How to Keep a Comforter From Sliding Off the Bed — Tricks to Beat This Sleep-Disturbing Problem

If you’re familiar with the routine of waking up to your comforter being on the floor or hanging on for dear life at the end of the bed, you’re going to want to read this. And if this isn’t your reality, continue to keep it that way by reading on!

Whether it’s hot or cold out, no one particularly wants to wake up to their comforter being elsewhere. It’s annoying and inconvenient – neither of which sound like the recipe for relaxation and a quality night of sleep. ‘Comfort’, after all, is in the name, so keeping your bed and bedding items as a reliable source of comfortability is important to ensure the most optimal environment for rest.

Worry no more, as we spoke to sleep experts to find out the best tips and tricks to make sure that comforter of yours will no longer budge. With just a few simple changes to your bed set-up, you’ll be glad to tuck yourself in at night knowing the peace ahead.

Why does my comforter slip off the bed?

There are a few key culprits that are likely responsible for your comforter repeatedly slipping off the bed during the night, resulting in disrupted sleep, unwanted blasts of cold air and frequent episodes of waking up to readjust your covers. The main ones boil down to your bedding material, the material of the comforter you use in itself, and the size of your comforter in comparison to the bed.

‘When the comforter and bed sheets are too smooth there is less friction between them, which can cause the comforter (the item not tucked around your mattress securely) to slip away from the bed,’ says Julia Forbes, a Certified Sleep Science Coach at Sleep Advisor. If you sleep satin or silk sheets this is almost certainly a part of your problem. Both of these materials have a silky sheen and finish, so they will be sliding away from one another.

‘Oversized comforters also tend to slide off the bed more easily because their ends hang off the sides,’ adds Marten Carlson, a Certified Sleep Science Coach at Mattress Clarity. It can be tempting to buy oversized blankets as who doesn’t want that extra bit of comfy, cozy material (especially in winter!), but there’s a difference between having a comforter that is cozy and one that is far too big. We recommend looking at the dimensions of your mattress when shopping for a comforter and not buying one too much larger than what you’re using. If the comforter and its covers are inching out across your floor, you know there is definitely too much to be working with!

How can I stop my comforter from slipping off the bed?

For a quick fix, if your bed is near a wall, you can try tucking your excess comforter material down the side of the bed out of the way. This will help the comforter to stay in place during the night as it will be partially trapped between the bed and the wall. Although, it may not be the most comfortable or permanent solution for everyone.

‘Using bed sheets and comforters with more texture to increase friction will help keep everything in place,’ adds Julia. You don’t have to sacrifice the comfort of the silky bedding you love to ensure a night where your comforter stays in place. There are loads of bedding set options out there for you to explore, and it can be fun taking the time to find something you love. Marten recommends trying to incorporate cotton or flannel fabrics into your bed setup as their surfaces aren’t shiny but the fabric fibers are still comfortable to sleep with.

If your comforter is continuing to cause issues, Julia taught us that it’s possible to purchase non-slip mattress pads, like this one from Amazon, that can be placed between the mattress and comforter for added stability. And if you’re feeling chilly and would like a quick fix to your comforter problem, Marten suggests just putting other heavier blankets on top of your comforter: ‘Placing a heavier blanket on top of the comforter can also help to keep it in place because of the added weight.’

Seeing what works for you, overall, will be a matter of trial and error, but rest assured that there is a solution out there for you.