The short answer is that no, you really should avoid placing your memory foam mattress directly onto the floor to sleep if at all possible.
Why shouldn’t I sleep on my mattress on the floor?
If you sleep on a memory foam mattress directly on the floor, there won’t be enough, if any air circulation underneath the mattress.
This trapping of air and moisture will be the perfect habitat for mold to grow and damp to spread.
What if I have no other choice than to sleep on my mattress on the floor?
If there is no option but to sleep on your mattress directly on the floor, you should try to lift the mattress off the floor during the day, lean it up a wall or something to allow the underside of the mattress to ventilate and dry out.
Why would I get damp and mold?
The flat surface underneath a memory foam mattress traps air from entering or escaping underneath the mattress. –
By using a memory foam mattress on a slatted or divan style bed base a good flow of air can circulate around the mattress and underneath.
By trapping this air, and moisture that gets trapped between the mattress and the floor will stay there – damp will spread and linger and eventually mold will start to grow.
Where does this moisture come from?
- There is always moisture in the air, this can’t be helped but by allowing air to move freely, this helps prevent mold from growing on surfaces.
- Damp can come up through the floor – not only in a room on a ground floor but in some rooms upstairs if you live in a very damp or old house.
- When you sleep in bed, you sweat – you can’t help this. A duvet helps to trap heat to keep you toasty but it also traps moisture. When this moisture can’t escape, it can travel down into the mattress.
So if you can, try to avoid sleeping on a memory foam mattress directly on the floor. If you absolutely have to, then try to regularly prop it up against the wall in between use to allow it to ventilate.