How Often Should You Buy a New Mattress?
Have you been sleeping on your mattress since the era before cell phones existed? Even if your case isn’t that extreme, there’s a chance that your current bed may be well past its expiration date and affecting your good night’s sleep. Generally speaking, it’s best to buy a new mattress every 10 years. That’s because over time, your mattress loses its spring and cushion and doesn’t provide the same support as it once did. Even if you’re sleeping on a high-quality mattress and have taken great care of it, the surface will eventually still become uneven and cause problems for your neck and back.
There are tell-tale signs that you need to switch your mattress even if it hasn’t reached the 10-year mark. If it sags or you can feel coils through the fabric, there’s enough wear and tear to make buying a new one worth it. Additionally, mattresses collect dust and mites throughout the years, which can easily trigger allergies. If you find that you’re coughing more or have developed asthma or other respiratory conditions, it’s likely time for a change.
Other factors that may signal it’s time to buy a new mattress is if the material doesn’t bounce back. Have you noticed that your mattress sinks in the middle? Do you move every time your partner moves in bed too? If it’s not your mattress that needs replacing, it may be your box spring or frame that needs to go. And if you’ve had the mattress less than 10 years and any of the above issues are keeping you up at night, don’t suffer all the way to the 10-year mark: get rid of the mattress : when it no longer serves you well.
Reasons to Replace Your Mattress
It may seem like mattresses should last forever, but once they lose their support, it affects how you sleep. Squeaky, uneven mattresses are noisy and uncomfortable when you try to sleep. And sleep deprivation leads to a range of health problems including heart disease, diabetes, and issues with the immune system. It can make you feel irritable, fatigued, and unable to maintain an active lifestyle.
The effects of sleep deprivation on the brain are harmful to your health and unfortunately, lost sleep can’t be rectified. Sleeping five hours one night and ten hours the next isn’t the way a healthy sleep schedule works. It’s best to receive consistent, high-quality sleep each night versus longer hours for a single night every once in a while.
How Often Should I Replace My Pillows and Sheets?
Fortunately, the mattress lifespan has a much longer shelf life than pillows and sheets. The recommendation is to replace these every one to two years. Like mattresses, pillows can lose their plushness and at a much faster rate. They serve as a breeding ground for dust mites from dead skin cells, oils, and dirt, which can lead to allergies and problems sleeping. Wash your pillows every few months and replace them as soon as they start lacking support.
A pillow that’s past its prime can cause neck pain or strains to your spine. And sheets also have a shelf life: After a few years, the fibers start to break down and become more threadbare. They won’t keep you warm enough and may not feel as good against the skin. Since comfort is key when sleeping, switch to new pillows and sheets every two to three years.
Implementing a Bedroom Makeover
When the time comes to get a new mattress, pillows, and bed sheets, think about other ways you can optimize the space where you sleep. Do you consider it a calming sanctuary and thinking about how meditation can improve your sleep? Or is it more of a general space with a bed? Maintain your surroundings to prevent poor sleep. A bedroom should be a cool, dark place free of distractions. Blinds that allow sunlight to stream in, or rooms that are stuffy or overheated, can affect your sleep cycle.
Additionally, bedrooms that do not have good ventilation or air circulation can make it hard to sleep as well. Install a ceiling fan and make sure the vents are cleaned regularly to ensure you have the amount of air flow that makes up a soothing bedroom environment. The ideal sleeping temperature is between 60 and 67 degrees.
As part of your bedroom “makeover,” remove unnecessary disturbances. This could be a bright alarm clock, TV, phones, or laptops. Clear the clutter from around your bed too. Anything that can cause a distraction or stress should be cleared out of your sleeping area.
Once you’ve made changes to your bedroom, you’ll have positioned yourself for a better night’s rest. Getting eight hours of sleep per night is important, but the quality of that sleep is what matters most.
Mixing Comfort with Technology to Achieve Optimal Sleep
When it comes to buying a new mattress, there are far more options available now than there were ten years ago. Smart technology has created customized solutions for people who want to improve their sleep patterns. For example, the unique power of the Pod, by Eight Sleep — which is way different than any traditional mattress you’ve ever experienced — uses water-powered thermal technology to create an adaptable, enjoyable sleep experience. Its cooling and heating technology enhances your sleep and keeps you at the optimal temperature all night.
Start by selecting your ideal sleep temperature through the Eight Sleep app. Then, the Pod’s Active Grid regulates the temperature on each side of the bed If your partner runs warm and you lean toward the cooler side, each of you can have your own sleeping temperature that suits your needs.
The smart sensor technology tracks your sleep phases, heart rate, and other vital information to provide you with a comprehensive report. This data tells you how much and how well you’re sleeping, and how to improve your sleep. (Consider the Pod a personal trainer for your sleep, which is important, as sleep fitness is critical to your overall health and well-being.) As an added benefit, when you set your wake-up time, the Pod also adjusts the surface temperature gradually to allow you to wake up naturally without an alarm.
Combined with the comfort of a 100% premium fiber blend and four layers of CertiPur-certified adaptive foam, you don’t miss out on the comfort of a good bed by introducing new technology. You’re personalizing it to your specific sleep habits and needs. The general recommendation of how often to buy new mattress items may be shortened after learning about what the Pod can