Most people don’t spend much time thinking about their mattresses until it is time for bed or when they wake up with unexplainable aches. Other times lack of sleep is blamed on other factors, such as the afternoon cup of black coffee, a noisy neighbour, or a snoring spouse. While all these could be true, chances are you are not resting well at night because you have a bad mattress. This post takes a look at the symptoms of sleeping on a bad mattress.
Some mattress-related problems are hard to miss. For example, you should probably consider a mattress upgrade if you have pain in your neck or back when you get out of bed every morning. Getting a firmer mattress, Serta or Kingsdown, for example, can help relieve chronic pain because it will offer adequate support to your body. However, it is good to note that the right mattress for you will depend on several factors, such as where you experience the pain when you wake up, your sleeping position, the firmness and thickness of your mattress, and so many other things. Away from that, it is time to take a look at what can a bad mattress cause?
You Wake Up Feeling Tired
Do you wake up feeling tired even after getting eight hours of sleep? If you are, chances are you have a bad mattress. Waking up tired and feeling you need more rest is the most obvious sign of a bad mattress. Whether you slept for eight or eighteen hours doesn't seem to matter. Your body cannot get to the deep sleep state it requires to awaken rested and ready to go if you're sleeping on a poor bed.
Obviously, there are many other possible sleep disruptions that could be the root of your less-than-ideal sleep quality. Make sure you check out this list of poor sleep habits before definitively blaming your mattress:
- Diet: Foods that upset the stomach may affect your nighttime sleep. This includes foods that are greasy or spicy.
- Exercise: Exercise and the lack of exercise can affect your night sleep. Moderate exercises will improve your nighttime rest, while intensive workouts can rob you of sleep.
- Pre-bedtime behaviours: Taking caffeine late at night, excessive blue light exposure, and alcohol can all affect your sleep.
If none of the above habits appear to be the issue, your mattress may need to be examined. If you constantly toss and turn at night, it may be a sign your body is trying to find a comfortable sleeping posture. If there aren't any comfortable supporting corners on your mattress, it is probably time for a new mattress.
You Never Seem to Fall Asleep
There is nothing worse than tossing and turning in bed for hours before falling asleep. You have probably tried every sleep soundtrack and even made the commitment to cut back on screen time one hour before bed. However, despite your best efforts, falling asleep seems harder than it should be. Regardless of how many breathing exercises you learn, falling asleep could feel like an insurmountable task if your mattress doesn’t support your spinal alignment or give your body the level of firmness it requires.
An average person takes between 10 and 20 minutes to fall asleep. If it takes you an hour or more to fall asleep every night, you might want to look at your bed more closely and try some sleep tricks. One way of how to describe a bad mattress is if you go to bed sleepy and sleep disappears after getting in bed.
You Have Allergies
When people start sneezing, blowing their noses, or getting watery eyes, the first thing they blame is an airborne allergen like pollen. The truth is, if you only get the sniffles after getting in your bedroom, chances are your mattress has dust mites. These tiny organisms can cause skin rashes, scratchy throats, and postnasal drip. They enjoy hiding out in warm, moist areas like couches and mattresses.
Mattresses accumulate dust over time. This eventually draws dust mites. Many of us get allergies because of the feces that dust mites leave behind. Other times, mattresses begin to develop mould and mildew as well as other germs. These all lead to the sniffles.
You can keep dust mites off your bedroom by covering your standard mattress with a breathable mattress protector that fends off unwanted irritants and critters. However, if your mattress is too old, you will need a new mattress. Modern mattresses are better equipped to repel dust mites and other allergens. Investing in a new mattress might just be what you need to eliminate your night allergies.
Your Mattress is Too Old
If you have been sleeping on the same mattress for more than 10 years or don’t remember how old it is, it is time to replace it. While some mattresses last longer than others, you have to know how long your current mattress is meant to last. If you have exceeded its lifetime, getting a new mattress will be inevitable.
Your mattress doesn’t necessarily have to have exceeded its lifespan for you to have to replace it. How you have been caring for your mattress may cause you to get it replaced even sooner. To help your mattress last longer, you need to consider doing the following:
- Clean the bedding regularly
- Use a mattress protector or pad
- Rotate the mattress every 3 months
- Limit the amount of time pets lounge on your mattress
- Ensure your mattress is supported by a good bed frame or a box spring
You are Experiencing Aches and Pains
Can a bad mattress cause body aches? The answer is a resounding yes. A mattress is meant to support your body while you sleep. Unfortunately, after years of consistent use, your mattress may lose its firmness, structure and supportive qualities. This will lead to all manner of back and neck aches.
Your mattress doesn’t have to be old for it to cause you aches and pains. In some cases, people experience aches simply because they mismatched their sleep habits and mattress firmness. If your mattress is too plush or too firm or lacks support by zone (upper back, lower back, waist and hips), it might be time for you to get an ergonomic design. Doing so will improve your sleep quality.
The Mattress Feels and Looks Uneven
It's clearly time for an upgrade if your mattress looks like a plate of lumpy mashed potatoes instead of a levelled cushioned surface. Although it might not be visible to the human eye, you will undoubtedly feel this type of mattress when lying on it. To find a location that is flat enough to lay your back on, you might have to dig deep into the center of the bed or wade through a sea of mattress ripples. If your mattress has gotten to this stage, you will start displaying all the symptoms of sleeping on a bad mattress. You have to get it replaced immediately before it leaves long-term effects on your overall health.
Night Sweats
If you constantly get night sweats and there is nothing wrong with your thermostat, your mattress is to blame. A bad mattress can cause sweating as you sleep. This is because a good mattress should be able to keep you cool throughout the night. You should consider getting a modern mattress that offers more ventilation to help with cooling.
Why You Shouldn’t Take Too Long to Replace Your Mattress
There are many reasons why you should replace a bad mattress as soon as possible. Now that this post has answered the question of what can a bad mattress cause, did you know there are even more dire consequences of sleep deprivation? They include the following:
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Heart Health
If you are not getting enough sleep at night, you are probably taking more than one cup of coffee a day to stay awake. A 2011 European Heart Review journal showed people who don’t get adequate sleep have a 48% risk of developing coronary heart disease. Coronary artery disease and hypertension are linked to sleep deprivation.
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Low Libido
Men are most likely to experience reduced libido if they don’t get enough night sleep.
Other consequences of lack of enough sleep include memory loss, difficulty concentrating, anxiety and depression, chronic lung illness, higher risk of diabetes, weight gain, reduced balance and coordination and a weakened immune system.
As you can see, some symptoms of sleeping on a bad mattress can be life-changing. You should get a new mattress as soon as yours starts bothering you. The best piece of advice you can get when buying a mattress is to opt for one with a return policy. This is because even with weeks of research and purchasing the most expensive mattress you can get your hands on, you might realize that it is not ideal for you after a week of sleeping on it. If the store you purchased the mattress from doesn’t have a good return policy, you will have wasted your money.
Queensway Mattress Store is one of the best companies you can turn to for a high-quality mattress. They offer a wide selection of mattresses and a return policy for the first 30 nights. Get in touch to find out more.