The quality of your sleep depends on many factors. It is the temperature, your mood after the day, noises around, and other things. But what impacts stronger is the surface you lie on. With the wrong mattress, your sleep is likely to degrade. How often should you replace your mattress, and why do that? Answers are below.
Signs that your mattress should be replaced
Here is a short-list of recommendations about when to replace a mattress. If some signs are matching, think of buying a new one:
- You’ve been sleeping on it for a long time. The average lifespan of a mattress is about 8 to 10 years. During this time, the quality of the materials degrades, and your body and health change.
- Your back hurts after the wake-up. Reasons can vary, but the surface’s influence is often one.
- You or your partner has gained weight. Every bedding has its maximum load - the weight it handles without damage.
- Dents formed in the mattress, and it got pushed in the middle. That’s why you’re rolling towards the center or the edge of the bed.
- You feel like falling while lying. As a result, it is difficult to change the position and turn on the other side.
- You feel when your partner flips.
- When you get out of bed, your body shape stays on it. The mattress should immediately return to its original shape apart from the memory foam effect. That kind of bedding can return to the previous form slightly longer.
- Your bed is creaking. The source of noise can be both in the bed structure and in the mattress. This is the case with old innerspring models or with poorly fixed independent springs.
- You sleep better outside the house. If you fall asleep faster at a hotel or a friend’s, but it takes more time in your house, bedding may affect you.
- An old bed cover doesn’t fit a new bed.
As you see, the main sign is that your sleep tends to worsen.
A bad mattress is dangerous
The wrong surface is not only uncomfortable but also affects sleepers’ health and mood. We spend about a third half of the day in our beds. That is why buying a suitable one means investing in your well-being.
An old mattress no longer possesses the required orthopedic qualities. It cannot maintain the bones’ position anymore and the body will not get the necessary relaxation. In the long term, it leads to problems with your backbone and posture.
Over time, the sleeping space will accumulate dust mites and dirt. It happens even if you are covering it with a protector. This might be harmful to health and cause allergies ranging from skin rashes to coughing. It is especially important when it comes to sleepers with asthma.
How to choose a new one?
Many essential aspects play an important role when it comes to the selection of the proper model. We are going to describe some of them in order to improve your convenience and provide you exceptional opportunities to be successful in the best choice provision. Take a closer look at the key characteristics of the ideal item you might require for your household routine.
Which materials are better?
One of the popular ones is latex. Regretfully, it can often be falsified. To detect a fake, look at part of the cut-off. Natural latex has a slightly yellowish shade and a faint odor of dairy products. The material, however, does not leave traces on the hands and tissue. If the sample has aroused your suspicion, ask for a quality certificate.
Synthetic’s longevity is about 5 to 7 years. These are nylon, latex, and others. Natural materials are more durable and can stay in good condition for 10 years and more. These are coconut, wool, cotton, etc. The only disadvantage is their higher price. Most of the models are hybrid and combine different kinds of fabric.
The optimal stiffness
There is a thought that a tough mattress is good for your backbones, but it is just a misconception. Sleeping on a desk won’t deliver you relaxation. Both too hard and too soft variants are dangerous for your back.
Seeping on a very rigid surface leads to maximal pressure on shoulders and thighs. It can cause muscle blackouts and general fatigue after rest. On the extremely soft surface, the spine bends too much and takes the shape of a crescent moon. As a result, the lungs compress and breathing becomes more difficult, and the quality of rest reduces.
Useful lifetime
You should choose the stiffness according to the orthopedists’ recommendations. We provide the main ones.
- Newborn babies should lay on the hardest springless coverage. It lets all bones form correctly in the first months.
- Children aged 2 to 13 should use medium stiffness models, both spring and dry.
- Young people under the age of 25 models of medium and high (if there are more weight problems) require high-grade stiff models. Spine formation goes on for a quarter of a century. Therefore, it is not desirable to use soft beddings.
- People aged 25 to 55 can choose any model according to preferences and weight category. The more weight, the harder the surface.
- 50-year old and other aged sleepers should choose soft and medium-hard models. Too tough ones may lead to serious problems with interspinal disks.
If the person has a spinal disease, a doctor should be consulted beforehand. In any case, the choice is individual.
Which construction is better
There is a stereotype about innerspring construction’s bad influence and danger. It is only a myth. That kind is 100% safe if you use it properly. Don’t allow your children to jump on it and don’t use it as a trampoline.
Another important characteristic is the word ‘orthopedics’ in the naming. Unfortunately, it is only called like that solely for marketing purposes. Therefore, if you are looking for an orthopedic mattress, check a special medical certificate.
Get a case
It makes the surface’s lifespan longer. It is better to buy it at the same time as a mattress. The textile impact is important too. Cotton has great breathability, and polyester does not lose shape after washing. Velour does not absorb moisture, it stays on the surface and is easily removed. The covers can be fastened with a zipper or rubber. If you want the mattress to be as closed as possible from dirt and dust, buy a full zipper cover.
These recommendations are basic and deal mostly with your well-being. To get a perfectly fitting one, go to a shop and lay on the nice one. Mattresses with the same characteristics will be estimated differently by various sleepers, so the final choice depends on you.
