Introduction

You might be going to bed with the wrong mattress. Most of us aren’t picking out mattresses based on their health benefits, but getting a good night’s sleep is the first step toward feeling and functioning our best. If you’re waking up sore or waking up tired, you might need to look into getting a new mattress. How can you tell if your mattress is bad for you? Here are seven signs that your bed isn’t doing you any favors:

Your mattress is seven or more years old.

If your mattress is seven or more years old, it’s time to start with the research. The lifespan of a mattress is 7-10 years, but you should replace yours sooner if you have allergies or asthma (and/or other respiratory issues). You should also replace it sooner if you have a partner who snores and tosses around in their sleep—the vibrations can damage your spine over time.

You wake up with body aches and pains.

• If you wake up with body aches and pains, it could be that your mattress is to blame. The most common cause is a bad pillow top design. A mattress with too soft of a pillow top will yield discomfort for those who sleep on their side or stomach, as well as back pain for those who sleep on their backs. This problem can be remedied by replacing the old pillow top with one that’s firmer and more supportive.

If your mattress has an inadequate foundation, then it may also cause aches and pains when you get out of bed in the morning. If you notice that your back hurts first thing in the morning after sleeping on your mattress, this may indicate that it needs to be replaced soon because of its poor foundation construction.

Another major factor affecting how comfortable—or uncomfortable—your night’s rest will be is age: if it’s been more than five years since you purchased what was then considered “the best” model available at Best Buy (if not longer), then chances are good that its time has come!

You sleep better in a place other than your own bed.

If you’re the kind of person who feels better sleeping on a friend’s couch or in a tent than in your own bed, it might be time to get a new mattress. A bad one could be affecting your sleep quality and making you feel tired during the day. If your mattress has been feeling lumpy and uncomfortable, causing you to wake up with aches and pains, then it may be time for an upgrade.

If you’re not sure whether or not your current mattress is helping or hurting your health, here are some signs that could mean trouble:

• You’re waking up with stiff joints or sore muscles after a night’s rest
• You toss and turn all night long without finding comfort
• Your partner complains that their sleep is disturbed by the tossing and turning

You experience allergens on the regular.

Another reason to think about your mattress is if you’re experiencing allergens on a regular basis. If you find yourself sneezing or sniffling often, it could be because of dust mites and mold growing on your mattress. Dust mites are microscopic insects that live in bedding, and they shed their skin throughout the night as they snuggle up with you and breathe their microscopic particles into the air around you. Similarly, mold grows when moisture gets trapped under your sheets and mattress; this can happen if there’s a leaky faucet nearby or if someone in the house has had diarrhea recently. Both these situations mean it’s time for a new mattress!

If pollen allergies are an issue for you too, then it might be worth looking into replacing your old one with one made from natural latex foam instead of polyurethane foam—this material is known to help prevent respiratory issues by trapping dust particles rather than releasing them back into the air like traditional memory foam does (though some newer versions do have better ventilation).

You’re always cold at night, even under covers.

If you’re always cold at night, even under the covers, your mattress might be too firm. If it is too soft or if it has a thin layer of memory foam on top, then that could also cause you to lose heat.

The box spring has started to squeak or look misshapen.

When your box spring starts to squeak or look misshapen, it may be time to replace it. Your mattress is only as good as its supporting foundation, so when the box spring doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain, you can experience all kinds of problems. For example, if your mattress is sinking in one area because of a sagging box spring underneath it (or if there are other changes on either side), you could have trouble sleeping comfortably and wake up with back pain due to uneven support.

Another reason why it’s important to invest in new springs: they can be a source of allergens like dust mites and bed bugs! If you don’t replace your old spring when you buy a new mattress set, those allergens could make their way into your bed instead of being trapped within the old frame—and we know what happens when that happens: no one wins!

You sleep better when someone else is there.

If you’re like many people, the presence of another person can help you sleep better. In fact, research shows that sleeping with a partner can lead to better quality sleep and deeper levels of slumber than if you were bedding down alone. This is because we all have our own unique sleep cycles—and something about being in close contact with someone else helps our brain synchronize its natural rhythm with theirs (we share similar patterns when we fall asleep). It’s also thought that physical contact has calming effects on our bodies, which helps us relax and feel more at ease as we drift off into dreamland.

Your mattress could be causing you health issues and it’s a good idea to figure out if that’s the case.

You may not realize it, but your mattress could be causing you health issues and it’s a good idea to figure out if that’s the case.

With the right mattress, you can get a better night’s sleep. But if your mattress is worn out or not supportive enough for your body type, it can cause pain and discomfort when you’re trying to get some shut-eye.

As we age, our bodies change and so do our needs in terms of sleep quality. We have different sleeping habits too; some people need more support while others prefer softer surfaces that won’t dig into their back or hips while they’re on their side. For this reason, I recommend investing in multiple mattresses so that everyone has something that works well for them individually (and maybe even buying a new one every few years).

Conclusion

You deserve to sleep soundly in a bed that supports your body and health. You’ll probably never need to replace it again, but if you do, you’ll know exactly what to look for.