Do you find yourself tossing and turning at night; that you don’t sleep as well as you used to; sleep better in a hotel bed; or are beginning to wake up stiff/sore for no apparent reason – it might be time to change your mattress!

Why do you need a new mattress?

We spend up to a third of our life asleep in bed –  that’s a MASSIVE 9,125 nights over your lifetime. Sleep is when our body recovers and our minds recharge.  Therefore, it is important that if you cannot sleep as well as you used to because of your bed, then you should read this blog!

It is claimed that a mattress older than 8 years old can contain up to 20,000 dust mites, 10lbs of dead skin (not sure I can quite believe this one!), and water when we sweat and breathe 1L per week!

Here are some signs that you may need a new mattress – how many can you tick?

• Mattress older than 7 – 10 years
• Stains or starts to get a bit whiffy.
• How much do you use it – is it your main bed or a spare room bed. Your main bed gets A LOT more use than the spare.
• What you use it for – if you use it to watch TV/read, this results in more hours spent in bed and increased wear.
• Who uses it – multiple people, larger individuals, and cuddling pets all increase wear.

If you’ve ticked a few of these, then it’s probably time for a new mattress. As a new mattress is no doubt the most expensive purchase related to your sleep, how can you choose what’s best and how do you look after it?

Here are some top tips I’ve found when considering buying a new mattress (with help from The Sleep Council)

Choose the right type of mattress for YOU

There are many types of mattresses and all suit different individuals depending on sleeping position, size, whether you’re a human radiator, and simply personal preference. Again, The Sleep Council go into more detail about the different types, so I would recommend reading that.

Typically, I’ve found pocket spring to provide comfort for the greatest range of people.

Buy the base and mattress together

Many suggest a base with wooden sprung slats, which provides good support and absorbs movement as you move about in your sleep. A platform base can also support any mattress, providing a firmer foundation. Typically, mattresses are chosen to suit their base and together they form the dream team of great sleep. Replacing a mattress with a different type could affect your comfort or reduce mattress life.

Bigger is better!

This is especially important if you share the bed with a partner. A larger bed spreads the weight over a greater surface area and this means you’re less likely to wake each other up with movement.

Try before you buy!

Many retailers nowadays allow a period after buying a mattress to decide whether it is suitable for you. Use this as an opportunity to really try the mattress. Unfortunately, you don’t know what a mattress is truly like until you sleep in it! Bonus tip: If you have a particularly good night’s sleep in a hotel, make a note of the brand and type and see if you can buy it.

Think Goldilocks.

Give your mattress more life!

Turn your mattress

Do this every time you change your duvet sheets. This ensures a generally even wear throughout the mattress and helps prevent you forming a “mould” of your body in the mattress, prolonging its life.

Use a mattress protector

Mattress protectors are cheap and easy way of prolonging the life of your mattress. As mentioned before, we as human shed a lot of skin and lose a lot of water over time.

A mattress protector can help absorb all this. A simple wash every now and then or buy a replacement and you’re good to go!

Use a mattress topper

A brand new mattress can be an expensive purchase and if it’s not the right time at the moment, a mattress topper can save you a few pounds.

Do you have any more good tips? Do you know anyone that could benefit from reading this, please do share! Any questions or more advice, contact the clinic.

Lastly, thank you to Jill of MidLife Smarts for the inspiration to write again! (check out her blog giving you a “wry guide to (Mid)Life”)

Harry

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