You might not give much thought to your mattress until it is literally screaming at you to change it, but it will give you subtle signs throughout its life that it is almost time. It’s important you listen, because you spend roughly a third of your life pressed against it. Not having a healthy mattress can leave you susceptible to a poor night of sleep and affect your daily life.

So how can you tell when it’s time to buy a new mattress? We hope our top tips will help you determine when it’s time.

1. You wake up tired and exhausted

Not being able to relax and sleep could be a sign that your mattress is on its way out. It can be detrimental to your overall health for many reasons, because sleep is linked to good mental health and wellbeing. If you’re waking up exhausted even when you’ve been in bed for the recommended seven hours, that’s a sign that something is not right on your mattress, as it may be causing you to feel uncomfortable and preventing you from reaching the deep stage of sleep, which is important for restoring energy.

2. Dips and dents

If you fall asleep on the side of your bed or wake up lower than usual, it is time for something new. The support you were once provided with is now lost, because your mattress has started to wear away.

3. Skin irritation

Are you waking up itchy, or with hives. If so, your mattress might be the cause. Many mattresses are sprayed with pesticides or toxic chemicals, such as polyurethane or glues, all of which can cause skin issues. They can also struggle to breath, which can cause irritation.

4. Smell of chemicals

Many mattress manufacturers can include potentially harmful toxic chemicals when they produce them. This is more common than you might think. Natural mattresses don’t contain any of this stuff, which means you won’t get the nasty smells that can sometimes come with synthetically produced mattresses.

The smell is the least of your worries if your mattress contains these chemicals, as they’re linked to some nasty conditions.

5. Morning back pain

Morning back pain means you are probably not being supported properly when you are in bed, and it is time to opt for something new.

6. Stuffy or runny nose

Signs of a bad mattress can include allergy symptoms. If your mattress is collecting dust or other allergens, and these are bringing on allergy symptoms, it’s time to switch out your mattress for one made from natural materials like wool, cotton and horsehair, which naturally repel allergens.

7. Unfamiliar noises

If you experience noises, like springs creaking and the mattress groaning, or if you’re suddenly snoring, it might be past its use by date. It’s potentially aged or damaged, and a new mattress is likely the only solution.

8. Stains

Stains can be managed to a point, but if your mattress is stained beyond repair, this won’t help you feel comfortable. Excessive stains can attract nasties into your mattress, like mould and microbe growth. Over time, this can make you ill.

9. Mould in your house

Mould issues extend from the start location and can end up targeting your mattress. It’s not uncommon for mold issues to eat away at a mattress, so if you have mould in your house and it has spread to your mattress, it is time to get a new one.

10. Sleep disorders

If you continuously have issues falling or staying asleep, it might not be what you think it is. It could be the result of your mattress, because your positioning when you sleep is making you uncomfortable, and your body knows, and is trying to tell you not to sleep because something is wrong.

11. Lumps in your mattress

A lumpy mattress is not good. Nobody heads off to the shop to buy a mattress full of lumps and bumps. Uneven pressure on the body can result in aches and pains, especially if you can feel the springs of your mattress, which means the lining – the bit that offers you comfort – has worn away.

12.Nasties

By nasties, we mean proper nasties. Bed bugs, and other unwanted creatures. They’re almost impossible to treat. The harder they thrive, the more difficult they are to get rid of, so suggest tossing the whole mattress and starting again.

13. Bouncing

If you feel like you are sleeping on a bouncy castle, or rocking on a boat, it might be because the mattress is showing signs of transference. Your mattress should be reasonably stable in order to get a good, healthy night of sleep.

Transference is when movement is echoed through the mattress spring unit when you move. This often happens in cage sprung and open coil mattresses.

14. Your bed partner is not sleeping well

If your partner isn’t sleeping well, don’t disregard this as a personal issue. This might be because one of you is more capable of dealing with a shoddy mattress and the other is not.

Look for pocket sprung mattresses when you buy a new one, as these limit how much of your movement your partner feels.

15. It’s just old!

You might feel like your mattress is ok, but all products come with a lifespan, and this is the same for mattresses. The average mattress lasts at least six years. Some can last as long as ten years, but only if they are really taken care of. High quality mattresses can last ten years or more. So it really depends on the type of mattress you have, but if your mattress is pushing eight years old, it is probably time to change it.