How Long Does Nectar Mattress Take To Expand? What To Expect After Unboxing
If you’ve just unboxed a compressed foam bed and are wondering “How Long Does Nectar Mattress Take To Expand”, you’re not alone. Many sleepers want to know when they can safely sleep on it, when it will reach full height, and what’s normal during the first hours and days.
This FAQ-style guide walks through the typical expansion timeline, what affects it, and how to tell if your mattress is opening up as it should.
How Long Does Nectar Mattress Take To Expand, Generally?
When a foam mattress is delivered in a box, it is compressed and rolled for shipping. Once unboxed and unwrapped, it starts to re-inflate and expand toward its intended size.
For this type of mattress, a common pattern is:
- Initial expansion: within a few minutes it becomes sleepable in shape
- Majority of expansion: within 24 hours it often reaches most of its height
- Full expansion and feel: can take 24–72 hours, sometimes a bit longer in cooler rooms
Some people notice that the mattress looks and feels nearly fully expanded on day one, while others see gradual changes over the first couple of days, especially around the corners and edges.
Why Does Expansion Time Matter?
Understanding how long a mattress takes to expand helps you:
- Know when it’s reasonable to start sleeping on it
- Avoid assuming there’s a defect when it may simply need more time
- Plan the setup of your bedroom, especially if you’re replacing an old mattress
- Recognize what’s normal vs. unusual during the first 72 hours
A mattress that hasn’t fully expanded yet may feel slightly firmer or thinner than its long‑term feel.
Can You Sleep On It The First Night?
Many owners do choose to sleep on a new foam mattress the first night, even if it hasn’t reached 100% of its final height. Common experiences include:
- The bed feels a bit firmer on night one
- The edges and corners may still be rounding out
- The feel often softens slightly over the next few days as expansion finishes
If possible, some people prefer to give it at least a few hours (or even a full day) before the first sleep, especially if they want to experience it closer to its intended firmness and height.
What Affects How Long It Takes To Expand?
Several everyday factors influence how long a mattress takes to expand:
Room temperature:
- Warmer rooms can help foam loosen and expand more quickly
- Cool rooms may slow expansion and make the foam feel firmer at first
Humidity and airflow:
- A room with good airflow can help the mattress open up more easily
- Very low airflow can keep it feeling a little “stiff” for longer
How long it was in the box:
- Mattresses stored compressed for extended periods may take a bit longer to fully recover their shape
Foundation support:
- A flat, supportive base helps the mattress expand evenly
- Slats that are very far apart or an uneven surface can lead to slow or uneven expansion
Is Uneven Expansion (Especially Corners) Normal?
During the first day or two, it’s common to notice:
- Slightly rounded corners
- Edges that seem a bit short of full height
- A surface that continues to relax and smooth out
These signs usually improve as the mattress finishes expanding. If the corners or edges remain visibly lower after several days, that may be worth monitoring more closely.
How To Help Your Mattress Expand Fully
You can gently support the expansion process with a few simple steps:
Set it up in the right room:
- Place it where you plan to use it, on its long‑term foundation or base
Give it space and air:
- Remove all plastic, bedding, and packaging
- Allow air to circulate around it; opening a window or running a fan can help
Keep the room at a moderate temperature:
- A comfortably warm room often supports faster, more complete expansion
Avoid heavy weight at first:
- Light sitting or lying is usually fine, but some people avoid placing very heavy objects on the mattress during the first hours
How Do You Know If It Has Fully Expanded?
You can check progress by looking for:
- The mattress has reached its listed height (within a reasonable margin)
- The surface looks even from center to edge
- The corners are close to square instead of rounded or sunken
- The feel has stabilized over a few nights (no major day‑to‑day changes in firmness)
📝 Tip: Many owners report that the mattress feels slightly different over the first week as the foam finishes relaxing and adjusting to regular use.
When Should You Be Concerned About Slow Expansion?
Most mattresses that come compressed expand without problems in the first 24–72 hours. You may want to pay extra attention if:
- Significant areas of the mattress are still visibly sunken after several days
- The mattress is far below its expected height even after giving it time
- The surface remains lumpy or sharply uneven
These situations are less common. Often, simply allowing more time in a suitable environment resolves minor concerns.
✅ Quick Mattress Takeaways
Key points consumers should understand about How Long Does Nectar Mattress Take To Expand
- Most of the expansion happens within 24 hours, with many mattresses reaching a usable shape within minutes
- Full expansion and the final feel can take 24–72 hours, especially in cooler rooms
- Sleeping on the mattress the first night is common, though it may feel firmer and slightly lower at first
- Room temperature, airflow, time in the box, and foundation all influence expansion speed and evenness
- Slightly rounded corners or lower edges in the first day or two are usually normal and often improve with time
- If the mattress remains significantly uneven or undersized after several days, it may warrant closer attention
Understanding how long a Nectar-style mattress takes to expand helps set realistic expectations. With a bit of patience and a suitable room setup, most people find that their mattress gradually reaches its intended height and feel within the first few days.

