Mattress Myth 3 The Right Mattress Will Prevent Tossing And Turning
Babies start rolling over in their sleep at around 4 months of age and by adulthood, were moving as much as 75 times a night whether its a simple twitch or a full-out roll. We move during the night to alleviate pressure point pain and to reduce stress and strain on our backs and joints. A good mattress will reduce how much you move at night by providing pressure point relief, which will allow you to slip into deeper, healing REM sleep.
Can I Reuse Baby Mattress
Mattresses. It might not seem like a big deal to reuse mattresses from your eldest childs Moses basket or cot. You could do extra checks by making sure the mattress you use was completely protected by a waterproof cover when it was used. Also check it is in a good condition without rips or tears .
Your Mattress Is Sagging
If your mattress is starting to sag, its an obvious sign that you might need a new mattress. Sagging can occur when the coils in a mattress start to weaken or the memory foam begins to lose its shape.
You can partly tell that a mattress is sagging if there is a noticeable body impression in the mattress this is especially common for heavier people, whose bodies may leave a deep indentation in the mattress. If you get up and your mattress does not quickly return to its normal, flat appearance, it might be time to consider a new mattress.
If a mattress not sagging over time is important to you, be sure to read our list of the best mattresses that wont sag.
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Do You Have Unexplained Allergies
Moving along, if you experience an uptake in allergy or asthma symptoms , your mattress might be the culprit. Not many people know this, but a mattress can be a breeding ground for dust mites.
The dust mites and the dust itself can cause allergic reactions. In such a case, you should go beyond regular bed cleaning and try vacuuming, steaming, and flipping your mattress. But if this doesnt reduce dust and mites and your symptoms continue, a new mattress might be the solution.
Better Alternatives To Box Springs
We kind of assume that our bed needs to sit on a box spring because thats all weve ever known. In fact, all our mattresses really need is a flat and stable surface .
This opens up a range of other, more aesthetically pleasing options to you, such as beautifully crafted wooden beds, sleek looking metal frames, and frames that give you the option for storage underneath the bed .
So if youre in the market to update the overall look of your bed as you buy your new mattress, here are some great options for you to use instead of a box spring
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Use A Mattress Protector
Keep spills, dust and dirt from damaging your mattress by covering it with a great mattress protector. Many of these will extend the life of your mattress while making it cushion-y soft and cozy at the same time. Look for fun features like cooling properties in your mattress protector if you’d benefit from them.
Are You Supposed To Flip Your Mattress
You can flip your mattress only if it is a double-sided mattress. Double-sided mattresses need to be flipped at least twice a year and rotated every three months, for even wear. Most mattresses are usually one-sided. Ask the salespersons or customer service representatives of the mattress manufacturers if the mattress is two-sided.
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Youre Buying A Ton Of New Pillows And Toppers
When people start to realize their mattress is giving way, sometimes theyll try to get out of buying a new one by treating the symptoms instead of the cause.
Theyll get new toppers or new pillows to try to account for poor support and muscle pain, and pretty much try to do everything they can to save themselves the cost and hassle of going out and getting a new mattress.
While this is understandable, its not really sustainable.
Theres only so much you can do to make up for a failing mattress.
No mattress can last forever, and while toppers can certainly be a good tool while you search for a replacement, theres no substitute for a quality mattress.
Which Mattress Type Lasts The Longest
On average, a natural latex mattress has the longest lifespan, lasting for about 12 to 15 years. A quality memory foam bed is close behind, lasting about 10 years or more.
The trade-off to the durability of a natural latex mattress is its one of the more expensive types of mattresses on the market.
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Your Mattress Is Showing Signs Of Wear & Tear
Especially if you havent been regularly flipping or rotating your mattress, you might find significant signs of wear and tear, even if youve only had it for a few years. If, for example, youre noticing mattress gaps, sagging, or indentations that are interfering with your comfort, it may be time to start shopping for new mattresses. Once you buy a new mattress, make sure to practice proper mattress maintenance.
What Mattresses Need To Be Rotated
Unless the mattress company that someone purchases their bed from says otherwise, its almost always a good idea to rotate the mattress regularly.
Here is a list of mattress types that would benefit from rotation:
- Hybrid
In some cases, air beds with foam toppers will also benefit from rotation.
Some mattresses should not be rotated because they are only supposed to be facing one direction. For instance, the Level Sleep mattress features a proprietary zoned construction, and the lumbar zone will not be in the right position if the mattress is rotated.
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Keep Your Mattress And Bedding Clean
Always follow the manufacturers care and cleaning guidelines. These will tell you how to care for your mattress and the fabrics and materials involved. Some mattresses have machine-washable, removable covers, while others are spot clean only. Take care to follow these instructions to avoid unnecessary damage and to preserve your warranty.
Keep your mattress and bedding clean to prevent dead skin cells, allergens, and bacteria build-up. Make it a habit to wash your bedding once a week and replace any items that are no longer in good condition as it will improve your health and sleep quality.
If debris sits on the mattress surface for too long, the foreign particles will grind into the mattress material and change the feel of your mattress, causing poor support. To prevent your mattress from disintegrating prematurely, start spot cleaning and vacuuming it at least once a month.
Using a mattress protector will prevent mold, mildew, dust mites, and bed bugs. These protective covers are easy to place or zip onto your mattress and make it easier to keep your it clean and fresh. They can also protect against spills and stains.
Tips To Prolong Your Mattresss Life
Mattresses age with time. Some signs of wear are bound to show up eventually. Following these tips can extend mattress durability by a few more years.
- Use a mattress protector, reducing the chances of spills, sweat, body oil, and allergens permeating to your mattress. Wash it once every two weeks.
- Vacuum your mattress with the upholstery attachment, once every three months.
- Baking soda neutralizes odors, keeping your mattress fresh. Once every six months, sprinkle baking soda on your mattress. Let it sit for 10 to 24 hours. Vacuum it clean to remove the baking soda.
- Rotate your mattress every three to six months, preventing excessive wear on certain parts.
- Support your mattress with the correct foundation. For innersprings, thats a box spring. For all other mattress types, use a metal frame, adjustable base, or platform. Slats on the platform bed should be no more than 3 inches apart for even support.
- Keep your mattress upright when cleaning or moving it, to prevent bending and damaging it.
- Never let children jump on your mattress. Standing and jumping causes excessive pressure and eventual sagging.
- Use mattress pads and toppers to minimize direct pressure on the mattress. A high-quality mattress topper can also help you adjust the firmness of your mattress.
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How Comfortable Is Your Mattress To Sleep On
Comfort is the first and foremost factor to consider whether your mattress needs to be replaced or not. But comfort is a subjective factor varying from one person to another. In fact, it is often seen that people adjust to discomfort because they dont want to bear the cost or hassle of replacing their mattresses.
In addition to this, a mattress or a bed may seem comfortable in the store, but then it doesnt perform well at home. One way to gauge the comfort level of your mattress is to compare the quality of sleep you get when you sleep on your own bed as compared to a hotel room or a friends guest room.
Your Body Is Complaining
A good mattress means a happy body.
Ideally, if youre sleeping on the right material and getting the right amount of sleep, you should wake up every morning feeling well-rested and refreshed.
There shouldnt be any aches or pains, and you shouldnt be left tossing and turning every night in order to get to sleep.
If youve got a bad mattress, though, odds are thats just not going to happen.
Bad mattresses dont give us the kind of support we need.
They make our bodies work overtime during the night and as were falling asleep.
We want to get into a comfortable position, but thats not actually possible on a bad mattress.
Often, as the comfort layers of a mattress give out, your midsection will be left sagging.
This puts too much pressure on your neck, shoulders, and back, which can result in pain and soreness.
If youre consistently waking up with a morning neck pain that gets better throughout the day, its time to get a new mattress.
And if your body is making an impression of 1.5 inches or deeper, chances are good that youre either experiencing sleep pain now or youre about to at some point in the near future.
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When To Toss It: 10 Years
Let’s start with the bed. Do you even remember how long you’ve had your mattress? If it’s more than 10 years, according to Consumer Reports, it probably time to go shopping. Depending on the type of bed, says all-things-sleep review site Sleep Like the Dead, it could be even less time their research shows latex mattresses last around eight years, memory foam around seven, and inner spring even less.
Consumer Reports has more bad news. If you’re over 40 you can expect even less time out of a bed, since your body tolerates less pressure as it ages, they say.
How do you know when it’s time for out with the old and in with the new? Just listen to your body. If it’s generally uncomfortable, or youve been waking up with back pain, it may be time for a new one, says the National Sleep Foundation.
Your Allergies Are Out Of Control
Not to be gross, but there are tons of dust mites and allergens just hanging out in your mattress, and that situation gets worse when mold, mildew, and dust start to take over as well.
If youre waking up in the morning with allergy symptoms like a headache, runny nose, and watery eyes, your old mattress could be the problem.
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Noticeable Wear And Tear
The next time you change your sheets, scan over the entire mattress. Check for any significant lumps, saggy spots, worn edges, or rips in the material. These indicate the mattress has seen better days, and its usually not going to get any better. The sleep surface area will continue to wear down and any tears will only get bigger, allowing more dirt to enter the mattress.
Before going out to buy a brand new bed, check the warranty of your current mattress. Most brands are usually willing to replace a mattress with any manufacturing defects, excessive wear and tear despite normal usage, and sagging greater than 1 inch.
You Cant Remember The Last Time You Bought A New Mattress
Cant remember your last mattress purpose? It might be time to start looking for a new mattress. Although some mattresses come with extensive warranties that last as many as 30 years, this doesnt necessarily mean a mattress is meant to last anywhere near that long for healthful sleep.
High-quality mattresses start to break down after 10 to 15 years, and cheaper mattresses tend to degrade even quicker. Mattresses get quite a bit of use, with us spending about one-third of our lives on them.
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Memory Foam Mattress Durability
Coming in second to latex, memory foam mattresses are supportive and comfortable, lasting up to ten years.
The foam density has a considerable impact on the mattresss longevity. High-density material will have greater durability offering 10 years of use meanwhile, low-density foam is inexpensive with only 5-7 years of life. Look for mattresses with a combination of high and low-density foams most good quality beds will use high-density foam in the base to prevent sagging while still offering low-density, soft cushioning in the top layers.
When To Replace The Mattress
Confused about when to replace the mattress? Is it something that you need an accurate answer for? Well, theres no second opinion about the fact that your comfort remains the first thing when you think about purchasing a new mattress.
After a few years of use, a mattress not just starts wearing out, but develops lumps, dips, and starts losing its shape. Saggy and lumpy mattress can indeed snatch away your good nights sleep.
It goes without saying that not getting proper sleep can contribute to many health issues, including:
- Body aches
- Cardiac and kidney diseases
- Anxiety-related disorders
Before getting into the abyss of such health issues, it is a safe choice to get rid of that lumpy mattress. Read on to know about the signs that your mattress requires replacement:
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Waking Up In Pain Is The Norm
Waking up every morning with a dull, aching pain in your shoulders, hips, and lower back isnt something to ignore. These morning aches may not be a sign that youre getting older, but a sign that you need a new mattress.
A 2009 study found that replacing your mattress can lead to a dramatic difference in aches and pains.
Getting Past The Gimmicks To The Truth About Your Mattress
Buying a new mattress is a lot like buying car insurance. Comparing features and prices from brand to brand is challenging because there are so many variables. Innerspring or latex, organic or natural, euro-top, pillow-top or luxury-plush the combinations of whats inside your mattress are endless. And because buying a new bed isnt a frequent purchase , the learning curve will always be painful.
Sorting through the clutter of information in the mattress industry and hone in on what matters to you a GREAT nights sleep will help you make an informed purchase. Before visiting a mattress retailer, arm yourself with common sense and learn the difference between myth and truth. And if youre curious about what mattress is best for your age and stage of life, these Restonic recommendations will help.
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Top 10 Signs You Need A New Mattress
Your mattress is an essential part of your everyday life, and you put a lot of thought into selectingjust the right one for you. So it can be easyand temptingto believe that you and your mattress will be together forever. Unfortunately, no matter how amazing your mattress may be, this is one relationship that must come to an end.
You can expect a good 7-10 years out of a premium mattress, before it eventually succumbs to the wear and tear of supporting your body every night. At that point, it stops providing you with proper support, leading to aches, pains, less-than-stellar sleepand the need to find a replacement.
But how do you know for sure when you need a new mattress? Here are 10 telltale signs:
You Sleep Better Elsewhere
Everyone has had an experience when theyve got an incredibly restful night of sleep outside the familiar confines of their own bedrooms. But if you find you always sleep better when youre on vacation or staying with friends, this may be a sign your mattress is no longer as comfortable as you thought it was.
Another telltale sign of how to know if you need a new mattress is if you discover yourself sleeping better on a different mattress while on vacation, for example. If the comparison between your existing old mattress and the bed in your hotel room is a night-and-day experience, it might be time to invest in a new mattress so you can sleep soundly and feel rested and healthy.
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