How do you know when it’s time to buy a new mattress?

Mattresses are quite an expensive investment. Costing anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand pounds, most of us don’t often spend so much on one item. However, they are a worthy investment, given we spend eight hours a day on them –  approximately one third of our lives.

Since we’re in such proximity to them, we want to make sure that our mattress is healthy and of good quality. We want a supported and comfortable night of sleep. We want something that will last us a really long time. For this reason, we tend to get attached to our mattresses. We worry about replacing them because they’re something we’ve come to know well. You know that feeling you get when you have been away from home for a really long time and then you get back into your own bed? That feeling is safety and familiarity. We’ve evolved to recognise our own smells and familiar sensations and to crave them. We feel safe at home and in bed, and that might mean we are automatically averse to change, and don’t want to replace our mattress.

But we have to. Even those we have taken good care of will not have a lifespan of more than ten years. But when is it time to swap out our mattress for a newer one? Here are a few clues.

After more than ten years of consistent use

Most mattresses have a lifespan of about eight to ten years if they are used consistently. It’s best to read your manufacturer’s information to make sure this is the case, but we can almost guarantee that it is.

Even if you have taken really good care of your mattress, it only has a certain natural lifespan, because sleeping on your mattress wears it out. There’ll be signs of this wear and tear, and when you see them you need to change your mattress.

When you’ve indented a certain space

Most of us sleep in the same position. When we do this night after night, we compress the springs in our mattress or the foam, and they’ll stop returning to their original position. When this happens, you won’t be getting the same amount of support. You might not even realise that until you get a new mattress and feel the difference.

If you have a flippable mattress, this can extend the life of your mattress, because you can turn it the other way around and take advantage of that, but it is unlikely to extend your mattress by another ten years.

If you find your mattress has sunk in certain areas, it’s time to get a new one.

If there’s any lasting damage

Accidents happen. Perhaps you’ve spilled something smelly and unremovable on your mattress, and you have cleaned it up best you can, but you can’t get rid of it all. If this is the case, it is time to look at replacing your mattress, because nasties – like bacteria – can get in these substances and live there.

A mattress protector can help protect the top layer of your mattress and prolong its life.

If there’s a tear in your mattress, you should also look at replacing it as soon as you can. Torn mattresses lose their filling and therefore their support.

If it is making more noise than usual

More noise than normal is a sign of broken springs, which means you aren’t getting the support you need and should replace your mattress.

Noise keeps us awake, too. You might not feel like it is impacting your sleep, but again –  you might not realise how much it is impacting you until you replace it with a new one.

You notice an increase in allergies or asthma

Mattresses are huge blocks of material and they hold onto dust and other allergens. This only increases overtime unless your mattress is hypoallergenic, which most are not.

If you are suddenly finding yourself coughing and sneezing, it might be the case that your mattress is now home to little mites that irritate your nostrils and throat. This can be the case even when you hoover and flip your mattress regularly.

Choosing a new mattress

If you’re looking for a new mattress that will last you a long time, look for mattresses with long warranties and sleep trials, as this means a manufacturer has great belief in their product.

Natural materials and hypoallergenic and therefore a good choice if you don’t like dust and want a healthier sleep. They’re also naturally fire retardant, and break down when binned.

Ely mattresses fit the bill. Our mattresses are made from thirteen layers of good stuff and built to last a decade. For more information, browse our range of adult sized and baby sized mattresses.