Have you checked your mattress lately? If not, now may be a good time to do so.

Many people use the warranty of their mattress as a guide to determine when it’s time to replace it. However, what people should know is that the comfort ingredients, on top of your spring core, wear out much sooner than the springs and that sagging or softening of the top layers is considered normal wear by the mattress industry. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are 9 signs to determine if you need a new mattress:

1) Your mattress is over 8 years old
The age of the mattress is one of the first things to consider. Most people don’t remember when they bought their last mattress. If you are not good at keeping files, you should write the date of purchase on the mattress label. Consumer Reports magazine recommends replacement every 7 to 10 years. This may be a shock to many people who have purchased a mattress with a 20-year warranty. You should know that the warranty is meant to cover certain parts (springs) and workmanship and not a mattress’s overall comfort.

2) You don’t feel rested when you wake
If you get a good night’s sleep you should wake up feeling refreshed and rested. If you find that you are waking up tired and feeling drowsy during the day (and you don’t suffer from other sleep disorders like sleep apnea) it may be due to too much tossing and turning throughout the night. Your body is working overtime to find a comfortable sleeping position that does not exist.

3) You wake up with aches and pains and holding your back

Are you waking up stiff and tired every morning? If you are then chances are you need a new mattress. Old mattresses tend to gradually lose the ability to provide proper support and once the comfort zone has matted down you will get pressure points by sleeping directly on the springs. As the comfort layers lose their compression (if not their shape), your mid-section, which represents the heavier part of your body, will sag into the mattress.

This can create significant pain in the neck, shoulders, and back. You will also get uncomfortable pressure points that will cause you to toss and turn all night long. Morning neck and back pain that gets better throughout the day is a sign that you need a new mattress or that you are sleeping on a mattress that is the wrong firmness for your body.

4) Other places feel more comfortable
If you find yourself going into another bedroom to sleep or prefer the couch to your bed, this is a fairly good indication that you should consider buying a new mattress. The same goes if you find that you are sleeping better on a hotel mattress when you go away on vacation. Your mattress should be comfortable and supportive. It should give your body a rest and some time to relax and fully recover. Struggling to fall asleep at night is often the result of discomfort; studies show that by simply replacing an old mattress you can improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.

5) Your spring mattress squeaks or your box spring creaks
The ability of your mattress to provide support can be greatly affected by what supports your mattress. If you feel like your mattress is in fairly good condition but that something is off, consider checking your bed’s foundation (box spring) and the frame that it’s sitting on. Broken or worn-out box springs can affect a mattress’s comfort, support, and shape. Similarly a frame, without a centre support, may cause even a new mattress to sag in the centre.

6) You have a visible and noticeable sag
If you feel pain in your joints, muscles, or your back, inspect your bed to see if there are signs of sagging or body impressions. Sagging can occur as springs break down and lose resiliency and impressions occur as the polyester fiber, foam, and felt compress over a short period of time. Sagging and impressions as little as 1.5″ in depth are linked to increased pain according to sleep surveys by back experts. If your “pillow-top” mattress is showing a sag at this level or greater, a new mattress should be on the top of your priority list well before you plant your new flowers for the season or open up your pool (if you have one).

7) You hammock into the mattress
If you feel like you are sagging into the mattress, even when there is no noticeable sag, it is probably due to the softening of the core in your memory foam or full foam mattress. A better high-resiliency core, like Koosh Natural, will keep its firmness and shape a lot longer than conventional polyurethane foam. When your mattress has reached this level of wear, it can significantly affect how you sleep and how you feel all day long.

8) You are suffering from bad dust allergies
If you find that allergies seem worse at night or first thing in the morning it may be an indication that it’s time for a new mattress. Dust mites are one of the leading causes of allergens and they thrive in mattresses and bedding. Memory foam, latex, and waterbeds are most resistant to dust mites. Our Simon Organic Mattress is made with adjustable layers and no cotton felt in the top layer. Dust mites love to hibernate and multiply in the cotton felt layer that is found in most spring mattresses. Using a dust mite-resistant mattress cover and frequently washing pillows and bedding can also help alleviate dust mites and extend the life of a new mattress.

9) You have experienced a significant change in weight
People often gain or lose weight during a mattress’s life cycle. This could happen if you have surgery, an accident, pregnancy, diet, or as you age. Even if the mattress is in decent condition, what supported you or was comfortable 5 years ago may no longer do the trick if your weight has fluctuated up or down. If firmness or pressure points are the issue, you can buy a mattress topper as a temporary solution until you are ready to buy a new mattress. However, if the mattress is too soft or lacks support, a topper will do very little to help your sleeping conditions.

Final Word

If you want some tips for choosing a new mattress, you should get a proper Sleep Analysis from a comfort and sleep expert that can make you a custom mattress, using the best and most natural comfortable ingredients, at a great factory direct price.

Get the best sleep of your life by sleeping on Real Comfort ingredients!

Sincerely,

R.C. (Bob) Dimas

Be the best that you can be by doing whatever is necessary to improve the quality of your sleep!