With sleep debt and deprivation at an all-time high, many struggle to get a good night’s sleep on a consistent basis. Is sleeping well most nights becoming a concern for you? If so, you could start by focusing on your mattress's stage of life and current condition. By focusing on the shape and performance of your mattress, you could be on your way to reducing sleep disruptions that contribute to poor overall sleep quality.

Clearly, mattresses have no exact expiration date like perishable goods at the grocery store. Most of the time, it's up to the consumer to be mindful of whether the current state of their mattress is suitable, despite the “age” of the mattress in actuality. That said, many often delay mattress shopping because they don’t have clear, concise guidelines to follow. Many people want more definitive answers to the question: “How often should I replace my mattress?”

Still, it's true: your mattress may be the cause of disrupted nights of tossing and turning, as your body feels hot, unsupported, uncomfortable, or out of alignment while you sleep. If this sounds all too familiar in your life, now is the ideal time to explore a timely mattress replacement. Replacing your mattress promptly versus the alternative of procrastinating the process can help you address and overcome issues that contribute to poor sleep quality.

Keep reading to learn more about the potential signs that it may be time for a new mattress. Or, better still, if you’re really serious about waking up feeling refreshed and eliminating sleep debt, make way for a high-quality mattress upgrade so you can enjoy soothing, serene nights of mind-and-body restoration. With the right mattress chosen from a dedicated local shop like Mattress Express, you might even fall in love with your mattress and how well you sleep once again!

Key Points

• Mattress and sleep professionals advise replacing your mattress every 7-10 years, or sooner if it’s uncomfortable.
• Unsatisfying sleep contributes to physical or mental exhaustion, also leaving you with sore muscles and a stiff body when you wake up. Symptoms like these indicate it's time for a new mattress.
• The physique type and cumulative weight of the sleeper(s), as well as the quality of mattress materials and sturdiness of the bed frame, will influence how long a mattress can last and how well it can provide adequate comfort and support.
• If you notice your mattress is dipping, sagging, or forming lumps and bumps near the edges or surface, it is time to replace it.
• It is possible to extend a mattress's lifespan by rotating it regularly and keeping it clean and free of moisture buildup with a mattress protector.

How Mattress Quality Impacts Your Sleep Health

So, how often should you replace your mattress? Not all mattresses are created equally, they are built to varying standards, making it sometimes difficult to determine an appropriate timeframe for each mattress replacement scenario. How often you should replace your mattress is a question many people seem to overcontemplate. As a result, many people continue using a subpar mattress for several years past its optimal state. According to the Better Sleep Council, people often wait too long—approximately 3 years, to be exact—to replace their mattress.

Recognizing the need for a new mattress often means your current one is already disrupting your sleep, causing unwanted pain or discomfort, and leading to tossing and turning and fatigue. A mattress upgrade from your old one — possibly an alternative firmness or style, such as an innovative SmartBed or Hybrid mattress — can help you improve your sleep while soothing unwanted aches, soreness, and back pain. Replacing your mattress sooner rather than later is one of the best ways to start noticing improvements in your sleep quality.

Prioritize Sleep Comfort & Support With Timely Mattress Replacement

Processing all the thoughts and concerns about replacing your mattress, especially when you’re already exhausted from a lack of deep sleep, can leave you apprehensive about beginning to shop for one. Often, many procrastinate on mattress shopping because they fear they may not find an attainable sleep solution—such as a new, comfy mattress, a massage chair, or an adjustable bed that's right for them.

Other mattress purchase hesitations, such as where to buy a mattress and price or budget concerns, are considerable aspects that may surface during the shopping journey. These concerns and unanswered questions often delay many people from “pressing the start button” and moving forward with the new mattress selection and purchasing process.

Replacing your mattress promptly and choosing a comfortable one that supports proper sleep posture and neutral spinal alignment can positively influence your sleep health and overall wellness. A mattress that fits you and supports your body weight and shape is important to consider, especially if you’re dedicated to gaining consistently good nights of sleep and long-term healthy sleep quality.

Still, sleep specialists at Mattress Express recommend staying acquainted with your mattress by inspecting it routinely, each time you change your sheets. If you prefer a less frequent assessment, inspect the mattress each time you rotate it—about once a month or every other month. Either way, to maintain your sleep quality and keep your sleeping surface at the “top of mind,” you should evaluate your mattress's condition at least every two months. This easy assessment helps to avoid the mattress becoming “out of sight, out of mind” as it's most often wrapped in sheets and draped in bedding and blankets.

To sleep at your best, you have to sleep on the best! Being mindful of your mattress's condition is one of the best strategies to help you maintain focus on getting a good night’s sleep.

Why People Delay Replacing Their Mattress

Evaluating your mattress regularly and being mindful of your current sleep quality will help you make better decisions about replacing it in a timely manner. This way, you'll avoid the common occurrence of mattress shopping procrastination that often leads to the build-up of unwanted sleep debt.

Mattress shopping, for some, can impose unwanted internal tension to “choose the right one.” Feeling unsure about making the right decision about a new mattress is another factor that often delays the process for those considering a mattress replacement. Even with inventive sleep technologies and tracking devices that tell us how well or not we sleep each night, many still subconsciously disregard signs of a deteriorating, unsupportive, and unsatisfactory mattress. In turn, the mattress's sleeping surface lacks comfort and support, which directly impacts your sleep quality and overall health.

When it comes to the advice of sleep specialists at Mattress Express, they’re at your service to help you uncover the best timeframe to replace your specific mattress. If you're having trouble falling asleep, notice you're tossing and turning at night, or feel sore or stiff when you wake up, it's time to replace your mattress! Sleep and the role of your mattress are incredibly important. Truly, it shouldn’t matter how long you've had a mattress or how old it is; if you’re uncomfortable and having issues falling or staying asleep, it's time to replace it.

Is Your Mattress Sagging, Lumpy, or Bumpy? It's Time for an “Express” Mattress Refresh

Signs you may need a “Mattress Express” refresh include tossing and turning throughout the night and still feeling tired when you wake up. 

Other indicators that you need a new mattress include:

• You experience lower back pain or strain while lying on the mattress or after getting out of bed.
• You experience hip discomfort or tension while lying down on the mattress or after getting up.
• You wake up feeling overall sore or stiff, more than when you went to bed. Soreness and stiffness are likely associated with a mattress support issue.
• Tossing, turning, or waking up several times per night due to discomfort or pain—this is a mattress comfort and/or support issue.
• It takes you more than 30-60 minutes to find a comfortable position and sense of relief to relax and  fall asleep—this is often a mattress comfort issue.
• You're waking up hot or cold —a sleep disruption that may signal a potential issue with your mattress's temperature balancing or moisture-wicking capabilities, or with the breathability of your sheets or other bedding accessories.
• You notice headaches and/or allergy symptoms are more noticeable after sleeping or lying on your mattress— indicating a potential issue with your mattress and sleep hygiene.

Often, people blame their sleep troubles on factors like the stress of their daily lives rather than on their mattress's condition, quality, or potential ability to provide deep, restorative sleep. Your mattress can positively or negatively impact your ability to sleep soundly and reach deep sleep stages. These stages beyond light sleep restore your physical body and help manage tension or discomfort. Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep helps consolidate memory and refreshes your mind. Deep sleep and beyond are easier to achieve on a comfortable mattress that suits your body type.

When assessing your sleeping surface, a sagging, worn-out, or uneven mattress is often a leading cause of poor sleep quality—especially for those without medical conditions.

Next, designate 'mattress replacement' near the top of your to-do list—especially if you notice your sleep quality is declining. Be vigilant for signs of mattress deterioration or other premature wear and tear, including:

• Significant dipping or sagging even after regular mattress rotations— the impression should be greater than a measurable three-quarter to a half-inch impression.
• Sagging or broken-down edge support.
• Lumpy or bumpy top layers.
• The mattress is stained or soiled.

Finding the Best New Mattress For You

In today's advanced world of new mattress technology, consumers have a diverse selection of options for the type, style, and performance ability of their sleeping surface. This abundance of mattress choices in the market can make mattress shopping feel entirely confusing—often leaving normally decisive and knowledgeable individuals feeling lost and lacking confidence in their decision-making abilities. This is especially true now that several online-only mattress brands, such as Avocado and Purple, are available to try in stores, like Mattress Express locations in upstate New York. Avoiding mattress shopping can sometimes stem from the abundance of brands and choices, the significant quality differences between them, and the potential challenge of evaluating or comparing them.

Still, as with any shopping endeavour, no one goes into it hoping to choose the wrong product, especially when it comes to items that influence your life, like your mattress and sleep health. That said, anyone aiming to manage stress or pain through better sleep should be mindful when choosing an ideal, top-quality mattress—one that is best suited to your unique body type, spinal curvature,  and sleep position.

Fortunately for upstate New York mattress shoppers, local, fun, knowledgeable, and professional mattress shops like Mattress Express exist in the great state of New York. These impressive massage chair and mattress showrooms, located near Syracuse and Watertown, offer an outstanding selection of the best brands, a mattress technology selection process, and a new mattress Comfort Guarantee to ensure you find the best new mattress for you.

Mattress Express: Discover the Best Selection and Savings on Your New Mattress

Unlike perishable goods with a ‘best by’ date, mattresses have no exact lifespan or expiration period, aside from the fact that most people know mattresses last about ten years. About seven years, if we’re going by more-savvy, modern standards. That leaves it up to the consumer to be proactive about tracking a mattress's condition and to be aware of how long they've been sleeping on it. You should also retain an understanding of how to achieve and maintain comfort and support from a suitable mattress for your body type, and, most importantly, be mindful of how well you sleep on a regular basis.

To achieve and maintain optimal sleep health, practice timely mattress replacement and choose a cozy, pressure-relieving, supportive mattress—like a Beautyrest Black or TEMPUR-Breeze Hybrid from Mattress Express—one of the best places to purchase a mattress in upstate New York!