You go to bed buoyant and you wake feeling as flat as a pancake, why is this you ask. For starters you have an air mattress, but this does not have to be the case.
An air mattress is never going to be 100% air tight. Why you ask. 100% airtight would mean that the moment you sat on it would burst, you would be brought right down to earth, it needs to breath!
What are the factors causing your mattress to deflate? Basically there are several reasons, the design, the temperature and the pressure, even the fact that you need to lay down on it cause it to deflate.
What you are aiming for is a mattress that keeps optimum air tightly inside for the duration of your sleep time, right?
We can take a look at some tips for caring for your mattress which will help to keep it in good condition. All air mattresses will deflate a small amount during the night, that is a common factor.
It also will depend on your body weight, higher altitudes and colder temperatures all cause more deflation.
Temperature
In cold temperatures, night time for example the air inside your mattress will condense, it seems flatter. This is only due to air physically changing and it will rise again when the temperature rises!
Keep warm
Keeping the area warm can help a lot. If you are outside think about a space heater using infrared. If you are indoors look for a higher spot where the warm air rises.
Keep still
Sitting on an air mattress will put too much pressure on a small part of the mattress fording air out more quickly. So avoid the temptation to sit on it. Lay flat and that can help.
The opening
The opening nozzle is going to take a lot of wear; opening for blowing air in and out all takes its toll. After a while it will lose some of its rigidity and air will start to escape more easily. One way to fix it is to tape over it if it is getting old.
Another idea may be to check out Sleep on Air for the latest reviews on air mattress technology.
Fold it away
Take time to fold your air mattress neatly. If it is not folded and packed away neatly it can develop the tiniest holes which are not detectable and will cause slow air deflation during the night or during sleep time.
Auto pump technology
Never flat technology is now possible with an automated pump attached to your air mattress. How cool is that? The automatic pump will detect any air loss and pump it up as you sleep. You should wake up on air.
What about camping?
Air mattresses are great for camping so long as you check the floor size, so long as it all fits. Think rectangular, air mattresses are and so should your tent floor shape be the same.
In a tent the temptation may be to sit on the mattress, it would be better not to. It all comes down to physics and there is not greater way of putting too much pressure on one small area than by sitting. It is better to stack the mattresses or placing them up against the wall of the tent when they are not in use.
Self-inflating mattresses
A self-inflating air mattress is a combination of a foam pad and air mattress and offers insulation against the ground so it is great for colder weather camping.
- They are also great for lightweight camping trips as they are smaller than normal air mattresses.
- You will not need to carry a pump or any other method of inflating.
- Self-inflating pads should not be stored folded up; they should only be deflated and folded when traveling.
- The foam pads can become damaged if stored, so you need to find creative ways of storing or using your self-inflating pad.
- It may make a good chaise longue! Perfect for a lady of leisure.
- Or it may slide under the bed, what better reason for clearing out all the clutter.
- For storage keep the valve open to allow moisture to evaporate.
- Do not allow anyone to sit on it
- But
- Close the valve and you have the perfect guest bed ready any time
It seems a lot depends on space. If you want to save space in your tent get a self-inflating mattress that can be inflated and kept in the home.
If you want to save space at home get an air mattress that can be deflated and stored easily.
The link above will take you to the right place for further information on air mattresses.