How Often Are You Supposed To Change Your Mattress
Lucy Bolland, marketing manager from bed retailer Happy Beds, believes “Your mattress can have more impact on your sleep than you might think.”
She told Newsweek: “Sleeping on an old or damaged mattress can make it difficult to fall asleep and could be stopping you from getting the rest that you need.
“Usually, mattresses need replacing every 6-8 years, but this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
“If you find that it’s making more noise than usual, is noticeably saggy or damaged in certain areas, or you sleep better in other beds, it could be time to say goodbye to your old mattress.”
James Benton, retailers “of all things slumber” Mattressman, agrees, adding: “Keeping your mattress clean is certainly needed for a hygienic sleeping environment, and it’s extremely easy to keep on top of.
“When you change your, sheets gently vacuum the mattress surface in order to eradicate dead skin cells and dust. It’s also a good idea to let the mattress ‘breathe’ for a couple of hours before you put fresh sheets back on.”
This Is How Often You Should Change Your Mattress For Healthy Sleep
ByDavina Frankspublished 3 November 21
The lowdown on when its time to change your mattress, depending on what its made of
How often should you change your mattress is a common question, and the answer depends on what the mattress is made. Most have an average lifespan of six to eight years, but some of the very best mattresses last longer.
If yours is looking worse for wear, thats just one sign that it needs upgrading. Have you slept on it for over seven years or youre always waking up feeling achy? Those are bigger signs that you need something more supportive.
In this guide, we explain how long each type of mattress should last on average. We also look at the telltale signs that its time to change yours. And with all those early Black Friday mattress deals beginning to surface, now is actually a good time to nab a bargain.
My Back Feels Misaligned In Bed
Its important to consider how you sleep are you out for the count on your back, splayed out on your stomach or curled on your side? Whichever angle best lulls you off to sleep, its vital that your mattress is supportive to your body.
When sleeping on your back or front, the natural s curve of your back should be evident, if its flattened out this will put pressure on your back and shows that your mattress isnt receptive enough to your body.
If you lay on your side, your spine should maintain a straight line all the way from neck to bottom. If you can fit your hand between your body and the mattress, again this shows that the mattress is not sufficiently supportive and that its time for a more reliable mattress.
Most of the leading mattress brands are designed to accommodate all sleeping positions. However, Helix is particularly good for side sleepers – its main range is designed specifically for people who sleep on their sides. The company also does another line designed for back and front sleepers.
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Limit Jumping And Critter Time
If you have littles in your household, give them a trampoline and make it clear that’s where the jumping happens — not on the mattresses. Similarly, animals are great sleeping companions, but their claws, playful chewing and dirty paws aren’t great for keeping a mattress in good condition. Consider buying or making them their own beds.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Mattress Construction And Materials
The comfort layers sit right on top of your mattress, and as a result, they take the brunt of the damage you inflict. Comfort layer composition and materials vary across brands, but typically they look like this for different types of mattresses:
Innerspring comfort layer: Innersprings most often utilize polyfoam, foam, or cotton in a quilted pillow top comfort layer. Innerspring mattresses are still some of the most popular mattress types, but they also rank the lowest as far as durability goes.
Hybrid comfort layer: A hybrid mattress is made using 50% foam and 50% coils. The coils are almost always found in the core base layer, and the layers of foam are placed throughout, including at the top. Hybrids most often use memory foam, latex foam, or polyfoam as their top layers.
Memory foam comfort layer: Memory foam mattresses use low-density foams in the comfort layer and higher-density foams in the transition and core layers. The most durable memory foam mattresses should have a high-density foam core thats thicker than the lower-density foam layers.
Latex foam comfort layer: Latex mattresses usually use aerated latex foam in their top layers and higher density latex foam in the bottom support layers. Latex is one of the most durable materials youll find in mattresses, which accounts for the extra cost.
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What Are The Benefits Of A Washable Mattressprotector
- Helps to prevents stainsand dirt being in contact with the mattress.
- Helps to prevent exposureto dust mites and other potential allergens.
- As the mattress protector is washable you canwash away dirt, stains, and dead skin cells.
Its advisable to purchasetwo washable mattress protectors per bed so that one can always be on your bedwhen the other is being washed.
Although a mattressprotector doesnt change the fact that its recommended that you change yourmattress every seven to eight years, it may help you avoid needing to changeyour mattress sooner.
Rialto Ortho mattress
How Do You Know Your Mattresss Time Is Up
Essentially, its time to get a new mattress when your mattress no longer allows you to have a good restful sleep. If any of the following apply, it could be a sign you need to start looking for a replacement mattress:
- Its negatively affecting your sleep
- It takes you a long time to fall asleep
- You feel an obvious change from when you bought the mattress
- Its 8+ years old
- The mattress is visibly sagging, lumpy, asymmetrical or damaged
- Its noisy
- You find you sleep better away from home
- You wake up regularly with aches and pains
- You have increased symptoms of asthma or allergies
Fun fact! Most healthy adults should take 10-20 minutes to fall asleep at night – in sleep research, this time is known as sleep latency.
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Lack Of Mattress Care
When you buy your mattress from Bensons forBeds, youll be made aware of how to care for your mattress. This advice willinclude how often to rotate your mattress and if the mattress should be turned,and if so, how often.
Following the relevant advice can help toprevent premature sagging of your mattress.
Signs Its Time To Replace Your Mattress
Even though a mattress may be designed to structurally support you for , it doesnt mean its going to be comfortable, because your needs, comfort preferences, injuries, health conditions and other considerations can become a major issue over time, says Ferguson. After all your bodys needs change as you age, too, so a mattress that worked a few years ago may not be ideal now.
Consider any one of these issues as a sign to get a new mattress:
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What Are Signs That Its Time To Buy A New Mattress
Even if you dont feel like your mattress is impacting your sleep, any wear and tear is a big sign that its time for a replacement. Aside from obvious sagging, lumps, and poking springs, you should also check how your mattress smells and sounds, Breese says. The former will help you understand if there is mold developing inside, while the latter will tell whether the springs are in good condition.
So Really Why Is It Important To Replace Your Mattress Every Seven To 10 Years
Like mentioned before, the most important reason you should replace your mattress is for optimal sleep quality. Breese suggests paying close attention to how you feel when you wake up in the morning. Discomfort, neck or back pain, and tingly hands or legs could all be signs that your mattress has reached its end.
Sagging happens gradually over time, Breese says. Since our bodies are great at adapting, you may not feel that your mattress isnt as supportive as it used to be. But once your mattress is very worn in, it no longer provides you with a uniform sleeping surface, he adds, which can push your spine out of alignment and cause those unpleasant feelings.
So, if youre experiencing any kind of aches or stiffness, your mattress may be the culprit and no amount of melatonin or CBD oil will help you get the quality sleep you need. And given how vital sleep is to our overall health and well-being, a comfy new mattress is definitely worth the investment.
Aside from sleep quality, potential allergies are another big reason why you should give your old mattress the boot. A mattress tends to accumulate organic particles, such as your dead skin cells, hair, sweat, and saliva, Breese says. This may lead to mold and dust mites, which are the most common allergens in humans.
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Signs Of Wear And Tear
In the final measure, mattress ratings or warranties don’t dictate a mattress’s lifespan nearly as effectively as your own subjective experience of sleeping on it. A mattress is an investment in your wellbeing, and there are several signs that your mattress is ready to be replaced:
- You are uncomfortable when you lie down and wake up tired and achy.
- You see visible signs of wear and tear on your mattress. There is sagging, or you notice lumps. You can hear the bed springs when you lie down.
- You’ve tried rotating it or flipping it but to no avail. It still doesn’t feel more comfortable.
- You suffer from allergies and have had the mattress for a long time. If you have not been using protective, allergy-reducing covers, dust mites could pose a problem. Even the cleanest beds can have dust mites. There are other ways of addressing the dust mite problem, but it helps to start with a clean, mite-free mattress.
- You are older than 40 and have been sleeping on the same sleep surface for around 10 years. The human body becomes more sensitive to pressure points with age. Pressure points can lead to tossing and turning and disturbed sleep, which can be bad for your overall wellbeing.
Buying a quality mattressone that carries a good warranty from a well-known manufactureris a very good investment. Not only will it last a long time, but it also will improve the quality of your sleep and your wellbeing. Great online mattress options are available.
How Often You Use The Mattress
Your day to day mattress will wear out much faster as compared to a guest room mattress. The circumstances listed below could extend the life of your mattress beyond the typical 5 to 7 years:
- You work out of town for extended period of the year.
- You own two or more houses and split your time among them.
- You own multiple mattresses in your home and rotate which one you sleep on.
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You Gained Or Lost Weight
For those that experience a significant gain or loss in weight over the life cycle of your mattress, the change might alter the effectiveness of your mattress. A Canadian study linked both inadequate and excessive sleep to weight gain so how you sleep and what you weigh are intermingled.
Heavier body types trigger more wear and tear on springs, foam, cushioning and mattress components. Also, if you were a solo sleeper but now have a partner in your bed, your mattress might not offer adequate sleep surface or support for the extra weight. That means its time for a new mattress.
Do Some Mattresses Have A Longer Lifespan Than Others
Like with most things, you get what you pay for. So if you pinched pennies and went with a low-quality option, the lifespan of your mattress is not going to be nearly as great as a higher-quality mattress and will likely wear out long before it sees its tenth birthday.
Natural or heavy-duty materials usually last longer than synthetic ones, Breese says. For example, latex will offer you support for a minimum of 10-12 years. The same goes for hybrid beds with a higher coil count in the spring base and latex comfort layers. Traditional innersprings have a shorter lifespan and can only last for seven to eight years. Its similar for foam mattresses.
And one more thing: Dont buy into the alluring 20-year warranty some mattress brands offer. These warranties typically have a lot of restrictions, Breese says. So, if you ever need to file a claim, you might not end with a free replacement or repair. Also, extended warranties result in higher prices. No matter what the warranty says, you should still replace your mattress every decade, so you dont really need the super longer warranty. Save your dollars.
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Noisy While Changing Sides
There is only enough room for one annoying sound in the bedroom and that’s the snores of your partner. If you find your mattress squeaking and creaking every time you turn around, it’s time to go mattress shopping. Noisy mattresses aren’t natural, it’s a sign of damaged foundation or base that needs to retire immediately.
Needs Too Much Cleaning
Youd be surprised to learn just how much moisture your mattress absorbs, as we can release up to 2 litres of sweat every night. If youve washed a mattress thats been around for years, you know how hard it is to get it to dry.
Sure, you can try airing it out and letting the sun do its thing, but that can take a long time, even leaving you sleeping on the couch for a night while it dries.
People should clean their mattresses regularly, but when yours starts needing it more and more, thats a bad sign. The older a mattress is, the more it accumulates dirt and the harder it is to clean.
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I Get A Better Night’s Sleep Anywhere But In My Own Bed
Do you love the comfort of a hotel bed? Perhaps you get the best night’s sleep when you stay with friends or family. If you sleep well anywhere but in your own bed, it’s time to invest in a good quality, comfortable mattress of your own.
Don’t just take our word for it! In this video, the National Bed Federation explain when it’s time to replace your 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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You Wake Stiff And Sore
Poor sleep can contribute to chronic back pain. If you wake up stiff and sore every day, your mattress could be part of the problem. If your back pain is worse when you wake but subsides when you stretch and move around, thats a sign that the mattress is causing or contributing to your pain.
A firm mattress may not be the answer. A study from the Kovacs Foundation in Mallorca found that medium-firm mattresses provided better comfort for chronic low-back pain. Experts recommend sleep testing different types of mattresses before buying if you suffer pain while sleeping or when waking.
Overall Age Of The Mattress
Naturally, you should consider the age of your mattress if you are able to. Consider how long youve been using it if you have had your mattress for 8 or more years, then you may want to consider shopping around.
If your mattress is old but still seems to be working fine for you, then you can hold off on purchasing a new mattress until you notice other signs. Just remember that after 8 years your mattress may start to show signs of damage.
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