When it comes to sleep, nothing is more important for rest and recovery. The blissful feeling of sinking into a comfortable, warm, and dry bed is unmatched and something that we all cherish. Unfortunately, there are things that can ruin the condition of our sleep. Perplexed and confused, we may find ourselves struggling to figure out why our bed feels sticky! It may seem like a strange occurance, but there are a few reasons why this happens. In this blog post, I am going to provide a couple reasons and solutions to the following question – why does my bed feel sticky?
The main reasons why your bed feels sticky is as follows:
- Due to pespiration
- Liquid spills and stains
- Excessive humidity
- Product build up on the sheets and mattress
- An infestation of pests and dust mites
Unless your bed has been severely damaged due to liquid, there are plenty of ways to resolve a sticky bed without having to purchase a new mattress.
First, we have to identify the cause.
Once we know what’s causing the problem, we can apply the relevant solution. If, afterwards, the bed continues to feel sticky, then we can problemshoot and find another possible cause.
If none of these solutions work, then you may have to change the bed sheets. Worst case scenario, you may have to invest money into buying a new bed.
Be that as it may, let’s take a closer look at the possible reasons why your bed feels sticky.
Reasons Why Your Bed Feels Sticky

1. Due to pesperiation
It’s very difficult to control night sweats. Sometimes, it occurs due to uncomfortable temperatures. Other times, it’s related to certain health conditions.
In some odd cases, night terrors or nightmares can cause cold sweats.
If you find that your bed feels comfortable when you get into it but tends to feel sticky the next morning, then that would be attributed to your pespiration.
What I’ve also learned is that when our body temperature rises and we sweat, it’s not just pespiration that exits our skin.
It’s actually a combination of sweat and body oils that mix together which has the propensity to make our bed feel sticky.
Solution:
If you have a HVAC, the first thing you need to do is find the optimal temperature for the room. A continious flow and regulation of air quality and air temperature can reduce pespiration, especially during summer nights.
Get checked up by your doctor if your pespiration persists even during optimal temperature and air flow.
Furthermore, change your sheets and blanket to a material that is more breathable cotton. Natural based material are porous in nature.
This means that it has spaces between the fibers, allowing air to pass through.
2. Liquid spills and stains
Whether it be from water, beverages, cosmetic products, cleaning agents, or even food, spills and stains can be a great contributer to why your bed feels sticky.
Even though spills can dry up, the residue left behind can be the primary cause for stickyness. Especially if the liquid spilled is comprised of different chemicals and ingredients.
If it’s not washed, disinfected, and cleaned properly, no amount of air drying will remove the sticky feeling left behind.
Solution:
When it comes to spills, it is crucial to address them immediately. Rather than wiping them up, blot them down with a sponge or cloth to soak up the liquid without spreading it throughout the mattress.
Except for water spills, you may need to use a mild or gentle cleaner or stain remover designed for mattresses and bedding material to break down the stain completely so that it can be washed away easily.
Thereafter, allow the mattress and bedding material to dry, prefereably in sunlight.
Also, be sure to wash your bedding material, including pillow cases, regularly.
3. Excessive humidity
Humidity refers to the level of moisture in the air. When a room has excessively high humidity, it can make surfaces and material feel wet or moist.
This is especially true for people who live in an area with humid and tropical climates, such as myself.
I’m always battling the humidity levels due to the erratic nature of the climate. What I’ve noticed is that my bed can sometimes feel sticky when the humidity levels are too high for my region.
Solution:
To combat high humidity, all I had to do was invest in a dehumidifier and run it intermittently throughout the day and night.
Like anything in life, moderation is key.
Find the right amount of time to run a humidifier in your room and test the humidity levels to make sure that it is at an acceptable level.
Additionally, you could invest in moisture-wicking mattress covers for an additional layer of protection from the accumulation of moisture or dampness. It’s more costly than normal sheets or covers but it’s a worthwhile investment.
4. Product build-up on the sheets and mattress
With the regular use of products like creams, oils, and perfumes, a build up or accumulation of these products can occur on bedsheets and pillow cases over time. If left unwashed and unaddressed, the residual build up of these products can make your bed feel sticky and smell bad.
There was a time when I used to apply coconut oil lightly onto my hair. It was a miniscule amount but I noticed over time that my pillows began to smell like old coconut oil and they felt sticky as well.
Solution:
It takes a bit of time for products to soak into and dry up on your skin. For this reason, start your nighttime routine well in advance.
This will help your body to absorb as much of the product while minimizing or reducing the amount of product that rubs onto the sheets and pillow cases.
5. An infestation of pests and dust mites
This isn’t the most common reasons why a bed feels sticky but it could be a contributing factor. As we all know, all types of bugs, pests, and fungi like to grow in dark, warm, and moist environments.
These things feed on dead skin cells and they can leave behind waste material that makes your bed feel sticky and dirty.
Solution:
A regular and effective cleaning regiment is instrumental in preventing the build up of dust mites, pests and fungi.
Always address spills and stains immediately.
Wash your bedding material with a specially formulated cleaning agent that kills bugs and pests while deoderizing the material.
Vacuum the mattress weekly and allow a good flow of air and sunlight into your room on a daily basis.
If all else fails, seek out a professional mattress cleaning professional to deap clean and disinfect your bed.
Final Thoughts
Well, my dear friends, that brings us to the end of this article on why does my bed feel sticky.
I hope that you were able to use the advice in this article to pinpoint the exact cause and solution for your sticky bed.
Beleive me, it’s always a good idea to troubleshoot implement some of these solutions before jumping into buying a new bed. Sometimes, a few alterations or changes to your air quality, humidity levels, and cleaning regimen can solve the problem for good.
With that being said, if you enjoyed this article and found it to be useful, I recommend checking out some of my other cleaning articles that I have carefully curated for you below.
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