How to Make a Sofa Sleeper More Comfortable

Sofa sleepers or hide-a-beds may be handy for visitors -- or fine for an occasional night in the proverbial doghouse -- but they're not known for topnotch comfort. If you're OK with overnight guests overstaying because of your lush sleeping arrangements, you can make your sleeper cushier and improve its support with one of several solutions:

• Flip the mattress; like any two-sided mattress, doing so can alleviate dips and extend its life. 
• Place a mattress topper on it. For the existing mattress that's about as comfortable as sleeping on a bed of rolled socks, a topper, such as a memory foam or egg-crate-style one, provides an upgrade. A sofa-bed topper is dense, yet thin -- 1 1/2 inch thick or so -- so that it folds into the unit with no problem. 
• Cover the mattress with a feather bed for deluxe comfort and a little support. Store the feather- or fiber-filled topper in a closet to retain its loft, rather than squishing it inside the folded mattress. 
• Pad the support bar with a sofa-bed bar shield that's designed to run perpendicularly to this uncomfortable part of the frame to make it unnoticeable. 
• Fix a sag with towels. Fold a few towels lengthwise -- or however needed -- and position them between the mattress and deck to counter a sag.  Over time, sofa sleepers tend to droop crosswise where the frame lacks support. 
• Dress the bed with comfy bedding. Down or down-alternative pillows, a quilted mattress pad, high-tread-count sheets and a plush comforter -- all contribute to a good night's sleep. 
  
• Replace the mattress. Gauge an old hide-a-bed mattress by its visible wear and how you or your guests feel after sleeping on it. If it fails on one or both counts, it's likely time for a new one.