Date : 2021-04-26 08:59:01

How can you tell you need a new mattress?

Most people don't 'outgrow' their mattresses, and over time sleeping in your old one may be something you're used to. You might not find many reasons to upgrade until different problems start surfacing, forcing you to take a hard look into your old mattress. Since upgrading your mattress may seem like a huge decision, most people prefer to go along with the old one. However, using an old mattress brings different health and sleep issues which are avoidable risks. So, before you ignore your old mattress and health any further, here are some ways to check if you need to upgrade to a new mattress:

  1. Mattress impression: The best way to check if your mattress is no longer usable is to notice a significant body impression in its center portion. Some mattresses that lack ample support or dense materials may sag in the middle portion and have a permanent body impression over the years. This impression is not only aesthetically ugly but harmful for your body too. 
    This dip or body impression is evidence of the loss of support and contouring that your mattress may be offering. If you see this body impression on your mattress happening within five years, the mattress was either low-quality or not dense and supportive enough for your bodyweight distribution. The best way to avoid this issue is to go for a mattress that supports your body weight and has the appropriate density to offer full benefits without sagging. It is essential to upgrade from a mattress with such a body impression because it takes away the support from essential pressure points in your body. These areas need enough support, and the body impression is proof of the same. Without ample support and continuing sleeping on a mattress with body impressions, you risk chronic pain, loss of sleep, and the inability to relax in your bed with the comfort and support you need.
     
  2. Body odors and smells: If your mattress has too much off-gassing (usually happens in newer mattresses with chemical additives), it needs to be discarded. Although off-gassing may happen in newer mattresses, moisture and body odors can sometimes mix with your mattress, leading to mattress smell. This smelling and off-gassing, when happening in an older mattress, is unhealthy and often toxic. While newer mattresses can get rid of smells by allowing them to ventilate correctly and dry in the sun, older mattresses have it sealed inside. Glues, polyurethane, VOCs, and even biological smells can mix and make sleeping impossible in such a mattress. If you start finding your mattress smelling excessive, you should look into a new branded mattress and discard the old one. Since treating it with chemicals or dry cleaning isn't possible, an older mattress becomes a severe health hazard. Sleeping on such a mattress can lead to severe respiratory issues, allergies, and other forms of infection due to lowered immunity. And in the current pandemic, you should be on the lookout for such issues because lowered immunity can prove fatal.
     
  3. Frequent skin allergies: Skin allergies are prevalent in mattresses that are aging, sagging, or smell. However, before they show these signs, skin and respiratory issues could manifest and become severe. If you have skin allergies, rashes in areas like elbows, arms, feet, either side of your head, they're more likely because of the mattress. Skin allergies and infections like hives, itches, furuncles, moles, and other issues can become recurrent. Your mattress's exposed layer could be serving as a nesting surface for pests, germs, and different pathogens that build resistance to your body over time. As a result, these skin infections become much more recurrent and severe than they would otherwise.
     
  4. Loss of sleep: Are you sleeping less, unable to sleep, or having frequent insomnia despite taking care of your lifestyle and health? The mattress could be the reason behind such sleep issues. If you're having trouble going to sleep and can't keep your finger on what is inhibiting it, the mattress is mostly likely your guilty party. It could be because of subconscious tossing and turning, inability to find a sense of peace and calm, or more apparent reasons. The best way to diagnose mattress-related insomnia is with a motion sensor, fitness watch, or your partner that can tell about your movement. This excessive tossing and turning is a primary reason why you're unable to stay asleep. A new high-quality mattress would provide you the comfort and support that you need.
     
  5. Morning pains: Starting your day out with the right mindset and attitude can go down the drain if your mattress leads to body pains. If you're having regular episodes of that "occasional pain," it's time to change your mattress. If your lower back, sides, or even the neck and shoulders area pains too often, an orthopedic mattress would be best as an upgrade. Your body needs adequate support and comfort, and sleeping in an old aging mattress leads to pains that are hard to get rid of. Because your old mattress would cease providing ample support, your muscles and posture could face the consequences before you get a new mattress. One of the first areas an aging mattress would lead to pains in your body would be the shoulders and lower back. Since your spine and shoulder need adequate comfort and support without any lapses, they're the first to start paining. The entire spine and lower back need to relax in a neutral position, and an aging mattress could be the reason why they're paining more than usual.
     
  6. Lumpy bed: Sometimes, your bed's upper or support layers could rupture or unevenly compress. This leads to bed lumps, one of the most conspicuous signs that you need a new mattress. Additionally, if you have an innerspring mattress, the springs could be causing parts of your mattress to appear lumpy. In this case of uneven or popping out springs, you should look into a newer mattress the day you notice such signs. Bed lumps or popping out innerspring coils are the most harmful factors that can lead to body pain. This lumpy bed surface often prevents one from sleeping but also leads to severe body pains. The mattress surface should be firm, supportive, and comfortable. Any inconsistencies or uneven lumps pose a health risk to you in both the long and short term. Bed lumps like these are the primary reason behind mattress-related injuries and chronic pains.
     
  7. Persistent nose and sneezing: Having chronic allergies, sneezing, or a morning time stuffy nose is also a sign that you need a new mattress. As mentioned earlier, an old or aging mattress can lead to several reasons that trigger your allergies. But sometimes, trapped dust and poorly maintained mattresses can lead to a persistent stuffed nose, allergies and coughing every morning, and even regular cold. Lifestyle issues are a big reason why these issues can happen, but if you have all of these or some despite a healthier lifestyle, the fault lies in your current and aging mattress. While you can prevent some of these issues by cleaning and maintaining your mattress regularly, eventually, they become unavoidable. When you notice all these health issues surfacing, you should look into a hypoallergenic natural mattress like a latex foam mattress.
     
  8. Non-removable stains and dirt: Sometimes stains and dirt can find more comfort in your mattress than your body does. Hard to remove stains from dirt, body sweats, secretions, and poor maintenance can lead to health issues too. While most stains and dirt are avoidable and regular maintenance can prevent them, getting out long-term stains isn't possible. Mattress protectors or toppers can prevent such stains or liquid damage from reaching your mattress. However, once they're settled in, you should look into a new mattress. A simple stain isn't as harmful as the health hazards that build up over time because of it.
     
  9. Noisy mattress: A noisy mattress isn't an ideal option, given that most innerspring mattresses are meant to last years. If your innerspring mattress makes noises, it is most likely because of the deterioration of spring structure due to poor quality material or excessive motion. Squeaking, creaking, or any other noises emanating from the innerspring system or base of the mattress can be too much to ignore. Excessive noise can make it difficult to sleep and impossible to stay asleep. Every toss and turn can trigger noises in some scenarios, making it a must to replace your mattress. Although most high-quality innerspring mattresses do not squeak or make excessive noises, some mattresses can do it over time. Most of the noises arise from the core or base of your innerspring mattress. If the noise is becoming too much to tolerate, a new high-quality innerspring pocket coil mattress will help minimize noise concerns or risk factors.
     
  10. Waking up tired: Waking up with awkward position pains is one thing, and waking up tired is another. If your bed isn't allowing you high-quality sleep, there are different factors that might be the reason. Your bed could be incompatible and, in this scenario, it would pain or not allow you to sleep while it was still new. Another primary reason why most people wake up feeling tired is that the mattress isn't as comfortable or supportive of allowing your body to feel at ease. Your body and brain need sleep collectively to regenerate energy and wear and tear from the previous day, which helps us waking up fresh. In the case of a high-quality compatible mattress, you can feel yourself going to sleep quickly, easily, and staying asleep isn't an issue. However, an older mattress wouldn't offer as comfortable a sleep as a new one, leading to you waking up tired, both physically and mentally. This tiredness also impacts your immune system since it didn't get much time to rest and recover, ultimately affecting your health too.
     
  11. Bed bugs, mites, and mold: Due to the accumulation of moisture, poor air ventilation in the mattress and your room, one significant sign a mattress is aging is its attraction of pests. Moisture, body sweat, poor ventilation, diffusion of environmental dirt, and allergens create the perfect nesting ground for most bed bugs, mites, and mold. Even though most foam mattresses are hypoallergenic, if you see mold and bed bugs or other insects frequently plaguing your bed, it is time to upgrade. A hypoallergenic and natural mattress like a latex foam mattress keeps these elements away and offers a natural, clean, and sleep-friendly experience. If you find pests in your aging mattress despite regular maintenance and cleaning, it is best to find a more compatible mattress that doesn't absorb as much sweat and repels insects.
     
  12. Age is not just a number: Your mattress's age might sometimes be cut short or not live much due to bodyweight, environmental moisture, improper maintenance, wear and tear, or even mattress quality. If your previous mattress is more than 5-7 years old (for foam mattresses) and equivalent or more for an innerspring mattress, your mattress needs replacement. Although most mattresses are meant to last a good number of years, the value can change depending upon manufacturer and quality/type. An aging mattress wouldn't be as comfortable as a new one, of course, but it can severely hamper your sleep quality. Issues like sagging, smells, dust, and the list of factors above can make it difficult to stay asleep on an old mattress. The worst part about any aging mattress is that your body picks up its signs of aging with health issues before you see anything on the mattress surface. So, if you see any issues related to aging, it would be best to go for a best premium mattress that suits your body and lasts a long-time to avoid these issues.
     
  13. Mattress sagging: Unlike body impressions, mattress sagging often deforms the entire surface area of the mattress. Your mattress's comfort layer and support layer or core compress either equally or unevenly. This loss of precious inches of your mattress is not something you should ignore, signifying less support and comfort and more effort to get up. Mattress sagging usually occurs in low-density mattress layers and can lead to a terrible experience of sleeping. Although the loss of a mere 1-2 inches within the first five years isn't a concern, any more sinking or sagging, and you should either have your mattress replaced or upgrade it. This excessive sagging signifies both incompatible mattress support with excessive body weight and mattress construction factors.
     
  14. Temperature sensitivity: Another reason you might need to change your mattress for a newer one is their change in temperature sensitivity. For example, your mattress might have been offering a slightly colder or temperature neutral. However, due to aging, sagging, and other forms of deterioration, your mattress could change the way it feels. A memory foam mattress could sag and become more compressed, turning even warmer. The same applies to other foam mattresses like PU foam, latex foam, and memory foam included. These foam mattresses could change the way they feel, in terms of temperature, over the years, and they may no longer be comfortable sleeping.
     
  15. Excessive movement or partner issues: Sometimes, your partner might not be enjoying the sleeping experience even if you sleep comfortably. There are several reasons why a mattress may inhibit the sleeping experience of your partner, and motion disturbance might be one of them. Sometimes, despite a high-quality spring system, your mattress's motion isolation property might lose its capability. So even if you're able to sleep comfortably and toss and turn without affecting your sleep, your partner might be spending hours awake. An aging mattress would be unable to maximize motion isolation leading to either partner sleeping soundly.
     
  16. Your lifestyle and weight change: Sometimes, the mattress might not be the one that's at fault, and a significant weight increase either due to pregnancy or lifestyle changes, diseases, and other physiological factors might be the cause. The mattress you chose when you had an average body weight wouldn't be able to hold up the significant increase in weight. This leads to mattress sagging, aging, and a variety of issues mentioned above. So, if you feel you're not finding ample support and comfort in your mattress anymore, you need a new one. Same as we upgrade or buy new clothes, shoes, and other personal care items, a more supportive mattress can't wait. And if you're thinking of losing weight for your mattress or older clothes to fit, that's a great approach. Still, an incompatible mattress can nullify this motivation if you're unable to sleep properly. You should analyze your sleep quality and support because sleep quality, time, and environment are significant factors that drive weight loss at night.
     

Choosing the right mattress after your old one gives out:
Your old mattress is no longer usable for many reasons. It could be either one or all of these issues, and your new mattress should improve or bring new features to help you sleep. Here are some features to look for in your new mattress which might have been amiss or degraded in your old mattress:

  1. Support: Your new mattress's support should be enough to undo any damage your old one might have caused, as well as improve your posture. The factors mentioned above show how important it is to have a mattress that supports your body weight. And a supportive mattress can help provide spinal alignment, relieve body pains, and help you sleep more comfortably.
     
  2. Hypoallergenic: Most older mattresses gather years of dirt, allergens, wear and tear, accelerating the way external agents accumulate. It is not until you buy a new mattress that you remember how good it feels to sleep clean and stay healthy. Common colds, allergies, and other factors can become a thing of your past if you go for a hypoallergenic mattress. You can find hypoallergenic properties in latex foam, memory foam, or even hybrid hypoallergenic foam mattresses. A high-quality mattress stays good as new and hypoallergenic for years without compensating for the cleanliness and quality. If you notice your current aging mattress beginning to show the signs early on, a better hypoallergenic mattress will do wonders for your overall health.
     
  3. Body compatibility: Our bodies change, so why should our mattresses remain the same. People go through rapid weight gain, loss, pregnancies, and other body weight and body image issues over the years. However, sleep is the one place where you should feel at ease and perfect peace. A mattress should be compatible with your body type, and the balance of comfort and adequate support is critical to your sleep.
     
  4. High-quality: With every other manufacturer claiming a 'high-quality' tag to their mattress and sleep products, how do you tell apart the genuine from fake marketing? The secret to this answer lies in density, in-house manufacturing, and overall construction. And there is no other way to tell a high-quality mattress from a poor-quality is by judging the parameters side-by-side and checking it out in the mattress store! You should always check how a mattress feels like in the store so that there are no return or dissatisfaction issues later on. A high-quality mattress's density would be higher in its foam layers, quilting, and overall construction and aesthetics.
     

Conclusion:
It's okay to feel overwhelmed when you go out to buy a new mattress. There are too many manufacturers, and ultimately you also have to find a mattress that fits your budget without failing on the decision part. That is why our SleepID algorithm pairs you with the right luxury mattress for your body and takes in factors like age, weight, body fat distribution, among others. The right mattress would help you sleep peacefully for years on end, and you can rely on the KingKoil manufacturer warranty against manufacturing or quality defects. SleepID has a 94% customer satisfaction rate in pairing you with the right mattress for perfect baby-like sleep.

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