When to Get a New Mattress: 7 Signs You Should Not Ignore

How’d you sleep last night? According to a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 92% of people say that a comfortable mattress is essential. Yet, many people are attempting to sleep on a bed that is no longer (or never was) ideal. So how do you know when to get a new mattress? First, we’ll look at seven tell-tale signs that the time has arrived.

1. Your Mattress is Old

Even though some mattresses come with 15- or even 20-year warranties, those are just marketing tactics to get you to shell out for a warranty.

Plus, those warranties only cover certain parts and artistry. They don’t guarantee comfort.

The actual lifespan of a mattress is in the 7-10 year range. After that age, you’re likely sleeping on a less-than-optimal mattress.

2. Your Quality of Sleep Is Decreasing

If you’ve noticed that you’re waking up tired and walking around all day like a zombie, you’re either not getting enough sleep or not getting quality sleep.

Do you go to bed around the same time each night but have trouble falling asleep? Or perhaps you’re waking up several times per night.

Lacking the presence of a medical condition, these are all signs that it may be time to swap out your mattress.

You may be sleeping “just fine” but not realizing that sleep quality is lacking. The lack of support your mattress offers could make you miss out on important REM sleep cycles.

Another issue you may notice is that you wake up when your partner moves around or gets out of bed. Again, this shouldn’t be happening.

Mattresses are designed to isolate motion. And they do this well at first. But as the mattress ages, the motion isolation decreases.

Then there’s the issue of pain. This brings us to our next sign.

3. Your Body Is Stiff or Painful

We all have to deal with different aches and pains. This is especially true as we age.

But ask yourself this. Do you experience stiffness or dull pain in your neck, shoulders, and back every morning when you wake up? Does it get better throughout the day?

If so, there’s a good chance your mattress is shot, and it’s time to get a new one.

What makes a new mattress so comfortable isn’t rooted so much in the firm vs. soft mattress argument. Instead, that’s a purely personal choice.

It’s more that each new mattress is constructed with layers for comfort. These layers begin to break down over time, though.

You may not see any difference right away. But when those middle layers decrease, they tend to do so in the middle portion of the mattress.

That means the midsection of your body is less supported and hanging lower. This, in turn, creates pressure on the neck, shoulders, and back.

Hence, the pain each morning.

4. You See Sagging

Your mattress is only as supportive as its support system.

In other words, if you have broken or worn-out box springs, your mattress’s foundation lacks the support it needs and has probably started sagging in the middle.

It could also be that the frame lacks center support. This would make the mattress less supportive in the middle and cause it to sag over time.

Finally, it may have nothing to do with the support systems. Instead, the bed has just sagged under your weight for many years.

If you’ve made it far enough with your mattress to where you can see it sagging but haven’t had to deal with the physical pain, congratulations!

The bad news is, though, that you need a new mattress.

5. You Are Leaving an Impression

This applies more to memory foam mattresses than traditional ones.

Leaving an impression on a memory foam mattress is similar, in concept, to the sagging that occurs in a traditional mattress.

Even though memory foam is designed to remember your body and your sleeping position, your imprint isn’t supposed to remain once you leave the bed.

It’s supposed to return to its original position.

Over time, however, the cellular structure of memory foam breaks down – just like the comfort layers in a mattress.

As it becomes softer, it loses its ability to bounce back and give your body the support it needs.

The basic rule of thumb is – if your memory foam mattress maintains your body’s impression long after you’ve gotten up, or if the impression is deeper than two inches, you need a new mattress.

6. Your Weight Has Changed

Have you lost weight recently due to an accident, surgery, dieting, or pregnancy?

A mattress is constructed based on the idea that the user will maintain a weight that doesn’t fluctuate too much. However, suppose any of the above situations have significantly changed your weight. In that case, you’ll find that what supported you or was comfortable five years ago may no longer be doing the trick.

If you’re having issues with pressure points, buying a mattress topper could be a temporary solution. It won’t help at all, though, if the problem is a lack of support.

7. You Become Allergic When in Bed 

If you’re sneezing or dealing with other nasal issues each time you crawl into bed, that’s a sure sign that you need a new mattress.

Why?

Because chances are, dust mites are thriving in your mattress. They’ll find their way to you even if you change your bedding.

Although this might sound like the stuff of horror movies, dust mites aren’t evil and won’t chew on you during the night. But they are one of the leading causes of allergens.

So it’s time to invest in a new mattress. And it should be noted that memory foam, latex, and waterbeds are most resistant to dust mites.

Know When to Get a New Mattress

Understanding when to get a new one and trying other measures could make all the difference in your getting a good night’s sleep.

Sweet dreams!

And for additional articles to help you make informed decisions, keep checking back with our blog!


Yvan Lebrun
Yvan Lebrun

Yvan Lebrun is a trusted expert in the field of product & service reviews. With over a decade of experience analyzing and comparing services online, he shares his valuable experience with readers at GoodSitesLike so consumers can make educated decisions before making a purchase.

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