When Is It Time to Change Your Mattress?
We spend a lot of time explaining to customers exactly how we fit the right beds and mattresses to their individual needs and helping them test-rest our products in store – but sometimes it’s also good to go right back to the basics.
Basics like, why does anyone need a new mattress, or how can you tell it’s time to change what you have already? So here’s our seven-point guide to knowing it’s time to pay us a visit at Bedpost or set the ball rolling by checking out what’s on offer online.
1. Waking up tired?
The reason we spend so much time asleep is because our bodies genuinely need that rest to get ready for the day ahead. If you’re waking up with aches and pains, or you find yourself tossing and turning at night because you can’t get comfortable, then there’s a fair chance your mattress is to blame. Maybe your bed is old and tired and the springs have gone, maybe it’s simply not offering the sort of level of comfort you like – whatever the reason your mattress is no longer fulfilling its end of the sleep bargain, the sooner you find a better place to rest your head and body, the better and healthier you’ll be. A good indication is that if you find yourself sleeping better when you’re away from home, then ask yourself why the different bed is helping you sleep and whether it’s time to.
2. Wear and tear
The general rule is to change your mattress every 8-10 years, but there are a few dead giveaways that your mattress isn’t up to the challenge of providing a nightly dose of health-giving sleep. Creaks when you get in are a sign that it’s about time you found something new, as is that tell-tale sag at the side of the mattress where you might sit to take off your slippers at night or put them back on in the morning. Bumps, stains, tears or patches where the material is threadbare are also signs that your mattress is past its best – and if it’s like that on the outside, just imagine what years of dust, dirt and sweat have probably done to the inside.
3. Change of health
Plenty of Bedpost customers come to us because they are looking for a mattress that can help them deal with a bad back or a chronically stiff neck. Our stores also frequently get questions from people recovering from surgery, or who may be noticing a few new health concerns tied to ageing. All these health issues can be helped by talking through specific requirements with our sleep experts and then finding a level of comfort or style of mattress that suits. Adjustable beds and mattresses offering “zero gravity” options are frequently linked to health benefits.
4. Change in lifestyle
The countless self-help books, exercise regimes and diets pointing the way to a healthier lifestyle show how obsessed Kiwis can be about change. Sleep plays a vital role in helping someone get fit and then maintain that new level of fitness – and it might well be that an old mattress can hamper any advances you might make. Again, beds offering massage functions and “zero gravity” settings are popular choices here.
5. New home or renovation
New Zealand is going through a building and renovation boom and plenty of our customers come to us for new beds because they are furnishing a new home or are converting existing space into additional guest bedrooms. It might seem like a saving to go with that hand-me-down mattress or bed from a family member, or to make do with an old bed from your last home, but you (and certainly your guests) will thank yourself when the high level of comfort on offer matches the high level of finish on your new home.
6. The kids are growing up
As children grow up so their need for a good night’s sleep and the right mattress and pillow combination becomes more important. Factors such as the size of the mattress, size of bedroom, level of comfort, and, of course, price are all important for parents – just remember to read our golden rules for bed-shopping with children before you head into one of our stores.
7. Treat yourself
There are few better ways to pamper yourself properly than by gifting yourself a present you’re going to use for a third of your life. Beds and mattresses are big-ticket items, but they can also make a serious change to your health and fitness – and when you look at the luxury end of the market, they can be a seriously cool addition to your bedroom with in-built entertainment systems, lighting and functions such as massage and “zero gravity” settings.