We get this question all the time: How often should you change your mattress?
Most conventional mattresses are designed to be replaced after 7-10 years. But here at isense, we don’t take the conventional approach. To give you and your partner the best, most restful sleep for years to come, your mattress needs to change whenever you need it to change. That could mean the day after you buy it or a year later…and then again in a few months; which means you should consider an adjustable mattress that allows you to change your mattress comfort and support settings whenever you need to..
Over the lifetime of your mattress—which could be 7-10 years, depending on after-purchase care—it may need to change many times over because your life will change in big and small ways. Changing your mattress shouldn’t be based solely on how well the mattress is retaining its initial quality—it comes down to whether you’re getting your best night’s sleep and enjoying health and happiness as a couple.
When to Change Your Mattress
What we think is best for our sleeping experience the day we buy a mattress most likely won't be ideal for the entire life of the mattress. Sleeping preferences change, and—let’s be real—our bodies and mattresses change, too. With that in mind, here are eight experiences that let you and your partner know when to change your mattress.
1. You and Your Partner Start Sharing a Bedroom
Moving in together or getting married is a big, exciting step in your relationship. When it comes to your health and happiness together, sleep is very important. Not only do your sleep habits affect each other’s ability to rest, but your mattress might be a sore spot in your shared home—literally. Too many couples have to compromise when it comes to comfort and sleep quality because their conventional mattress does not adjust to each partner’s individual needs. When you start this new chapter, it’s time to change your mattress to an adjustable bed with dual Comfort Control™, like our Revive mattress, which combines innerspring technology and temperature-regulating foam for support and comfort.
2. You Feel Fatigued or Have Less Energy Than Usual
If you’re curious how often to change a mattress, start by paying attention to your energy levels.
Fatigue can be a symptom of serious health conditions, including insomnia, so talk with your healthcare provider about any ongoing fatigue or energy loss. But if you’re fatigued due to waking up in the night and having trouble falling back asleep, there are several lifestyle changes that can help you achieve better restfulness. One way to resolve insomnia is to turn your bedroom into a comfortable sanctuary for sleep. You can also replace or adjust your mattress until you find a support setting that helps you toss and turn less and get deep, sound sleep instead. You might think your body responds best to a plush, cloudlike sleep surface, but you might actually get better sleep with firm support or vice versa.
3. You Experience Seasonal Joint Pain or Osteoarthritis
Whether it’s that season of the year or that season in life, joint pain and osteoarthritis can negatively affect your lifestyle. But if this happens every year or even every day, when is it time to change your mattress? The answer is simple: Every time you experience worsening joint stiffness. We don’t mean you should buy a new mattress with each new body ache. An adjustable mattress can help your joints get the additional support and relief they need to help you wake up with better mobility. The sleep experts at WebMD suggest setting your mattress to medium-firm support for back sleepers. If you sleep on your side, try holding a supportive pillow, like our Classic Adjustable Pillow, between your knees to relieve pressure points on your legs.
4. You Change Jobs
If you make a significant change in your professional life, you may need to make a serious change to your sleeping habits—including your mattress settings. Did you just get a promotion from a desk job to a more hands-on supervisory role that has you on your feet for most of the day? Or perhaps you will be sitting in the same place for several hours at a time after leaving a more physically active job? These transitions could cause back pain and restlessness, or affect your sleep quality by replacing sleep-boosting activities with sedentary time in front of a computer monitor.
5. You Are Pregnant
This should come as no surprise, especially if you or your partner have already noticed changes in your sleep needs due to pregnancy. Because pregnancy changes body composition, your sleep position may need to change. The American Pregnancy Association recommends sleeping on your left side, as that is comfortable and doesn’t obstruct circulation. If sleeping in this position is new for you, it might be uncomfortable at first. This is a good time to change or adjust your mattress to support spinal alignment and offer relief during this important time. We’ve addressed this and other #PregnancyProblems in another article to help you navigate your new adventure.
6. You Snore
If you don’t snore, we have news for you—that could change. In fact, snoring tends to worsen as we age. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways to alleviate snoring by adjusting your bed or mattress. Sleeping on your side can help prevent the cause of snoring: tissues in the back of your throat relaxing and collapsing as you sleep. As mentioned above, changing your sleep position can be uncomfortable, so that’s one sign that lets you know when you are supposed to change your mattress or adjust its support. Another way to stop snoring without bulky machines is to use an adjustable mattress that’s compatible with an adjustable base, so you can elevate your head enough to open up your airways or reduce snore-inducing congestion. Go, and snore no more!
7. You Start to Experience Back Pain
Most of the life changes on this list can lead to back pain if you don’t take the time to adjust your mattress. When you experience this symptom, have your partner help you check your spinal alignment and adjust your mattress to support your spine and relieve pressure points. If left alone, poor spinal alignment can lead to more than back pain, and most of the symptoms will negatively affect your sleep and overall health. You can learn how to check and adjust for better alignment in our article about comfort and support.
8. You Start to Toss and Turn in Discomfort
When tossing and turning in your sleep becomes a pattern, you need to change your mattress and talk with your doctor. Chronic restlessness could be a sign of a serious health condition like sleep apnea. Otherwise, struggling to get comfortable night after night is a red flag for when to change your mattress. As conventional mattresses age, they break down and lose some of their support. The foam or springs just don’t bounce back like they did when you first bought your bed. Don’t sleep on this problem—pun intended—because it could lead you to suffer the effects of sleep deprivation. That’s why all isense mattresses are modular, meaning they are composed of separate components that you can replace individually (and affordably) as they wear out.
When Is It Time to Change Your Mattress?
We’ve already mentioned the general consensus regarding when to change your mattress. But telling people to sleep—or at least try to sleep—on the same mattress for 7-10 years works only if 1) their sleep needs don’t change significantly in a decade, and 2) the mattress doesn’t lose its support over the course of its lifetime. That’s a very big “if.” Regardless of density or construction, conventional mattresses have one thing in common: The only time they change is when you decide it’s time to get a new one.
Now, think about what the future holds for you and your partner and ask yourselves, “When is it time to change our mattress?” The answer is today and every night with a mattress that adjusts to give you better sleep and better health for years to come.
