Restorative sleep is imperative to feel good. The lack of sleep can lead to grumpiness, ineffectiveness and unproductively. Is your mattress to blame?
Think back to how old your mattress is. Do you remember the last time you had bought one?
How long are mattresses supposed to last any way? According to the Sleep Advisor, manufacturers recommend changing yours every eight years.
However, there are a number of factors that can affect the life expectancy of a mattress.
For instance, innerspring and low-density memory foam mattresses are less durable than natural latex and high-density memory foam.
An innerspring mattress uses steel coils for body support – and it’s the most commonly made type of mattress.
Additionally, in terms of quality, you tend to get what you paid for – so definitely don’t hold back when it comes to investing in your next mattress.
As you sleep on a mattress most nights of the year, every year, it makes sense that the heavier your weight, the more quickly the mattress will sag.
Moreover, a bad mattress won’t be able to provide the support your spine needs to stay in alignment.
Too soft of a mattress can lead to aches and pains. The best type of mattress should help the spine to maintain a natural, relatively straight line.
If you’re putting money away to afford a new mattress, you can try to extend a mattress’s longevity by adding a mattress topper on top – if you haven’t already.
The Sleep Advisor recommends addressing temporary sogginess (while you wait for a new mattress) with the use of a pillow.
For side sleepers, the Sleep Advisor suggests to place a pillow between your knees.
Back sleepers may benefit from placing a pillow under the knees to take the strain off the lower back.
While people who sleep on their stomach could reap the rewards from placing a pillow at the pelvic area to help prevent the body from arching.
Even if the mattress isn’t sagging at the moment, it could be the culprit behind your allergies that is making it difficult to sleep at night.
The Sleep Advisor explained that there’s an average of “10 million” dust mites sharing your bed with you every night.
Microscopic, you can’t see them but they feed off your dead skin cells and use the bed as their toilet.
Some people are allergic to the faeces belonging to the dust mites, resulting in itchy eyes, rashes and breathing challenges.
This is another reason why it’s important to change your mattress after eight years of use.