Even gentle motion across a mattress can lighten sleep and cut into the stages that restore your body and brain.
Many people toss and turn at night, and often, it’s not their own movement that’s to blame. A resurfaced study sheds light on how motion transfer from a sleeping partner can silently disrupt our sleep cycles, leaving us tired and foggy, even if we never remember waking up.
A clinical study found that lateral motion transferred across a mattress caused subjects to spend more time in Stage 1 sleep and less time in restorative deep sleep. These changes occurred without significant changes in the number of awakenings, revealing just how invisible the disruption can be. Today, as more people invest in their sleep health, this overlooked factor has returned to the spotlight.
Poor sleep has been linked to mood disorders, weakened immunity, and cognitive decline. Yet many people don’t realize their mattress may be to blame, especially when sharing it with a partner. Harrison Wall, Sleep Analyst and Mattress Strategist at SleepJunkie.com, has spent years testing sleep setups to find what actually leads to restful, undisturbed nights.
“Most people focus on comfort or firmness when buying a mattress, but motion isolation is one of the most critical features for couples,” says Wall. “Even if you don’t wake up fully, your brain is sensing those movements and that’s enough to prevent you from reaching deep, restorative sleep.”
In the 1999 study, researchers placed a 240-pound cylindrical roller on one side of a king-sized mattress to simulate a partner’s movement. On nights when the roller moved periodically, participants experienced increased light sleep and reduced deep sleep. Interestingly, their sleep efficiency and number of awakenings did not significantly change, suggesting the interference happened below the threshold of full consciousness.
Mattresses used in the study varied in how much motion they transferred and the more motion passed across the surface, the worse the sleep architecture. This supports today’s expert observations: the material and design of a mattress plays a major role in whether your partner’s restlessness becomes your problem.
How to Reduce Motion Transfer in Bed and Improve Your Sleep
- Choose memory foam or latex mattresses, both known for superior motion isolation
- Opt for a hybrid mattress with individually wrapped coils
- Use a thick mattress topper for extra absorption
- Sleep with separate blankets to reduce tugging and shifting
- Upgrade to a sturdy, slatted bed frame to minimize motion reverberation
- Place an area rug under your bed to dampen floor-based vibration
- Consider dual-chamber air beds or split adjustable bases for individual movement control
“Over time, the cumulative impact of fragmented sleep adds up. You may notice trouble concentrating, irritability, or feeling exhausted even after eight hours in bed. We’ve seen countless couples improve their sleep just by switching to a mattress with better motion control or separating their bedding.”
For a comprehensive guide, see here: https://www.sleepjunkie.com/how-to-reduce-motion-transfer-in-bed/
