Dorm Room Mattress Topper: The Key to Better Sleep

Heading to college can be an exhilarating, yet overwhelming, time. There are books to buy, schedules to plan, roommates to meet and of course, boxes to pack.

When you live in a dorm, you want your bedroom to feel as cozy and comfortable as possible. The only problem?

Dorm mattresses aren't exactly plush. In fact, many of them can be hard as a rock or as thin as a slice of sandwich bread. You're at a time in your life where you need sleep more than ever, and you can't afford to toss and turn. 

A dorm room mattress topper can help. This bedding accessory could be the ticket to transforming your sub-par mattress into the luxurious oasis you deserve. Today, we're sharing how a topper works, why you need one, and how to choose the best one for your needs.

What Is a Dorm Room Mattress Topper?

Before we dive too deeply into their features and benefits, let's answer a basic question. What is a mattress topper?

Put simply, this is an extra layer of bedding that goes above your mattress and below your fitted sheet. It's designed to compensate for all the areas that your mattress lacks. It can make an uneven surface feel level, a hard surface feel soft, and a thin surface feel thick.

Mattress toppers can be made from a variety of different materials, including:

• Memory foam
• Gel
• Polyfill
• Wool
• Latex

Of these, memory foam tends to be the most common and popular choice. 

Mattress toppers for college dorm rooms are sized in accordance with standard dorm bed dimensions. The most common size is Twin XL, which can be difficult to find in generic toppers that aren't made specifically for the college community. 

When you shop at Sleepyhead, you'll find that our 100% memory foam mattress toppers are available in Twin XL size. They're also available in standard Twin, as well as Full, Full XL, Queen, and King. We built our business around the needs of college students, and we're happy to accommodate a range of dorm room bed sizes. 

Why Do I Need One?

A mattress is a mattress, right? Even if yours sags in a few places and feels like a brick underneath you, you can suffer through it for a few semesters, right?

Not quite.

A great night's sleep is critical to your academic success. If you don't get enough shut-eye, it will start to show in your performance at school. Studies show that sleep deprivation can reduce your cognitive function, which makes it more difficult to stay engaged and focused in class.

Yet, the number of hours that you sleep isn't the only thing that matters. It's equally important to make sure you're getting high-quality, consistent rest. You simply can't get there with an uncomfortable mattress.

Let's take a look at a few reasons why a mattress topper for dorm room beds is a must-have purchase before you move. 

Enhanced Comfort

We'll start with the most obvious reason. It's comfortable! No one wants to sink into a sagging, too-hard, or too-soft mattress after a long day in class.

You want to curl up onto a plush surface that has just the right amount of give, and plenty of well-cushioned support. That's where we come in.

Our 100% memory foam mattress toppers give you all the features you love in a memory foam mattress, but in a thinner and more portable form. This is one of the most flexible and cozy materials in the world, designed to conform to your every curve. 

When you're cradled in comfort, you're much less likely to flail about and toss and turn. Rather, you'll finally enjoy that deep, restorative sleep that you need and crave.

Extra Softness

If there's one telltale characteristic of dorm room mattresses, it's that they're exceedingly hard. Even if you prefer a firm sleeping surface, these are on an entirely different level. 

While you can't switch out the mattress you're given, you can use a mattress topper to make it softer and more plush. It's an inexpensive way to invest deeply in the quantity, quality and duration of your sleep. 

Pressure Relief

Mornings can be hard on a college student, but they're particularly challenging when your joints, bones, and muscles ache as soon as you step onto the floor.

Has your back been hurting in the morning lately? What about your shoulders or neck?

If you're hurting for no plausible reason, then your mattress could be to blame. This problem is especially common with mattresses that are too soft or too firm.

While you sleep, your body weight sinks into the mattress beneath you. Unless it's specially designed to be supportive, you'll simply make an indention in the surface and you'll feel the discomfort as soon as you wake up.

What's going on? There are two plausible scenarios.

First, your dorm mattress could be too soft.

If that's the case, your spine can fall out of neutral alignment while you sleep. It's designed to fall easily into its natural curvature every time you lay down, and a mattress that's too hard or too soft can interfere with that movement. In response to this motion, your muscles will contract rather than relax. 

This can cause stiffness to set in all over your body, with the most discomfort isolated to your back and neck. 

Second, your dorm mattress could be too hard. For hours, the sensitive pressure points on your body lie against its rigid surface. This puts a substantial amount of pressure on them and in some cases, it could even restrict blood flow to your joints. 

With a mattress topper, you can eliminate both concerns. Your mattress will suddenly become cloaked in a degree of comfort that's just right for your needs and leaves you feeling refreshed when you rise. 

No More Sweaty Nights

You can't always regulate the thermostat that controls your dorm room. You might find that you're scorching hot in the spring and summer, yet reaching for extra blankets as soon as the temperatures dip in the fall. 

If you're someone who naturally sleeps hot, then you'll appreciate the cooling and ventilation effects of a mattress topper. These can help regulate your body temperature so you don't overheat and start to sweat in the middle of the night. 

Not only does this eliminate some of the odors associated with nighttime sweating, but it can also extend the lifespan of your sheet set! Our Sleepyhead Gel Topper is made from 100% gel-infused memory foam that has even more cooling abilities!

Even one night of excessive sweating can dampen your mattress, which leads to the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms. These can go right through your sheets and settle into your mattress, where they'll continue to grow and spread. A topper prevents them from traveling any further, stopping them in their tracks before they can wreak further havoc. 

Extra Protection Against Germs

So far, we've talked about the physical, tangible benefits of a dorm mattress topper. Yet, what about the emotional and mental benefits?

This is where our Sleepyhead Copper Topper comes in. Delivering all of the incredible benefits of memory foam, this material is infused with copper. By nature, copper delivers a ton of benefits in the health and wellness realm. 

For instance, it is:

• Antimicrobial
• Anti-inflammatory
• Hypoallergenic
• Odor-eliminating 

What does that mean for you as a college kid? In short, it gives you peace of mind. As they're used by multiple different students over the course of their lifetimes, dorm mattresses begin to degrade and become vulnerable to microorganisms.

These microbes can carry dangerous viruses and diseases, and they can also accelerate the onset of mold and mildew. Even an entity as tiny as a dust mite can trigger severe allergy symptoms in some people. Plus, there's also everyday dust and debris to contend with.

When you know you're sleeping in a healthier, safer spot, it's easier to fall asleep and stay that way. Otherwise, you might stay up all night feeling anxious about what's creeping just a few inches from where you lay.

By adding a topper to your mattress, you can keep that microbial growth at bay. Plus, ours come equipped with cozy covers that you can simply remove and wash at any time!

Fewer Allergy Symptoms

Have you ever lied awake at night, unable to fall asleep due to a runny nose, pounding headache, and itchy throat? We've all fallen victim to the common cold, but if you suffer from environmental allergies, you know that the issue is more pronounced. 

Poor indoor air quality can exacerbate these symptoms, leaving you feeling miserable and uncomfortable. If your dorm mattress is harboring mold and other microorganisms, it could trigger a range of symptoms, including:

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Runny nose
• Itchy, watery eyes
• Nasal congestion
• Wheezing
• Headache and fatigue

By adding a mattress topper, you can rest assured that you have an extra layer of protection between yourself and anything that might threaten to compromise your mattress. This can help you sleep more peacefully at night, and can even improve the indoor air quality around you over time. 

Improve Mattress Lifespan

Despite how uncomfortable it might be, a dorm bed is usually a short-term commitment. You will usually have it for just one year. After that, it's on to the next room!

However, that isn't always the case. Depending on your college or university's on-campus setup, you might be in the same dorm room for multiple years. Either way, you want your mattress to at least last until you're ready to move out!

By adding a mattress topper, you can help extend its timeframe. With the extra layer of protection, you aren't putting quite as much body weight onto the mattress itself. This way, it can retain its shape and form the entire time you're using it, and hopefully long after. 

Add Height

Especially if you're on the taller side, you might find that your dorm mattress is a little too short for your needs. It might be difficult to maneuver onto the bed, and getting up could be a challenge. 

A topper can add a few inches of height to your mattress, eliminating that issue. Both our 100% gel-infused memory foam and our 100% copper-infused memory foam toppers are available in two-inch and three-inch heights.

Minimize Sagging

After years of constant wear and tear, mattresses can start to "give" at certain points. For instance, some will begin to sink in the middle, where most body weight is typically concentrated. Even if the dorm mattress is new to you, it's unlikely that you're the first person who's slept on it. 

Without a topper, you'll feel every square inch of those dips. Not only does this make for a restless night's sleep, but it can also put awkward pressure on your joints and muscles, leaving you feeling stiff when you arise. 

A mattress topper evens everything out, so you can sleep comfortably on a level surface. This might not sound like a major difference, but you'll feel the benefits immediately. Not only is your body properly supported, but your spine can fall naturally into its correct curvature, minimizing unnecessary pressure and supporting you all night long. 

Find Your New Dorm Room Mattress Topper Today

You might know all of the tips for better sleep, but it won't make a difference if your mattress won't let you put them into practice. If you're struggling with an unsatisfactory dorm bed, you don't have to toss and turn all semester.

With a dorm room mattress topper, you can transform the quality of your sleep. This accessory is all you need to turn your regulation-grade mattress into a dream machine.