A mattress that’s old or worn out can do more than leave you tossing and turning throughout the night.Like light bulbs or batteries, mattresses tend to be the kind of thing that we don’t give much thought to as long as they’re doing their job. But when the light or a battery stops working, you know right away and replace it ASAP.But unless a mattress pops a spring or breaks somehow, most of us will keep using it long after it probably should have been replaced. Which can spell bad news for your health—and your ability to get a decent night’s rest.Here’s what you need to know about how an old mattress could affect your health, and how you can cope. A good mattress can give you years of comfortable sleep—but there’s no magic number as to exactly how many.Typically, manufacturers recommend replacing your mattress every eight years. But according to Consumer Reports, a mattress that’s well cared for could easily last a decade. (Unless you’re over 40. By that age, your body tolerates less pressure, which means you might need a new mattress after five to seven years.)
To ensure that your mattress lives a long, happy life, experts recommend giving it a little TLC. Some tips:Still, even with the utmost care and attention, your mattress will eventually start to wear out. And when that happens, some not-so-great stuff is likely to follow.Since you spend about a third of your life in bed, you better believe that over time, your mattress starts to collect loads of dead skin and body oils. Who loves to snack on that stuff? In fact, the typical used mattress can house as many as 10 million of the microscopic bugs, according to Ohio State University experts. And since even dust mites poop, that stuff is in your bed, too.Mercifully, the little buggers are invisible—and most of us seem to get along with them just fine. But if you suffer from allergies, sleeping on a too-old mattress can pose a problem. Dust mite allergies can cause sneezing, runny noses, itchiness, watery eyes, coughing, and sinus pressure.It gets worse if you have asthma, which can be exacerbated by dust mites.
Then, you could be at risk for difficulty breathing, chest tightness, or even trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath.Of course, even a mattress that’s a few months old can have dust mites, just not (nearly) as many as what would be in an older mattress. And since you can’t buy a new mattress every year (though wouldn’t it be great if you could?), it makes sense to take other steps to keep your sleeping space as dust mite-free as possible. As a mattress ages and begins to wear out, it starts to sag in the middle. So rather than sleeping on a flat, comfortable surface, you end up sleeping on one that’s awkwardly curved in the middle. In fact, one prominent spine expert compared it to sleeping in a hole.Which sounds pretty unpleasant, right? Chiropractors agree that sleeping on an old mattress is a recipe for chronic back pain. That can mean tossing and turning through the night to find a more comfortable sleeping position, or simply waking up the next morning feeling stiff and sore.
Over time, the pain itself can make it harder to nod off and stay asleep, which can create a vicious cycle of discomfort and exhaustion. In fact, two-thirds of Americans say that their pain causes sleep problems, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Doesn’t sound so fun.Fortunately, strategically placed pillows can help you find short-term relief: Place them under your knees if you sleep on your back, or between your knees if you sleep on your side.That can help release some of the pressure on your back for the time being. But the better, more permanent solution, experts say, is to get a new mattress.The best way to get rid of the problems caused by an old, worn-out mattress is simple: Replace it with a new one. But with so many options to choose from, how are you supposed to know which sleep surface is the best one for you? Here’s a quick breakdown of the basics:The best way to tell which new mattress will work best for you? If you’re hitting the store, be sure to spend at least 10 minutes laying on the surface.
And remember to bring your pillow, which will help to replicate your true sleeping environment as closely as possible.Of course, you’ll get an even better idea of how comfortable a mattress really is if you can sleep on it for a full night—or for several full nights. And not to toot our own horn or anything, but did you know that Amerisleep offers a 90-day sleep trial? Seriously—you can sleep on one of our mattresses for three months, and if for any reason it isn’t comfortable, you can return it. Once you’ve waved buh bye to dust mites and back pain with a new mattress, you still have to get rid of the old one. Which, thankfully, is pretty easy. There are over 50 mattress-recycling facilities in North America, and their numbers are growing all the time.Did you sleep better after getting a new mattress? Is your current mattress impacting how you sleep right now?Reacting to your body temperature, memory foam changes its shape to provide greater support and more comfort than any other mattress.
It's man-made and is technically described as (are you ready for this?!) visco-elastic, temperature sensitive, slow recovery urethane foam. You'll understand why we prefer to call it memory foam! Just calling memory foam 'a visco-elastic foam' might not leave you any the wiser, so think of memory foam like this: memory foam is both viscous AND elastic, it has both properties. You are probably familiar with the quality of elastic, you’ll know viscous too. Honey, for instance, is a viscous material. It’s the viscous property of memory foam, that honey-like property that resists your weight and it’s the elastic property that sees to it that your Dormeo Memory Foam Mattress returns to its original shape. The visco-elastic (or it can be all one word: viscoelastic) quality is temperature sensitive, which helps the mattress material respond to your body. This is one of the reasons an early adopter of memory foam mattresses was the medical profession, with memory foam being a particularly common fine in European hospitals.
Made from cotton, your Dormeo memory foam mattress is pleasant to touch and healthy to sleep on. Dormeo memory foam mattresses come with a cotton cover with hypoallergenic, antibacterial (SANITIZED®*) and dust-mite protection. Dormeo memory foam mattresses are breathable because the unique cell structure of the mattress core allows for great ventilation. Dormeo memory foam mattresses are made from ecologically sound, fully recyclable materials. The cotton cover of your Dormeo memory foam mattress is impregnated with SANITIZED® protection, which protects against dust mites, fungi and bacteria. This makes Dormeo memory foam mattresses especially suitable for people with asthma or allergies. The layer below the mattress cover also contains hypoallergenic silicone wadding that provides additional protection against bacteria and allergens. Memory foam is a well-recognised mattress material now, but it hasn't always been the case. The material originated back in 1966 as a development by NASA.
Not necessarily part of the Space Programme it was developed to help improve the safety of cushions on aircraft. The foam, which was temperature sensitive, was initially referred to as ‘slow spring back foam’ and was created by pumping gas into a polymer matrix. It all sounds tremendously scientific, but essentially means that the pressure in the cells in the foam made it spring slowly back to its original shape! Like many NASA developments, the potential for the commercialisation of memory foam wasn’t missed. The material was initially considered far too expensive for general public use and was used in hospitals – for both people and animals! Supporting precious injured race horses was an often unknown early use. NASA launched memory foam to the world in the 1980’s, but there were few companies willing to work with the material initially. Memory foam continued to be used in the medical world, particularly with immobile bed-ridden patients who were at risk of developing pressure sores.
Memory foam was extremely effective in preventing this problem. As the cost of memory foam dropped, its popularity and use increased and it found its way into wheelchair seats, pillows, and mattress toppers, even as a memory foam pillow for people with chronic neck problems. A relatively simple concept, the benefits of memory foam make it one of the most welcome additions to our world, courtesy of the scientific development at NASA. At Dormeo we are a pretty happy bunch, because we sleep on Dormeo mattresses. For us it’s quite easy to recommend our products to others because we all sleep on them. We know them, use them and enjoy the benefits. So why should you tolerate poor sleep? Find out how Dormeo can help eliminate the most common causes of a lack of sleep. Back pain is not something only elderly people suffer from. It’s can affect anyone, and it usually starts to take hold around the age of thirty. People often fail to connect the pain in their back with their mattress.
Sleeping on the right mattress helps contribute significantly to preventing or even eliminating neck, back and hip pain. Dormeo mattresses are designed to give you a firm foundation of support for the spine, joints and tendons, while the soft, cushioning top layers of memory foam accept your body and allow blood to circulate, so you wake up with fewer aches and pains. Allergies and interruptions to your sleep can be triggered by allergens such as dust mites, mold, fungi etc. Exposure to dust mites can really cause an increase in your symptoms, causing shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. The most common place for dust mites to live is in our beds and pillows. That’s why all Dormeo mattress covers are infused with CleanEffect® treatment, offering anti-bacterial and anti-dust mite protection, ensuring your mattress stays clean and odour-free for a healthier night’s sleep. If the air is too humid in your bedroom, it can cause dust mites and mold to develop, which can worsen allergies, asthma and other respiratory issues.