The Successful Guide To Sleeping On The Sofa

We have all had to sleep on a sofa at some point, and if you haven’t then don’t worry, your time will come! To help you wake up feeling fresh as a daisy, we’re tackling the issue of sleeping on the sofa successfully.

But before we crack on, why not consider a sofa bed? If you need a little help on what to look out for, check our guide to buying a sofa bed.

Top tips for sleeping on the sofa

1. Prepare your surface

If you’re sleeping on a sofa, you’ll notice that you tend to sink into the cushions, rather than being supported. This is because the cushions on a sofa are usually made from a foam filling, and there are no springs to displace your weight properly. To counteract this place a thick blanket on the cushions which will help to make the surface firmer.

Remove the back cushions so that you have a wider ‘bed’ upon which to sleep. This gives you a bit more space to roll around, and if you miss out this step you’ll quickly discover that a sofa feels particularly narrow once you’ve been on it a few hours!

2. Choose the best bedding

Make sure you get the comfiest pillow and blanket with which to sleep. Steal other people’s bedding if you have to, just make sure you’re kitted out well enough that sleeping on the sofa isn’t going to be a massive chore!

Read more: How To Sleep Well Away From Home

3. Treat it like a bed

We all know that a sofa doesn’t have the same proportions as a bed. This means you may not be able to stretch out as well as you usually would. To combat this problem and make sure sleeping on the sofa isn’t going to consist of tossing back and forth entirely these positions should help:

1. If the sofa is long enough, sleep on your back. If possible, remove cushions on the arms to give yourself a few more inches of stretching space. However, if you’re really unfortunate and ended up with a two-seater, you may have to skip this position. If this is the case, try hanging your legs over the arm, or finding a chair to place your feet on, lying at a slight angle to make the most of the extra length.
2. The foetal position is favoured by most, so it’s more than likely that you naturally defer to this shape when you sleep. It makes the best use of the small space available to you while keeping you warm all night long.

And if none of this works? Then you might want to try the floor. Though sleeping on the floor isn’t really recommended there’s no arguing with the fact that you’ll probably have a lot more leg room this way. Remove the bottom cushions from your sofa and use these to create a temporary mattress that will help you get through the night more soundly.

Finally, if you have regular guests or sofa surfers staying at your home, why not invest in a sofa bed? Give them a great night’s sleep. If you need a little help deciding on the best type, check out our sofa bed buying guide first.

Related – Guest Beds Guide

If you’ve got any more tips for sleeping on the sofa, then let us know! Perhaps you can help out a poor soul in need of some handy sofa solutions . . .