Few things are as important as restful sleep. It’s annoying when noise from neighbors and other sounds prevent that. Especially annoying when the noise happens right next to your ear canal. We’re not talking about your snoring partner beside you, but about a squeaking bed or creaking slatted frame. The very objects that should be enabling those restful hours at night.
A squeaking and creaking bed can have different causes. You’ll need to first determine exactly where the noise is coming from.
Finding the Causes: Why is the Bed Squeaking?
This detective work is best done with two people: while one person tosses and turns on the mattress, the other inspects the bed and listens carefully to identify where the noise is coming from. In many cases, you can already determine the problem at this stage. If you haven’t made progress or aren’t sure what’s causing the creaking or squeaking, a more targeted investigation is necessary.
Does the bed creak when you turn over? Take the mattress off, place it on the floor, and move around on it. If you have an old innerspring mattress, it could be the culprit. Even when a box spring bed squeaks, the springs inside are often responsible. They can deform over time and rub against each other noisily. This problem is common with box spring beds that use Bonnell coil systems.
Can you rule out the mattress? In that case, turn your attention to the bed frame and the slatted frame. Does the frame sit firmly in place or does it have some play? Wobbling and sliding can be the reason why the slatted frame squeaks. Still not seeing a problem? Then also remove the slatted frame from the bed and place it on the floor. Test it here too: press and put weight on the slats to find out if something creaks.
Next, examine the bed frame. You might spot potential damage at first glance. Shake the corner posts, the headboard, and the support rails where the slatted frame normally rests. By now, you should discover where the source of the disturbance is located.
Bed Squeaks and Creaks – What to Do?
How you eliminate the noises depends on the nature of the problem. Here are some solutions:
1. Tighten Screws
If you haven’t identified any visible damage, the first step should always be to tighten all screws. Over time, they loosen and allow the frame more movement. Washers minimize the space between the screw head and the frame and help to tighten the screws more securely.
2. Wooden Bed Creaks: Secure Dowels
As we know, wood expands and contracts. It can happen that the individual parts of the bed no longer fit together as well as they once did. If the bed is made of wood and the individual parts are held together with wooden dowels rather than screws, these may eventually become loose. In this case, wrap the wooden dowels with a layer of transparent tape and carefully hammer the dowels back into the designated holes.
3. Treating a Squeaky Bed with Lubricant
Creaking and squeaking bed noises often occur due to friction between different construction parts. You can confidently treat these with lubricant. Suitable options for wooden parts include bar soap, candle wax, and paraffin, which you can purchase in bar form.
Metal frames can be effectively treated with the well-known penetrating oil WD-40* (Advertisement) or a silicone lubricant from the hardware store. If you cannot reach the friction points adequately, you may need to disassemble the bed, apply lubricant to the parts, and then reassemble it.
4. Padding a Creaking Slatted Frame
If it’s the slatted frame causing sleepless nights, it’s often because it isn’t securely positioned in the bed frame. In such cases, it rattles against the frame and creaks in certain places. Some fabric or cork as padding always helps here. Felt gliders* (Advertisement) that you stick to the corresponding areas are particularly recommended.
5. Treating the Caps on the Slatted Frame
Another potential source of noise is the flexible rubber or elastomer caps at the ends of the spring slats on the bed frame. These become brittle over time and can cause your bed to squeak or creak. To fix this problem, however, you need to disassemble the slatted frame and treat the caps individually with silicone spray* (Advertisement).
If the cause lies in the mattress, your only solution is to purchase a new one. You can learn what to consider when doing so in the guide “Buying a Mattress: The 9 Golden Rules of Mattress Purchase.”
Which Beds Don’t Squeak?
Basically, any bed can squeak and creak. Quality and usage are the main factors here. A twenty-year-old bed frame in the bedroom is more likely to make noises than a nearly new guest bed that is rarely used. Generally, box spring beds with pocket coil springs are considered particularly quiet and a comfortable long-term solution. It’s rare for such a box spring bed to creak, though there’s no guarantee.
Of course, a good night’s sleep depends not only on the bed but also on the temperature in the bedroom.