. Sound familiar?

Many inflatable mattress owners become visibly alarmed the first time this happens. They begin to wonder if their mattress has somehow been punctured, and they attempt to search for the affected area. After trying to look for airbed leakage with no success, they give up with greater confusion. If you have found yourself in this scenario, you are not alone.

Air mattresses deflating overnight has, unfortunately, become a common problem. Most people settle for having a good air mattress pump on hand so they can fill up their deflated bed in the middle of the night. However, many consumers don’t consider that the original problem can be fixed.

Let’s take a look at some easy techniques that can help you avoid these problems altogether.

Check Your Surroundings Before Inflating Your Mattress

This is the most basic advice that should be observed by every airbed owner. It is vital to check that the room or area you intend to sleep in is large enough to accommodate the size of your mattress. Whether your mattress is going in the living room or a bonus room, check your surroundings.

Next, look for any sharp objects lying around that could puncture your mattress.

Surprisingly, a fully inflated mattress could be easily punctured via contact with the sharp edge of a table. If the manufacturing material used in your mattress is of thin gauge, then you need to be even more careful. Similarly, for outdoor airbed users, inflating your mattress over a few stones can also cause punctures.

These punctures are usually enough to force your mattress to slowly leak air. In most cases, these tears can be present for a long time before you even suspect that there’s anything wrong with your airbed. In fact, most punctures are usually too tiny to notice before you begin experiencing considerable air leakage.

Finding a puncture can be a complicated venture. However, with the right techniques, you should have no problems discovering any air leaks.

Let the Mattress Stretch Naturally

The natural properties of airbeds cause them to expand slightly after the first couple of uses.

This allows the material to come to terms with the fact that you will be repeatedly inflating and deflating it during its lifetime. During the first few nights of sleeping on your brand-new inflatable mattress, the material naturally stretches. Experiencing this shouldn’t alarm you. After a few nights on your new airbed, the material will soon stretch to its maximum capacity, leading to a more comfortable sleep.

The trick to avoid significant deflation is to inflate the bed fully for 2-3 days without sleeping on it. This also goes hand in hand with laying out the air mattress to air it out, which ensures that any bad factory smells and odors dissipate before using the air mattress. Also, make sure you don’t put any extra weight on the mattress during this phase so it can stretch out naturally.

Typically, the amount of stretching will depend on the mattress’ component materials. More luxurious airbed models with higher price tags typically experience minimal stretching when compared to their cheaper rivals. But what if you don’t want to be waking up to a deflated air mattress even for the first couple of nights?

Purchase an Air Mattress with a Dual-Pump System

One of the best modern innovations in the air mattress industry is the addition of a second pump to many of the top-tier air mattress models.

These second pumps are silent and, if you keep your air mattress plugged in all night, will sense any air leakage and automatically add any needed air throughout the night.

One of the best airbeds with this new technology is the Insta-Bed Raised Air Mattress With Never-Flat Pump. For a review of this particular bed and a few others, I recommend checking out our article about air mattresses with built-in pumps.

Adjust Your Airbed to Room Temperature

Temperature changes can be a major source of leakage in inflatable mattresses.

With every change in room temperature comes a slight loss of air in your mattress. Seemingly harmless things like flipping off the heating in a room where an airbed is located can lead to some air loss.

To prevent the air in your mattress from becoming cold and contracting, you can place a portable heater near the mattress. Another trick is to inflate your bed several hours before bedtime so that it can get used to the room temperature.

Notice the Maximum Capacity of the Mattress

Every airbed comes with a maximum-weight-capacity label. This number is usually found in the instruction manual. Contact the manufacturer if you are unsure about how much weight your model can support. For more information on how airbed companies produce these weight limits, it can be helpful to understand how an air mattress is made.

Failing to adhere to weight limits will only result in the formation of bubbles and lumps across different areas of the mattress as well as consistent air loss.

Deflate the Air Mattress Overnight

Have a huge camping trip coming up? Or a road trip that will require you to sleep on the airbed for a few nights in a row? We recommend that you release some air from the mattress every morning after sleeping on it, or simply drain out the air completely and re-inflate after each night of sleeping. This will ensure minimal pressure on the seams and top material so your mattress can stay in great condition.

Patch any Punctures

If you do find a leak in your air mattress, it is imperative to patch the hole. For more information on how to do this, check out our guide on how to patch an air mattress.

The Verdict

Don’t be disheartened if you notice some air loss in your inflatable mattress. Most people become so alarmed that they shop for a brand new mattress only to realize that the new one loses air, too. Being aware of the causes of air loss and following our helpful tips can save you lots of time and money in the long run. If your airbed is still losing a significant amount of air after practicing our tips, chances are you have a puncture which can usually be easily repaired.

Doubtful about your ability to maintain a healthy environment for an indoor air mattress? Opting for a camping air mattresses is another route to consider.

Whatever your air mattress situation, air loss is not the end!