4 Reasons To Replace Your Mattress (#2 Will Surprise You)

Did you ever stop to think about how much time you spend on your mattress? On average, most people spend 26 years of their life lying around in bed. That is equivalent to 9490 days! What is also interesting is that a lot of us spend a lot of time simply trying to fall asleep – up to 7 years, to be precise. That is a lot of tossing and turning over your lifetime!

This puts into perspective the importance of having a good, safe mattress that helps you fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up refreshed in the morning. But if you are struggling with getting comfortable, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at your mattress.

If your mattress is more than seven years old, it is highly recommended that you replace it. While it still may look like your mattress is fine, there is a lot more going on beneath the surface – a combination of invisible risks to your health and things that will make you go “eww”. Here are the 5 most urgent reasons why your old mattress may need to be replaced.

#1 This Ugly Little Thing Called VOCs

VOCs stand for volatile organic compounds. These are gaseous chemicals that come from the materials used to make your mattress, such as polyurethane, flame retardants and plastics. Everytime you lie down on your mattress, your body heat causes these chemicals to be released. While one may expect higher levels of VOCs coming off your brand new mattress, researches have found that VOCs are still emitted by mattresses that were allowed to air out for at least 6 months. 

Why is this important? Exposure to higher levels of VOCs can result in eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, and in extreme cases, it can lead to organ damage and cancer. It is true that the levels of VOCs your mattress gives off are likely within safe levels – technically – but do you really want to expose your body to these toxins all night long? Our best recommendation is to get a mattress that is made from more natural materials such as cotton, wool or natural latex if you want to limit your – and your children’s – exposure to harmful VOCs.

#2 Sweat, Humidity, Dirt, and…Yuck!

Let’s face it – everyone sweats. Regardless of whether you live in a hot climate or a cold one, everyone sweats on their mattress to different degrees. And your mattress acts like a giant sponge for sweat, dust, dead skin, dirt…literally everything. To add to it, your mattress is likely to absorb air humidity as well, especially in summer or during rainy seasons. An old mattress can also have an average of 100,000 to 10 million mites inside, as mites feed on the dead skin people shed every day and love a warm, moist environment, making your old sweaty mattress the perfect place.

#3 It Only Hurts When I Breathe

Do you often wake up with sore muscles or an achy back? Is it hard to get comfortable? Do you end up tossing and turning all night and waking up tired in the morning? A mattress that is sagging or not offering enough support can be the enemy of good sleep. Maybe your mattress was really good when you first got it, but now it has some worn down spots that make your back or neck hurt.

Your mattress needs to have adequate support for your neck and back and conform to your natural shape without sagging or being too hard. Depending on your mattress and how old it is, the material inside loses its ability to provide proper support after years of use and if you sleep with your partner or spouse, an old mattress will transfer movement more easily, interrupting your sleep every time your partner moves around.

#4 Things Change

Let’s face it, sometimes your mattress is perfectly fine, but life happens and suddenly your current mattress no longer fits the bill. Life events such as a pregnancy, weight gain, an injury, a surgery or common issues brought on by aging may mean you need to shop for a new mattress. And what is surprising is that sometimes you don’t know you are not sleeping fine until you’ve swapped your old mattress for a new one. 

When it’s time to switch, it is important to select a mattress that has no toxic chemicals and gives you the right amount of support without using metal parts such as springs. At Spoonk Space, we love the Samina Sleep Systems for those very reasons.

They are made from all natural materials that give you customizable support without harsh chemicals or metal parts. If you want to get better sleep and feel ready to upgrade from your sweaty, chemical-ridden mattress to one that can actually give you a good night’s sleep and get plenty of extra health benefits, we definitely recommend you check out the amazing sleep solutions Samina has prepared just for you. 

Click here to learn more about what makes Samina different and why we love it! They have even prepared an ebook for Spoonk customers, check it out!