We spend approximately one-third of our life in the bed, still we do not consider a mattress as a vital thing for our health. It is crazy, but people generally do not like to part ways with their mattress. Though, even the best mattresses must be replaced over time. Warranties, which we usually do not pay attention to, are way longer than the actual lifetime of a mattress.
So, for instance, if a warranty says that, the mattress will last for 8 years, it means it will only last for 8 years if you did not use it every day. Well, of course you are going to use it every day! This is such a crooked scheme, but it is the type of response you will get from many mattress manufacturers. The lifespan of a mattress highly depends upon your way of living. Some studies have even proved that a mattress becomes double its original weight due to all the dirt, bacteria, and dead skin particles over the years. Gross!
Here are the 9 signs that it is time to bring a new mattress into your life.
1. Your mattress has grown old
Undoubtedly, we love our beds, we love being in our cozy, warm and soft beds. However, the little microbes and bacteria under our beautiful bed sheets find our bed homey just as much as we do. An experiment done by nsf.org has proved that our mattresses, pillowcases, bed sheets and even our duvets contain more germs than the toilet seat.
Our cozy mattresses provide perfect conditions for fungi to grow. The dirt in the air settles down in the little spaces of a mattress. This dirt, our sweat, and dead skin that rubs off us while we sleep help the fungi to grow. Hold on, do not be shocked this early. Think about this. After 4 weeks of daily use, our mattress becomes home to 11.32 million bacteria. This is one huge company of living critters to sleep with! Do you still not want to change your mattress?
2. Waking up tired even after 8 hours of sleep
For an adult human, 8 hours of sleep is generally enough for the next day. But if you do not feel that energy, even after getting this much sleep every night and you are not suffering from any sleep disorder, then the problem is sure within your mattress. The reason can be your constant tossing and turning to find a relaxing spot on a mattress, which does not exist anymore.
Like everything else, mattresses age, simple. It loses its stiffness, firmness, and shape over time. A survey has proclaimed that almost 80% of the people who sleep on a bed has back pain because of the mattress at some point. This is many people but you will be astonished that among 80% of those people, 70% of people take painkillers. Still, the most astonishing fact is that they do not pay attention to their mattress. They have not considered changing their mattress, which is the actual reason behind their restlessness and pain.
3. You wake up with muscle ache
Over time, mattresses slowly lose their ability to support the human body. The mattress slumps down from different points especially from where it gets pressure (place of heavier parts of bodies). And once the comfort zone is gone, it is almost impossible to find it again.
Experiments have proved that this can cause mild to serious level pain in your shoulders, neck, and back. If the pain goes away after some time in the day then it is obvious that you really need to replace your mattress. Body impression on a mattress is a normal thing as we sleep on it every day for almost 8 hours. If those lumps are 1.5 inches deeper than it is time to part ways with your old mattress.
4. Other places are more comfortable
If you feel more comfortable at a hotel than your own, it means your mattress has grown old. A mattress is supposed to be comfortable so you can fall asleep easily to wake up healthy and happy. Recent studies have declared that it is crucial to change the mattress over time in order to enhance the quality as well as the quantity of one’s sleep.
The stiffness of a mattress really matters. Some people prefer a hard mattress while others like to sleep on a soft mattress. The idea of falling into a fluffy bed and falling asleep is an ideal one. But the idea of falling into a mattress and feeling its springs against your body is the painful one.
5. Visible sags in a mattress
They are not pretty forever! Sometimes the lifespan of a mattress is visible. Your mattress needs replaced if you can even feel the drops in it. It is even worse when the sags are visible. When you can see the lumps in your sleeping mattress, it is just too old to be used anymore.
There are a couple of reasons for a sag to occur. One of the common reasons is the sags were caused by body weight over-time. Sometimes the springs or support within the mattress break down or lose flexibility. Even a dent or an uneven surface means it is time to ditch it. A mattress is meant to be the place where your body lifts off all the burden. A place where you fall asleep and wake up fresh.
6. Allergies
Germs cause allergies. Remember all those germs? You can’t throw a mattress into the washer to clean it. When it settles in the mattress, then it stays there. Causing allergy problems, which result in sneezing, redness of skin, and in serious cases, it even causes swelling of the skin. Not only this, but it can also cause a respiratory problem. If that has not happened to you yet, good, but make sure you dispose of your mattress before it starts showing such symptoms.
Dust mites are one of the famous causes of allergens. To avoid dust mites, wash your sheets regularly and do not let the dirt come inside your bedroom. Change your sheets regularly because in worst cases, your bed can smell like a dirty pair of socks or a gym bag. It does not mean that you are a dirty person, it’s just natural. Everything becomes dirty over time.
7. You have lost or gained weight
Gaining and losing weight is part of life. But in all this cycle of gaining and losing weight, our comfy cozy mattress does not seem put up with it well. You may feel a need for a different stiffness-type of mattress after an accident, during pregnancy, after surgery, or as you age. Even if the mattress is only a couple years old, the mattress does not accommodate for age and weight change.
8. Mattress is getting softer
There are cases when the sags in the bed are not visible. Yet, when you lay down, it slumps down because of your weight and goes back to normal when you get up. It does not mean that you are fat. It simply indicates that the mattress has lost its stiffness. It has become too soft to carry weight. Softening of the mattress only happens when it has been in constant use for years.
Sleeping away from your own bed can be pretty challenging, but when it feels good rather than trouble, then it is a clear message that your body needs a new mattress.
9. It has seen better days
If you look at your mattress and it looks rough, then it probably is! Is it stained everywhere or have stains that you have no idea where there? If so, then how many years has it been since you bought it? If you can’t remember that either, just bite the bullet and get a new one. Trust me, your body and mind will thank you instantly!
What really matters is your sleep, your rest, and your quality of life. In some cases, mattress toppers may help, but if your mattress has visible sags then even they will not be much help. Just remember, rest is crucial to your overall well-being. A good mattress is huge in correlation to that.
