How to Save Your Bed

A few years ago, I was moving back to California after living on the east coast for several years, and needed furniture. I was in a bit of a time and space crunch-that I was flying in from a three week work trip to India on Sunday afternoon and starting my internship at Instructables the next day! I had secured a place to live while I was abroad, but still had no furniture. Fortunately, my mom was able to find this bed on Craigslist and worked with my future roommates to get it set up in my room so I would have a place to collapse after my 30 hour trip back!

I love this bed! It's the perfect size for me and my dog to share, while not taking up the entire room. Plus, it looks super cute!

Needless to say, imagine my distress when a few months ago, I noticed that no matter how I went to sleep, I would find myself sliding to one side of the bed by the morning! I tried flipping my mattress, which did nothing, when I realizes my box spring had started to fall through the bed frame! That's when I knew I needed a serious bed rehabilitation if I wanted to save it!

I am a strong, independent woman, but I also have a bad shoulder due to a high school wrestling injury, and I knew I was not going to be able to lift my mattress and box spring by myself. So I called my dad! Read on to see how he helped me save my bed!

Step 1: Cut Slats

The first thing we did was flip up both of the mattress and box spring and measure the distance between the sides of the bed frame and cut some 1"x4" slats to fit. This will help support the box spring and keep it from sagging. I think we cut 6 slats for my bed. You can cut more or less!

If you do the measuring ahead of time, you can probably get them cut for you at whatever hardware store you frequent. I didn't do that (I blame sleep deprivation!) but fortunately, my dad brought his saw!

Step 2: Place the Slats

This is the main part I needed help with! Flip up the mattress and box spring up and place the slats approximately evenly spaced spanning the bed frame. Make sure they are secured and then, as gently as possible, lower the box spring and mattress back down onto them.

Step 3: Plywood

The next thing we did was to get a sheet of plywood to slip in between the mattress and box spring. This is to help distribute weight (especially good for people like me who compulsively sleep on only one side of the bed) and keep the mattress from sagging.

Again, if you are better at planning ahead than I am, you can measure ahead of time and have your plywood cut at the store. If you opt to do it yourself, it helps to have a chalk line to mark where you need to cut to help get a straight line on such a big piece of wood. Of course, this won't be visible at all, so if it's not completely straight, it's not a big deal.

Step 4: Insert Plywood

It helps to have another pair of arms for this part too! Flip up the mattress and slip the plywood under the mattress and over the box spring, try to center it as best you can, and lower the mattress back onto it.

Step 5: Enjoy a Good Nights' Sleep!

Make your bed however you prefer and enjoy a good nights' rest! My dog certainly did!