Sleep is paramount for pretty much all aspects of life. Not only is it critical for maintaining health, but it also plays a massive role in our careers, relationships, and overall well-being.
The key to excellent sleep begins with a great mattress. Most of us don’t take the time to evaluate if our current mattress is living up to its end of the deal. That’s because many of us are so used to inconsistent sleeping surfaces.
Traveling makes us get used to inconsistent sleeping surfaces. Also, lifestyle has a lot to do with it. Falling asleep on the couch watching movies or sleeping wherever you can after a long night with your friend tequila makes your bed seem like heaven when you get the chance to be in it. But the truth is, once you experience truly deep sleep on one of the best mattresses that lets you hit every REM cycle, you’ll wonder what you’ve been doing with your life.
If you’re beginning to wonder if it’s time to get a new mattress, it probably is. But, we get it; mattresses can be a huge investment. Still, you can also find some great mattress deals out there. Either way, you probably need to be aware of the signs that it’s time to get a new mattress. Fortunately, we’re here to help with that very thing.
1. New Pain or Stiffness
One of the most prominent signs you need a new mattress is you begin to experience new aches and pains without any changes to your daily life. Sure, aches and pains are part of getting older — and your actual sleeping position (if abnormal) could contribute to that. However, most of us sleep in the same one or two positions our entire lives, so a more likely culprit is the mattress not supporting you in the same way.
2. It’s Hard To Get Out of Bed
Pain and stiffness are one thing, but having difficulty getting out of bed for no reason other than you’ve sunken into it means you need a new mattress. Sinking more deeply into a mattress than you once did, regardless of what it’s made of, is a clear sign that its support structure has worn out. If you choose to continue to sleep on a sunken mattress, you can probably expect new aches and pains to follow.
3. You Don’t Feel Rested
A more subtle sign that your mattress is failing other than actual pain and noticeable sinkage is that you just feel tired all the time. It could be that the bed you have is working perfectly fine; it’s that it’s not meeting your sleeping needs. It could be too soft, too firm, too hot, too cold. Goldilocks had it right shopping around until she found the right mattress.
With the staggering amount of mattress offerings these days, there is definitely one that suits your needs perfectly. By taking your time and doing your research, you’ll eventually find a bed you won’t want to leave, which could be another problem altogether.
4. Trouble Breathing at Night
Many people attribute night-time stuffiness or breathing problems to seasonal allergies. But, if you pay attention to the symptoms and they aren’t going away with the shift in seasons, it could mean it’s time for a new mattress. Over time, allergens accumulate in your bed fibers. Depending on the composition of your mattress, they could also be lurking deep within your mattress. Every time you hop into bed and move from there on out, you’re kicking out allergens.
Even if you’re utilizing an air purification system in your room, there’s only so much it can do when you’re sleeping on a pile of dust mites and dead skin cells. If that sounds gross, it’s because it is, and it’s time to get a new mattress.
5. Visible Stains
Speaking of gross, if you think about it, the human experience is kind of all-around disgusting. There’s no getting around the fact that we all sweat in our sleep — some more than others. Not only that, but we do a variety of things in bed that don’t need to be explicitly addressed but produce bodily fluids that seep into the mattress. Those sheets and mattress pads only do so much in preventing the inevitable. In our youth, we might have been able to get away with sleeping on a heavily soiled mattress. But, as adults, if you’re ashamed to change your sheets in front of someone, that means it’s time for a new bed.
6. You Sleep Better on the Couch
If your bed isn’t the most comfortable place in your house, there’s a problem. Sleeping on a couch or recliner should be reserved for domestic disputes, drunken nights, and heartburn. Sometimes people create negative associations with their bed because of emotional or psychological issues and prefer not to sleep there. If this is the case for you, speaking with a mental health professional could help. However, if you don’t want to sleep in your bed because you think the couch is more comfortable, it’s time to go mattress shopping.
7. Relationship Issues
Perhaps you have been sleeping just fine in your bed for years, but now you have a new significant other in your life that’s not. Although it’s no fault of the mattress itself, it might be wise to consider a new bed simply to keep everyone in the relationship happy. After all, an unrested partner is an unhappy one, and a cranky partner equates to an unhappy you.
Even if you and your significant other have different tastes in mattresses, there are many ways around that. Some mattresses offer adjustable levels of support on either side. Or you could resort to the old-school method of pushing two twin beds together. Either way, a mattress should be the last thing that wrecks a relationship.
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