How Often Should You Buy a New Mattress?

If you've had your mattress for 10 years, you've slept on it for about 30,000 hours. The mattress industry recommends a new mattress every 5 to 7 years. People tend to avoid mattress shopping because it's time consuming, confusing and potentially expensive.No matter how old your mattress is, do you really need a new mattress? If you have a high-end mattress, or your mattress doesn't get much use, you can usually wait a longer time before replacing it. There are some questions you can ask yourself to determine if it's time to go mattress shopping.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Are you waking up with aches and pains? Unusual aches and pains are a sign that it's time for a new mattress. As the mattress ages, it begins to sink in certain places and doesn't offer the correct support for your body.

2. Does your mattress sag? If your mattress is sagging in the middle, or along the edges, you should begin searching for a replacement. The inner springs are wearing out, and the bed will only become more uncomfortable.

3. Do you get a better night's sleep in a hotel or someone else's home? Sometimes it's hard to know that your mattress is uncomfortable until you sleep in another bed. You may realize that your bed needs replacing after sleeping peacefully elsewhere.

4. Did you sleep better a year or more ago? The changes in a mattress happen gradually and you may realize that you don't get a good night's sleep on your mattress anymore.

5. If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then it's time to go mattress shopping!

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure your bed frame has support in the middle to prevent premature sagging of your mattress.
• Flip your mattress every few months to extend its life. Flip from front to back, corner to corner.