7 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Mattress

7 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Mattress

Mattresses don’t last forever. Is it time to replace your mattress?

Though every mattress has a different life span, most would agree that a mattress should be replaced every eight years. But why do we trust a calendar date? What if the mattress is fine and you want to continue sleeping on it. Mattresses can be expensive, after all. Or what if it’s not quite been eight years but your sleep quality is terrible because of your worn-out mattress. If you find yourself suffering from sleepless nights or waking up with back pain, it’s probably time for a new mattress. 

7 signs it’s time to replace your mattress

1. Your mattress is lumpy
2. Your mattress is noisy
3. Your mattress has changed density
4. You can’t fall asleep
5. You wake up in pain
6. You wake up stuffy
7. You sleep better away from your bed

Your mattress is lumpy

You need a new mattress if your mattress is visibly lumpy or sagging. Other signs of too much wear and tear are imprints of your body. You should not be able to tell where you slept when you are out of bed! Your mattress should also be even. If one side is lower, higher, softer, harder, smoother, or lumpier than the other, you need a new mattress.

Your mattress is noisy

You should not be able to make music with your mattress. Creaking, groaning or popping are all signs of a worn out mattress. Even when you’re tossing and turning, mattresses shouldn’t make noise. Mattresses with springs lose their springiness and mattresses with coils get uncoiled or bent. Keep in mind that if you have a wooden or metal bed frame that it may be the noise culprit, so test it out and make sure it’s the mattress before you invest in a new mattress based solely on noise.

Your mattress has changed density

You laid on thirty-five different mattresses at the store to find your perfect fit. Not too firm, not too soft, not too bouncy. But now, the mattress feels different. It is not as soft or it is way too soft. Do you lay in bed at night and not get excited by the comfort anymore? Then you need a new mattress. If your mattress is only a couple years old and you notice that it feels different, look into the manufacturer’s warranty. You might be able to get a partial refund or credit toward a new mattress. 

You can’t fall asleep

It should take between 10 and 20 minutes to fall asleep. If you are constantly lying awake at night, unable to go to sleep and do not suffer from insomnia or other sleep conditions, it’s time for a new mattress. Sleep is meant to rejuvenate your body. It’s too important to your overall health to ignore.

You wake up in pain

Stiffness, soreness, pain in your neck, lower back and joints are all signs of a worn out mattress. However, you may have had a tough workout or an injury. So, be sure that the pain, soreness and stiffness is not caused by something else. If the pain goes away later that morning or afternoon, it is most likely caused by the mattress. But a stiff neck or pain in the back and shoulders is not something to ignore. Also, be sure you are using the right kind of pillow to avoid shoulder and neck stiffness.

You wake up stuffy

Over time, an old mattress can accumulate dust and allergens, that give you new or worsening allergy-like symptoms. Such as sneezing, watery eyes, headaches and stuffiness. A new mattress would have you waking up with clear sinuses and a smile. Be sure to dust your bedroom regularly and wash your sheets often to prevent dust and allergens from building up quickly.

You sleep better away from your bed

Do you have thoughts like, “Maybe I’ll just sleep on the couch?” Or perhaps you’re away on a trip and never think to yourself “I can’t wait to get back home and sleep in my own bed.” Do you sleep better away from your bed? That shouldn’t be the case. You should be getting the best quality sleep right in your home, in your own bed.

Please consult a doctor if you have pain or trouble sleeping, as this may be a sign of a serious health condition.