How to Tell When it's Time to Buy a New Mattress

A new mattress can make all the difference in getting enough rest and feeling good throughout the day. Determine whether your mattress has seen better days.

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You, too, can become a mattress professional -- and get a good night's sleep -- with the advice in this Howcast video series.

You Will Need

  • Sags, lumps, or a valley
  • Creakiness
  • Discomfort
  • Aches and stiffness
  • Strange bed

Steps

  1. Step 1

    Consider the age

    Consider when you got your mattress. Some mattresses can last for 10 years, but five to seven years is the average lifespan for an adult's mattress.

  2. Step 2

    Look at it

    Look at the shape of your mattress. If it sags or has lumps, or if it has developed a valley in the area where you sleep, it's time for a new one.

  3. If you sleep with someone else, look for sagging across the middle third of the mattress or along the sides that makes you roll toward your partner.

  4. Step 3

    Listen to it

    Listen to the sounds your mattress makes when you lay on it. If it's loud and creaky, it's getting worn out.

  5. Step 4

    Consider how you sleep

    Consider how well you sleep at night. If you're constantly tossing and turning, are unable to find a comfortable position on your mattress, or if you feel coils pressing into your body, you should think about replacing it.

  6. Step 5

    Consider how you feel

    Consider how you feel when you wake up in the morning. If you wake up tired or achy, sore or stiff, your mattress is probably to blame.

  7. Step 6

    Sleep somewhere else

    Take a short vacation from your bed. If a couple of nights spent on a different mattress makes a difference in how good you feel in the morning, get a new mattress and get back to peaceful sleep.

  8. Tempur-Pedic became licensed by NASA in 1998 to use the term "Certified Technology" on all of their mattresses and pillows.

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