If you are having increasingly bad or fitful sleep, you might need to consider purchasing a new mattress. If this is combined with feeling tired, unfocussed or if your muscles are sore or ache that is a definite sign that your mattress is no longer serving its purpose. If your mattress is full of dust or is sagging, thus reducing support you might need a new mattress. As adults spend 1/3 of their life in bed and sleeping which equals over 3500 hours sleeping in only ten years, it is essential that you spend that time resting properly and getting the maximum benefit from your sleep.

A mattress is given a warrantee rating from 10 to 20 years but this is only applicable if you take care of it. Also, guarantees usually only extend to the materials and not how well it continues to support your body and contribute to a restful night’s sleep. More expensive mattresses will often last longer than their discount counterparts but this also depends on several factors like wear and tear, how often it is used and if it is maintained properly. A guest room mattress will have a longer life than one that is used every night, especially if you read or watch television while winding down for the evening. The weight of those using the bed is also a factor in how long your mattress will be supportive and comfortable – this is especially relevant for the support structure of the mattress. The general rule is that the more you use the mattress, the quicker it will succumb to wear and tear.

Remember that as we age, the more support the body needs (especially to ease aching joints) so a mattress may become uncomfortable more quickly the older we get. Children may also abuse their bed by jumping up and down and also due to the fact that they sleep longer than 8 hours a day.

How To Tell If Your Mattress Needs To Be Replaced

Manufacturers’ guidelines recommend you check your mattress every few years. Things to watch out for are:  rips, tears, soft spots or hard sports, broken and protruding springs or any other defects. Remember to take off all the bedding to look for lumpy spots or if it is sagging anywhere – this is a key way to determine if it is losing support and needs to be replaced. As well, if you notice increased dust it might be an indication of dust mites or just general degrading of the materials in the mattress. The mattress also may seem quite a bit heavier, as it will double the weight over its lifespan, accumulating dust, grime, sweat and of course, dust mites. This in turn might increase allergy reactions or aggravate the user’s asthma because of the dust.

In Conclusion:  Invest In Your Rest

Don’t waste your nights sleep by tossing and turning, check your bed often to make sure it is not succumbing to wear and tear, lumps or sagging. If it is in better condition, your sleep will also be more restful and reinvigorating. Research in the UK has shown that almost two thirds of the population has never slept in a comfortable and supportive bed. Now is the time to reverse the trend and invest in a new mattress – and your quality of sleep.