How do you know when you need you a new mattress

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Just like most things in life come and go, so does the one item that we spend a third of our lives in, our beds. Unlike our sheets and blankets however, the mattress does not get the same luxury of being able to be washed. Most mattresses should be replaced every 10 years. Although some mattresses have been slept in for well over 20 years, this does not mean it should be done.

Your mattress can play an important role in deciding the quality of your sleep. From a good night’s sleep comes focus, clarity of the mind, a strong immune system. Sleep is linked to a smaller risk of colds and flu, obesity, depression, heart diseases, and other ailments.

Our sleep surface requirements change as our body changes throughout life. Whenever we get injuries or experience surgery or have medical conditions, the body will respond. The mattress needs to be able to continue supporting and caring for its owner.

Mattress warranties are by no means a method of time used to predict when to get a new mattress. Warranties protect the consumer from being stuck with a faulty mattress, not the loss of comfort and support. Even the highest quality mattress needs to be changed every so often. Unfortunately, not everyone can immediately determine when they are in need of a new mattress.

10 Signs You Need a New Mattress

1. Pain Equals No Gain

Sleeping should be the last thing on your mind that reminds you of a painful experience. People can mistake their sleeping pains for sleep apnea or stress and resort to medication or sleeping pills instead of getting a new mattress.

Old mattresses also lose their ability to reduce motion transfer so when your partner is also moving around, so do you.

2. Frequent Tossing and Turning

So you’ve been staying awake until all hours of the night, no big deal right? Wrong. Stress and fatigue do prevent people from sleeping but so can a bad mattress. Bad mattresses don’t give your body the support it needs. Without proper alignment, our body has to work instead of resting in order to get “comfortable” at night.

As mattresses get old, the midsection sags and places more pressure on the neck, shoulders, and back. A general rule of thumb is that if your body is making an impression of 1.5 inches or deeper, there is a very high chance that your sleep pain is being caused by an overused mattress.

3. Sleeping Better in Other Places

Most people find themselves sleeping better when at home. Home is comfort… home is where the bed is. But if you find yourself on the couch or in a hotel saying ​ ah ​ then there might be a problem going on with your mattress.

4. A Dent in the Bed


Any visible sign should be evident in showing that you need a new mattress. As mattresses get old there are visual cues that say you need to get a new mattress. From sagging areas to indentations or any area of the mattress that feels uneven means it’s time to ditch the old mattress.

5. Increased in Allergy or Asthma Symptoms

Experts say that many mattresses, although advertised as allergen resistant, still are known to collect dust mites and other particles.

Allergens and dust particles build up everywhere– this is nothing new, but over time you might be collapsing onto your very own dust collection.

If you find yourself sneezing or having problems breathing or worsening while laying in bed, it is highly recommended that you swap out your mattress for a newer model.

6. Faulty Frames and Springs

If something sharp has found itself digging into your back, then there is a chance that one of the coils or springs has gotten loose. Any innerspring or pocket spring mattress has its own padded protection but with years of daily use, they can loosen up and stick out making it very uncomfortable.

Another sign of loose or broken springs is when the mattress starts creaking. This should be an immediate telltale sign saying that you need to get a new mattress immediately. At the same time if the bed frame is the culprit of all the noise then it should be replaced instead.

7. The Goldilocks Effect

Goldilocks herself would say that the perfect bed is “not too hard or not too soft, it’s just right.” The same should apply to how the mattress should feel when lying on your bed. Mattresses such as pocket spring or inner coil tend to get extremely hard or firm when their springs are overworked. After many years of having things thrown upon them, the coils get tight and stiff, no longer having that immediate bounce back.

Typically what most people do in order to extend their mattress life is to treat the symptoms and not the cause. By getting more pillows or toppers, thinking that those will help remove the pain this does nothing substantial for your body. While this may seem more practical than going out and spending a bunch of money on a new mattress, new pillows aren’t as sustainable, and they take up even more room on the bed.

8. It Smells Funny

When something begins to smell, you know it’s time to throw it out. The same concept follows with mattresses. Mattresses are subject to everything you touch from the dirty suitcase being tossed carelessly on the bed to the dirty clothes that never made its way into the laundry basket. If the room itself is damp, the mattress could be developing mold, not to mention the other bacteria and fungi that have already gathered from years of use.

9. Something’s Bugging You, Literally


Insects are attracted to all things old and falling apart. When the bugs come out, you shouldn’t be the only thing leaving the room. That mattress should be out of there immediately.

10. Your Body Has Changed

Even if your mattress hasn’t reached its prime time yet, serious changes with your body might mean it’s time for a new mattress.

If you’ve gained or lost a significant amount of weight, the mattress you thought felt like a cloud might feel too hard or soft for you. Even during a natural event such as pregnancy can feel like a chore when the body isn’t being supported right.

A good mattress leads to a happy person. If you’re sleeping on a mattress made of the proper material with comfort, you should be waking up every morning feeling refreshed. There should be no aches and pains when rising up out of bed each day.

How to Care for a Mattress

In hopes of being economically responsible, a higher quality mattress can last much longer than expected and remain beneficial to your wellbeing. Taking good care of your mattress overtime will help you get the most bang for your buck.

Choose a Compatible Bed Frame

A mattress needs the proper support of a good foundation to resist sagging throughout the years. Mattresses often have matching box springs or bed frames with the proper number of slats needed for optimal support.

Use Mattress Protectors

Spills and stains can wear down the strength and inner workings of the mattress fabrics and foams. The liquid can make foam collapse and create impressions that are uneven for sleeping on. Any mattress cover does help buildup of any unwanted materials but it is also good to make sure that the protector is made from breathable material.

Moving the Mattress

If the mattress is being transported from one room or house to another, take special care in making sure that there is room for it to be moved freely without bending or twisting the mattress. Bending it can cause inner damage and doesn’t always meet the warranty. If offered, use professionals to move the mattress to avoid any possible damage.

Buying a New Mattress

If it’s really been that long since you’ve purchased a mattress, chances are you probably have no clue of what’s new in the sleep department. Manufacturers are always changing their styles and materials to account for new technologies.

Do some basic research or read reviews if planning to choose your mattress ahead of time. Always remember to take just an extra few minutes to find the most comfortable and supportive mattress.

You don’t necessarily have to buy the same brand or even size as your old one. New stages in life call for different mattress needs. If you want more space in the bedroom, downsizing to a smaller mattress could actually be a benefit. Regardless of the size in price, good health and a positive attitude make all the difference.