Use The Proper Support For Your Mattress
Placing your mattress on a solid foundation helps to retain its shape, prevent any premature sagging, and support you as you sleep. Different mattress types may require different foundations, and its important you have the right one for your mattress. For instance, innerspring mattresses usually are best with box springs, while foam mattresses work well on solid platforms. As always, its recommended to check your mattress warranty agreement to know which base is best.
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.
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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When Should You Replace Your Mattress
Sleep is one of the most important aspects of human health. Without quality sleep, our bodies are not able to heal and rejuvenate themselves, and our brains struggle to process emotions and store memories.
One of the biggest factors in getting a good nights sleep is the comfort of your mattress. There are few other products that can have such a significant effect on our health and happiness. Therefore, its important to invest in the best mattress possible, and replace it according to expert guidelines. But when should you replace your mattress?
Under normal conditions, mattresses should be replaced every 6 to 8 years.
Of course, this is a general guideline and not a one-size-fits-all solution. There are various factors that influence when you should replace your mattress.
Generally speaking, you should replace your mattress if one or more of the following apply:
- Its 6-8+ years old
- Its negatively affecting your sleep
- Its noticeably saggy or damaged in certain areas
- Its making more noise than usual
- You find that you sleep better at hotels, friends houses, etc.
- You notice an increase in allergies and/or asthma
- You regularly wake up with muscle or joint stiffness
Essentially, you should replace your bed if its no longer helping you get restful sleep. Theres no clear-cut way to know for sure whether its time for a new bed but generally speaking, if youre thinking about a new bed, its likely worthwhile to make the investment sooner rather than later.
When Should You Change Your Mattress
The most durable and long-lasting mattresses are memory foam. If you properly care for it, rotate it, and dont abuse it, your memory foam mattress can easily last ten to fifteen years.
If you own an innerspring mattress, it could last five to ten years. Low quality and uncared for mattresses will last closer to five years. While high-quality mattresses that are flippable and regularly cleaned can last closer to ten.
Hybrid mattresses have foam and innerspring combination construction. If both materials are high quality, you can get six to eight years out of your mattress.
Latex mattresses tend to have a high price tag, but they come with impressive 25-year warranties. To get the most out of your latex mattress, look for one that is natural or organic latex.
Airbeds that come with chambers for customizable support have an impressive lifespan of about eight years. However, you have to be wary of equipment breakdown, which is an issue the other mattress types dont have. In addition, repair and replacement of the equipment can be expensive.
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The Mattress Is Causing You Pain
The point of a good mattress is to keep you asleep all night and leave you refreshed in the morning. Of course, there may always be a health or physical issue that causes some people to wake up in pain, but if you’re otherwise healthy and still experience discomfort, your bed may not be doing its job.
This could happen if your mattress compresses too much and makes it difficult for you to move throughout the night, or if your bed is too firm and doesn’t properly relieve your pressure points anymore.
Keep in mind that many brands offer trial periods for a reason. Sometimes adjusting can be unpleasant as the spine begins to align, but after a few weeks you should adjust and settle into your new bed. Be sure to give a new mattress some time before deciding if it’s right for you.
What If You Dont
Not washing your sheets regularly exposes you to the fungi, bacteria, pollen, and animal dander that are commonly found on sheets and other bedding. Other things found on sheets include bodily secretions, sweat, and skin cells.
This wont necessarily make you sick. But in theory, it can. It could also trigger eczema in people with the condition or cause contact dermatitis.
People with asthma and allergies can trigger or worsen symptoms by sleeping on dirty sheets. More than 24 million Americans have allergies. But even if youre not part of this group, you may experience a stuffy nose and sneezing after a nights sleep if your sheets arent clean.
You can also transmit and contract infections through soiled linens, the results of a 2017 study suggested.
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Find Out The Reasons Why You Should Replace A Mattress Sooner Than Every Seven Years
The old standby rule is to replace a mattress about every seven years, but is that the best rule to go by?
The Better Sleep Council has recommended that people replace their mattress every 7-10 years, depending upon the condition of the mattress. Also, do you know why its illegal to remove a mattress tag?
The lifespan of your mattress depends on how you take care of it, how often you rotate it and how you sleep on it. Your mattress may begin to sag sooner than expected if you fail to rotate it on a usual basis. You should rotate your mattress every six months to prevent body impressions from forming. Heres what could happen if you sleep on an old mattress.
Getting Aches And Pains
If your aches and pains, especially back pain, are present when you first wake up, its a major sign that your mattress is doing more harm than good. Also, if you find yourself waking up more frequently or are tossing and turning trying to get to sleep, then that should also be a sign.
Over time, a mattress will naturally lose the support and comfort it provided when it was brand new. An orthopedic mattress may be the best solution if you are suffering with aches and pains as they are designed to support each part of your body and remove strain from high-pressure areas such as your hips and shoulders.
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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.
Do You Really Need A Box Spring With A New Mattress
Box springs often last longer than a mattress does, with some recommending you replace a box spring every 10 years. However, many modern mattresses no longer require a box spring to feel comfortable. Using a box spring with a foam mattress can even damage the mattress. Foam mattresses need consistent support when placed on a box spring, theyre prone to sink between the coils and lose their shape.
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So How Often Should You Replace Your Mattress
The Better Sleep Council recommends changing your mattress every seven years. You’ll find slightly different advice from expert to expert, but most agree on a window between six-ten years, depending on how often the mattress is used and what level of quality it is.
However, as the specialists at the Better Sleep Council point out, your body changes over time, and your need for comfort and support increases as you age. “Your body may be ready for a new mattress before the seven-year mark,” they say, “so listen to what its telling you.”
The good news is that if you do need to invest in a new mattress, most of the leading brands run sales throughout the year. We’ve rounded up today’s best mattress deals elsewhere on the site – plus, each company will be launching its own Labor Day mattress sale in the next few weeks.
So is it time to change your mattress? If any of the issues below sound familiar, then yes, it probably is…
When To Replace Your Mattress
Regardless of how long you’ve had your mattress, there are some signs that can help you decide when it needs replacing. These include:
- You’ve started to regularly have trouble sleeping for no other identifiable reason
- Your mattress has begun to show visible sagging or damage, especially in the middle or corners
- It has become asymmetrical in its shape, with possible lumps and bumps throughout
- When you wake up, you feel pain, soreness or stiffness in the joints or muscles
- Imprints of your body linger indefinitely in the memory foam
- You experience an increase in the number of days you suffer from allergies or asthma
- Your mattress feels either harder or softer than when it was purchased
- You start to realize you sleep better at other people’s homes or in hotels
- You can’t fall asleep on your mattress anymore, or it takes much longer than usual
- The mattress is starting to get noisier
- It has noticeably frayed edges
- You start to feel your partner moving more and more as your bed loses its ability to reduce motion transfer
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How Often Should You Replace Your Mattress
If youre already experiencing trouble falling asleep, sagging on your side of the bed, and never seem to wake up feeling rested due to poor sleep, these are some obvious signs you need a new mattress. But dont worry, a new, quality mattress will help increase sleep quality and give you a better nights sleep. But how often should you replace yourmattress?
Typically, most mattresses should be replaced every 7-10 years, but this number can vary depending on the mattress type you have.
Dont wait any longer for a good nights sleep. Get better sleep quality now. Read on to find out how often you should replace your mattress, based on the mattress type you have now.
Is It Necessary To Change Bed Base Every Time I Purchase A New Mattress
When it is about having a good sleep, all of us give entire credit to the mattresses we sleep on. Well, this is not only unfair but also makes very little sense. Think of it like this when we sleep on our beds, is it the only mattress which is providing us all the support? Of course not, it is the mattress along with a good bed base. To ensure a good nights sleep, it is necessary to have a proper mattress combined with a sturdy bed base.
Usually, while purchasing a new and proper mattress, most of us would prefer to keep the old bed base. The main intention here is to save some money and thereby increase the budget for mattress. Well, this is not entirely wrong and in fact, if the old bed base is in good shape you need not to purchase a new one.
However, it is not recommended to jump on the conclusions just yet. Here we have some simple pointers listed for you. Go through them and by the end you will be surely clear about whether it is necessary to change the bed base every time you change the mattress or not
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What Type Of Mattress Lasts The Longest
Certain types of latex mattresses have shown to have a longer life because of their materials. Innerspring mattresses can often wear down quickly if theres a low coil count. Because each type of mattress can be made with different quality materials, each type can break down quickly or last for a long time. An innerspring with a high number of coils or a memory foam bed with higher quality materials will last the longest.
Stains And Smells That Cannot Be Removed
If you share your bed with a child or with a pet, accidents are unavoidable. You will have to deal with the inevitable spillage of food or potty training mishaps.
With ample protection like a mattress liner or a mattress cover, such accidents might not even penetrate your mattress.
Eventually, all mattresses will be subject to signs of usage. This could include stains and smells that wont go away no matter how much you scrub.
When you find your mattress in this condition, its time to dispose of it and get a new one.
Consider donating your old mattress to an animal shelter or taking it to a mattress recycling center.
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Your Mattress Feels Like It Is Sagging
One of the first indicators that it is time to start saving for a new mattress is when you feel your body sagging at night.
You might find that your torso feels like it is elevated more than the bottom half of your body or vice versa.
This indicator means that the wear on your mattress is uneven, with one half sinking in more than the other.
Over time, sleeping on an uneven surface can cause your spine to feel misaligned.
You might begin to notice lower or upper back pain and an increase in headaches and general soreness.
As soon as your mattress starts to feel like a thick hammock, you will know it is time for a replacement.
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 2.75 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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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.
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.
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