How do you know when to buy a new mattress? The answer is not one size fits all!
How do you know when to buy a new mattress? When I was a kid, my mattress let me know in no uncertain terms. One of its inner springs had actually broken and pierced through the top of the pad, trying to stab me! It was an easy, instant decision. But how will you know when it’s time to replace yours?
It’s generally accepted that a mattress should give you 7-10 years of comfortable sleep, with 8 years being around the average. You may find you need to replace your mattress more frequently than this, or you may get longer from it. So depending on your situation, you may need to get a new mattress every four years, or every twelve years. Everyone and every mattress is going to be different.
To help you recognize when the time has come for you to replace your mattress, I’ve put together some information about:
- 5 ways your body will signal it’s time for a new mattress
- 3 ways your current mattress will tell you it’s time t0 buy a new mattress
5 Signs From Your Body
I believe that how you feel and the quality of your sleep are the major key factors that will help you know when to buy a new mattress. Listen to your body rather than a number pumped out by a manufacturer. Sometimes we have a hard time being in tune with what our bodies are trying to tell us. This handy bullet point list gives you an idea of some things to look out for.
- Aches, pains, stiffness. Do you feel any of these when you wake up?
- Tiredness across the day. There are a multitude of reasons why people feel tired across the day, a few examples are medical conditions, being busy, or not eating well. If you are feeling tired across the day and you cannot think of a good reason why, it could be a signal that your mattress is interfering with the quality of your sleep and it’s time for a new one.
- Sleeping better away from home. If you sleep better in a bed that’s not your own, it’s probably time to evaluate your bed at home, don’t you think?
- Your age. As we age, what we need from a mattress changes. According to Consumer Reports, our body tolerates less pressure as it ages. If you’re starting to feel a bit creaky in your bones and you’ve had your mattress a while, try a new one.
- Your weight. If you’ve either gained or lost a significant amount of weight, this will have a big impact on the type of mattress you need. Lighter people need a softer mattress to get good pressure relief and comfort, while heavier people need a firmer mattress for the same thing. If you had a soft mattress and you’ve gained weight, it might now be too soft and you need to buy something firmer. If you’ve lost weight and your mattress feels to firm, it’s time to buy something softer.
3 Signs From Your Mattress
- Can you see sagging in the mattress? Or when you lie down on it does it feel like you are sinking in some spots? Sagging in a mattress is defined as an indentation that is an inch and a half deep or more. If your mattress is showing this, it’s time to replace it. Before you go and buy a new one, make sure to check the warranty of your current mattress first. Sagging is one of the most common mattress defects. If the sagging is really deep or has happened quickly, you should be able to get your mattress replaced free of charge. Make sure that it’s actually the mattress that is the problem here, as an old box spring will cause mattress sag too. It would be so disappointing to buy a new mattress, only to watch it sag straight away because it’s not being supported properly!
- Are there visible springs (like the bed from my childhood!)? If you have an innerspring mattress and springs are visible or you can really feel them, the tension has gone from the coil and it is no longer providing you support and it could be dangerous! It’s time for a new mattress clear and simple.
- What material is the made from? Inner spring mattresses tend to have the shortest life of all mattresses as the tension on the coil decreases over time and can’t be fixed. Research shows that latex mattresses tend to last the longest, with memory foam a close second.
