Why Replace Your Mattress
There are a few reasons to replace your mattress, with the main one being comfort. Over time, a mattress can lose its shape and begin to sag, creating dips and lumps. An uncomfortable mattress can interfere with your ability to get a good nights sleep.
has been linked to a number of diseases, including:
- heart disease
- kidney disease
- diabetes
Dust mites and other allergens also accumulate in mattresses, which can cause or worsen symptoms in people with allergies, asthma, and other respiratory conditions. A 2015 study found that mattresses contain the highest concentration of dust mites in a household.
How Do You Know When Its Time To Replace Your Mattress
- Muscle stiffness, aches and general fatigue: does your sleep suffer due to pain? Perhaps you experience stiffness in your back, neck, lower back or elsewhere? It can be easy to forget that we spend 8 hours every night lying on our mattresses and when they start to deteriorate, our sleep quality, comfort and physical wellbeing suffers.
- Signs of wear and tear: sagging, tears in the fabric and exposed springs.
- Noisy springs: mattresses that squeak are no fun, and should be replaced.
- Your asthma is flaring up: old mattresses gather dust mites asthma or allergies can often become worse when an individual is sleeping on an old mattress.
- Partner disturbance: an old, worn-and-torn mattress might not contain the latest support technology that minimises motion transfer, and you might find yourself being woken up by your partner. For undisturbed sleep for both you and your partner, we recommend upgrading your mattress.
Have Your Body’s Needs Changed
As we age, our bodies change, and this will usually mean that our needs change too. While you might choose softer designs when buying your first few mattresses, it’s typically best to opt for firmer variations as you grow older. This is because these will provide much more support for your joints and spine.
If you think you need a firmer mattress, our pocket sprung mattresses are ideal. Their individually wrapped springs contour to your body, which relieves pressure and should provide all of the support you need for a great night’s sleep.
Once you’ve had your mattress for five years, you should pay much closer attention to its condition. If it is coming to the end of its lifespan, looks particularly worn, or is no longer providing you with the support you need, it’s time for an upgrade.
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When To Toss Them: 1 To 2 Years
And how about where you lay your weary head? The National Sleep Foundation tells us to plan on replacing pillows every year or two. Why so often? Apparently they absorb body oil, dead skin cells, and hair, which can create the perfect environment for dust mites . They also recommend washing your pillows every six months and using a protective case between the pillow and pillowcase. How do you know when it’s time for a new pillow? Fold it in half and see if it stays that way, they say. If it does, its time for a new one. If you spring for a quality down pillow and take good care of it, lifestyle guru you can get 10 or 15 years out of them.
If you’re over 40 you can expect even less time out of a bed, since your body tolerates less pressure as it ages.
What Is A Mattress In A Box
Mattress or bed in a box, which is how many call it, is a convenient way to ship a mattress without damaging it or having it take too much space. When a company is large, they will see to ship the mattress as soon as possible. To make the shipping process easier, faster, and more convenient, many memory foam mattresses are compressed and rolled.
After being compressed and rolled, the memory foam mattress is put in a box that it ships inside. Many companies refer to this shipping option because it allows customers to unite with their new mattress in no time. Unlike them, hybrid and innerspring mattresses cant be compressed and rolled and they take more space, and with that, more time to ship out.
Mattresses in a box are a great way to preserve the shipping space, while also preventing the mattress to take damage. With that in mind, the manufacturers fold and roll it and pack it in the box.
After the mattress arrives, you need to unfold and unroll it and leave it for 24-72 hours until it fully expands. There are, however, certain gases used to keep the mattress compressed. The off-gassing process can also take up to 72 hours, so you may encounter some sort of unpleasant smell that dissipates over time.
Do note that, the expanding of the mattress that was previously in a box can take even longer than 72 hours if you live in a humid climate and environment.
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The Tale Of The Sagging Mattress
Most of us have pretty ingrained sleeping habits. We may always sleep on our sides, back, or stomach. We may love to snuggle with our significant other, a fluffy four-legged family member, or we may have our own side of the bed.
Mattresses are moldable. This is how they offer contouring support for our varied body shapes. It makes sense that continued pressure on the same parts would, over time, lead to those points of support having a permanent indentation.
Ive even had a dog who I left alone during the day when I went to work. I never thought much about what she did when I was gone until one day, when I was making the bed, I noticed that an indent was slowly forming that was exactly the size of my 50-pound pup rolled into a ball.
What To Do With Your Old Mattress
Once youve got your new mattress, what do you do with the old one? Did you know it can be recycled? Visit recyclemymattress.com. It is a national social enterprise that works to divert waste mattresses from landfill and recover the components to recycle. If youre looking to recycle your mattress you can book a collection online!
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How Long Do Mattresses Last The Results May Shock You
Mattresses are pretty expensive one quick glance at our buyer’s guide will confirm this fact. This is why many people do not replace them not even after many years of use.
They do not want to spend a lot of money on a new one. Besides, now you can delay the process of buying a new one if you do an excellent job at maintaining your existing one. So, how often should you replace your mattress?
Most mattresses will last at least 5 to 7 years, however, there are many other factors that affect its lifespan.
You can extend its life expectancy by following a few easy steps in the text below. We prepared and wrote down some tips to boost its longevity.
How To Prevent Your Mattress From Sagging
Youve experienced the discomfort of a saggy mattress, and you want to fix your old one or protect your new one. We will show you how to prevent your mattress from sagging.
Helpful Resources
At Mattress Advisor, youll find comprehensive, unbiased reviews on the best mattresses and bedding products and thoroughly researched tips for getting your best sleep.
There is nothing less comfortable than a mattress that caves in. Rather than offering support, that gaping hole in the middle can suck you in, leaving you feeling trapped, uncomfortable, and overly warm. Not only can this make sleep less enjoyable, but it can lead to trouble sleeping and aches and pains. One of the telltale signs that your mattress cavern has gotten out-of-hand is lower back pain.
Dealing with mattress sagging is particularly challenging when sharing a mattress with a partner. When one person is bigger than the other, that bed indent can cause a Leaning-Tower-of-Pisa effect. The result is the smaller partner often being sucked into the adjoining crevasse.
Fortunately, there are things that you can do to fix a sagging mattress. However, there are also times to throw in the towel and go shopping for a new mattress that you can protect from day one. We will help you understand why a mattress starts sagging, what you can do to avoid it, what you can do to fix it, and the best types of mattresses to buy in the future to prevent this uncomfortable black hole.
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Your Mattress Has Worn Or Frayed Edges
Worn or frayed edges aren’t the end of the world — they don’t necessarily affect the area of the mattress you sleep on. But, mattresses are built to last, and worn edges are a clear sign that your mattress is well past the average lifespan of 10 years. So even if you don’t notice any sagging or asymmetry, take a look at the edges to check whether it might be time for a new mattress.
Is Your Mattress Still Comfortable
First and foremost, comfort should be your main concern in deciding how long you should keep a bed or mattress. Forget looking at the ten or twenty years warranty or listening to what other people say if your bed no longer gives you comfort, its time to replace it.
Your body ages as you sleep, and you certainly want it to age like a fine wine.
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Is It Still Able To Support Your Body
One day, youll wake up in a depressed spot of your bed, and its a sign that you should replace it. Depressed spots show that your bed is no longer optimal in supporting your body.
Mattresses lose their support as their age, and its an apparent sign to determine how long should you keep a mattress.
Your Mattress Is Causing Allergy Or Asthma Flare
Every night, you sweat and deposit millions of skin cells onto your bed, which is a feast for bacteria and dust mites. So, over time, mattresses can easily become a breeding ground for these little pests. And for people who struggle with asthma, dust mites can be a major trigger for asthma attacks.
You can keep these uninvited guests under control if you wash your sheets regularly and use a mattress cover. In fact, for one study, published in 2002 in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and conducted in Northern Norway, researchers found mite feces in 40.5% of foam mattresses that didn’t have covers.
But if you find your asthma flaring up every time you go to sleep, that’s a sign that it’s time to either wash your sheets or replace your mattress.
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Your Sleeping Situation Has Changed
Even if your mattress is still in tip-top shape, it still might be time to get a new mattress. Life can change in an instant, and a mattress just might not fit your new needs.
Pregnancy, weight loss, weight gain, and/or gaining a new sleeping partner could all warrant the purchase of a new mattress. If you discover you have a health condition like arthritis, sciatica, or fibromyalgia, that may also be a cause to find a new mattress with better pressure relief.
Use A Mattress And Box Spring
More bed frames across the United States are beginning to come with slats that can be used instead of box springs. From an efficiency, space, and cost standpoint, this might seem too good to pass up! Plus, who wants to spend extra money and time getting a box spring after youve invested good money on a new mattress?
Unfortunately, slats do not provide the same level of support for your mattress as does the right box spring. That lack of support allows the bottom of the mattress to sag more with pressure. Even though the difference may be barely visible to the naked eye, prolonged excess sagging can add up.
You might be wondering if this means that all mattresses require a box spring. The answer is no, but most will do better with one. You can use the slat option for newer foam and latex mattresses however, they will not provide the same level of support as a full box spring, so sagging will be greater following years of use.
As for other types of mattresses, it is particularly important to use a box spring if you have an innerspring, two-sided mattress. Why? The comfort and performance of your bed will suffer if you do not. When you arent sleeping on one side, laying it to rest against a box spring can protect it.
Additionally, some mattress warranties will cover excessive sagging, but that guarantee becomes void if you do not use a box spring with your mattress.
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Signs You Should Replace Your Pillow
Youll know its time to replace your pillow if you notice any of the following:
- There are noticeable lumps in the foam or filler materials
- There are noticeable, permanent stains from body sweat and oil
- You wake up with aches and pains, particularly in your neck or shoulders
- You wake up tired
- You wake up with headaches or are developing tension headaches
- You wake up sneezing from the dust mites
- You constantly have to re fluff your pillow to get comfortable
- If you fold your pillow in half, it stays that way instead of expanding back out
Sometimes you need to change your pillow for other reasons than old age. Other factors that can affect the longevity of your pillow include health conditions like allergies, or if youve recently changed sleeping positions.
For example, if youve switched from sleeping on your side to your back, youll need a new pillow with a different height. Different sleeping positions require different heights to keep the spine, neck, and head aligned.
If you have allergies, youll need to replace your pillow more regularly than the suggested lifespans below, simply because youre more sensitive to dust mites.
How Much Weight Your Mattress Supports
If you’re placing 250 pounds or more on your mattress each night, it may wear out faster than the standard 7 to 10 years, says Jonathan S. Kirschner, MD, RMSK, a physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery.
If possible, people in these scenarios should look for beds with higher foam densities or those made with latex.
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Is A New Mattress Worth The Cost
Buying a new mattress can be a significant expense is it worth it?
In almost all cases, the answer is absolutely. A new mattress can improve the quality of your sleep, which influences everything from your energy levels to mood to overall health. Some potential benefits of a new mattress include:
Improved Sleep A 2009 peer-reviewed clinical trial found that new mattresses significantly improved sleep quality and reduced both back pain and perceived stress in the trial population. Most new mattress owners also report that their sleep quality improved after purchasing a new bed.
Reduced Aches & Pains If you wake up with pain or stiffness in your back, shoulders, hip or neck, its quite possible that your mattress may be part of the problem. Older beds tend to sag in places, which reduces support and makes it less likely that your spine will be properly aligned.
Reduced Motion Transfer Older mattresses tend to transfer more motion from one side of the bed to the other. This means that a partner changing positions in the night can disrupt your sleep. A new mattress and particularly an all-foam or hybrid bed will transfer less motion, helping couples get better rest together.
How Long Do Tempurpedic Pillows Last
For those wondering how long do TempurPedic pillows last, you can expect to keep your TempurPedic pillow for around 4-5 years. The company makes its pillows with high-quality materials that help to increase their durability. A good rule of thumb to gauge a products life expectancy is to check out the brands warranty policy. The TempurPedic pillows come with a 5-year limited warranty, so if certain problems go wrong with your pillow, the brand will help take care of it.
Based on the reviews we read, the estimate of five years seems fairly spot on. Most reviews the pillows received were positive, though, a handful of reviews indicate that pillows didnt quite make it five years. But several also reported that their pillows lasted them a decade or more. It will ultimately depend on how well you take care of your TempurPedic pillow.
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Signs That It’s Time To Change Your Mattress
There are certain situations and scenarios where you would benefit from changing your mattress to something new. These include the following:
Your body has changed If you weight has increased since you first bought your mattress and you now find it too soft, pick a firmer option for better support. If it has decreased and your mattress now feels too hard, pick a softer model that cushions your main pressure points .
Youre waking up with a sore back Sagging mattresses cause sore backs and necks, plus joint pain. Look for one with zoned support from top to toe, but if your back pain is severe, ask a physiotherapist for recommendations first.
Youre hot and bothered Not only does sweat cause mattress staining, but sleeping hot is a breeding ground for dust mites . Thankfully, many mattresses now use cooling technologies and antimicrobial materials like copper to combat hot sleeping and pesky mites.
Youre sneezing and coughing more If youre waking up or unable to sleep because of coughing, itching and sneezing, your ageing mattress could be to blame.
With years of build-up to feast upon, dust mites can trigger allergies. They love snacking on dead skin cells, then leaving droppings that aggravate your allergies.
