10 Signs It’s Time to Change Your Mattress

It may be cliché, but it’s true: we spend a third of our lives sleeping, and this can influence your health and even your productivity. The care we should have with sleep is as important as the care we have with food. So it is clear that the mattress is one of the main factors to look out for.

In addition to all the guidelines we follow when buying a new model and also to keep it longer, you need to know when it’s time to exchange it. Check out 10 signs that this moment has arrived:

1. The mattress is losing its firmness

The clearest sign that you should change your mattress is when it starts to lose its firmness. This happens with all types of mattresses, whether it’s because the springs are breaking, the foam has sunk, or the fibers are pinched.

Even small areas of wear an inch or two in diameter are enough for the mattress to no longer support your body properly, so don’t wait until a crater forms in the middle of it.

2. It stays with your body mark for a long time

This tip is especially important for memory foam or memory foam mattresses. Although they are designed to “remember” your body and the position you sleep in, the foam should return to normal after you get up.

Over time, the foam structure begins to break down, so it becomes softer and less able to recover, giving your body less support. So, if you notice that the foam takes a long time to get back to normal or if it leaves an impression of your body deeper than 5 cm, it’s time to change the mattress.

3. The temperature has made your mattress too soft

It sounds strange, but it happens: memory foam mattresses are temperature sensitive, so much so that they can mold themselves to distribute our weight because they are able to capture our body’s heat. Likewise, it will be sensitive to room temperature.

If you live in a very hot place, your memory foam mattress may end up getting too soft sooner than you expected, impairing the comfort and support it offers.

4. Mattress padding has shifted

With the natural use of the mattress, the padding can move inside, leaving some areas higher than others. As a result, this unevenness can reduce the support capacity of the mattress.

This effect is more common on simpler mattresses, made only of foam, although it can also happen on higher quality products after a long time of use.

5. Your mattress has expired

In general, manufacturers recommend replacing foam mattresses every 5 years and spring mattresses every 10 years. If that time has passed and you feel like you’re still sleeping well, maybe you should ask yourself if you’re just accustomed to a lower comfort level than you should be.

6. You are waking up in pain

Sleep is the time when our body recovers from the stress and fatigue of everyday life, relieving tension and pain caused by training or even spending a lot of time in the same position. However, if you are waking up in more pain than when you went to sleep, something is wrong with your mattress.

As the foam wears out, the mattress no longer provides adequate support for areas such as the neck, lower back and hips, as well as creating pressure points. If you already wake up sore, it may be time to change it.

7. You roll over and can’t sleep

If you suffer from insomnia, you need to assess whether you are experiencing a period of stress or anxiety. However, a mattress that is too worn out can also cause you to spend long hours tossing and turning without being able to fall asleep.

The same thing holds true if you seem to sleep through the night but wake up feeling tired. In that case, it is worth considering the exchange.

8. You are pregnant

Being pregnant is a good reason to change your mattress if it is no longer 100% and get a new model that offers the support you will need during this period.

Your body will be more susceptible to pain and tension caused by increased abdominal volume, especially in the lower back. Sleeping on a mattress that provides the necessary support is essential to reducing this discomfort.

9. You get allergic attacks whenever you go to sleep

You just lie down and the crisis begins: your nose runs, your eyes itch and you sneeze non-stop. If you’ve ruled out that the problem is with the bedding, pillow, or blankets, it could be with your mattress.

Over time, most mattresses accumulate allergens such as mold, dust mites and dust. So, if you have allergic attacks when you go to bed or if you always wake up with a stuffy nose, it’s worth inspecting your mattress and arranging for a replacement if necessary.

10. Your mattress no longer works for you

There may not be anything necessarily wrong with your mattress, but you can no longer sleep well on it because something has changed in your life. Perhaps you’ve developed a bone or muscle injury or gone through a major weight change. Also, you may have a new bedtime partner.

In these cases, your mattress may no longer be as suitable for your new situation. Maybe you really don’t want to change it because it’s still in good shape, but remember that over the course of a year, we spend nearly 3,000 hours sleeping. If it’s possible, investing in a more comfortable mattress for your new moment is something very worthwhile.