The Hidden Health Risks of Sleeping on an Old Mattress

‘Old is gold’ doesn’t apply to mattresses. If you’re still treasuring your old mattress despite its shenanigans, you need to think again. Studies say 7-10 years is the reasonable lifespan of a mattress, for a reason. Its properties may begin to wane and render the mattress unsuitable to cradle your body at night. 

If you find yourself hazy, still tired and feel pains all over your body, chances are your mattress isn’t all that great and needs to go. There are several health risks to using an old mattress, which may affect your sleep quality, spinal alignment, skin, respiration and more. Read on to know if it’s time to say goodbye to your beloved mattress, the risks you run with an old mattress at home and how to buy a new, health-loving mattress. 

Top 5 Tell-tale Signs Your Old Mattress Isn’t Working Out

Studies say that the lifespan of a mattress is about 10 years. Although it’s true, some mattresses may start causing problems before the 10-year mark. So, look for these 5 signs in your mattress, and if you feel they resonate with you, it’s time to upgrade, regardless of when you bought the mattress. 

No More Back Support

A common sign your mattress is too old is a steep decline in back support. When the foam and layers begin to wane, they don’t adapt to your body and cradle you at the right pressure points, which leads to sagging, causing the spine to twist and turn during sleep, leading to pain and discomfort. Your hips and shoulders can bear the brunt of the old mattress and become sore and painful if they are not adequately supported. 

Sinks Too Much

The most common reason for a mattress to sink is the natural wear and tear of the materials used in it. With constant use, the materials can start to break down, lose their shape and elasticity, and sag over time.

Another reason for sinking is the weight of the sleeper. Mattresses are designed to support a specific weight limit, and when they are used beyond their capacity, they can start to sink. 

This is common if you have been using the mattress since you were a kid or teenager, which was bought then to bear your weight then. But now that you’ve outgrown your mattress, it cannot support your weight and body shape. 

The Foam Isn’t Comfortable

Over time, the foam in an old mattress can lose its elasticity and supportiveness. Foam mattresses are designed to compress and expand to provide support and comfort. However, over time, the constant compression from body weight can cause the foam to lose its shape and resilience. This leads to the foam feeling less supportive, less responsive, and less comfortable. 

If your mattress is of mediocre quality, you may notice that the foam becomes hardened, even forming small solid blocks inside, which can feel horrendous when you crash on your bed after a long day. 

You Get Dust Allergies

As a mattress ages, it can become a breeding ground for dust mites. The accumulation of dead skin cells, sweat, and other bodily fluids provides the perfect environment for dust mites to thrive. Additionally, the foam and fabric materials in the mattress can trap allergens, making it difficult to clean. 

These microorganisms can give you rashes, respiratory ailments and a lot of other issues when left unchecked. This difficulty only aggravates if your mattress cover isn’t washable. 

Health Issues of Sleeping on an Old Mattress

We’ve established that an old mattress may not be a good fit for you. While these may sound harmless for now, really, they aren’t. Over time, issues like improper back support, bounciness, undue sinking and others can slowly and silently impact a lot of important body and mind functions. Here’s a list of problems you may face in the short and long run until you change your mattress for the better. 

Chronic Back Pain

Over time, the springs in the mattress may lose their ability to provide proper support. This can result in poor spinal alignment, leading to chronic back pain. 

Studies show that if you experience a deep sinking feeling with no back support, you’re more likely to exert enormous pressure on critical pressure points like the neck, lower back, shoulders, back of your head etc, causing musculoskeletal issues. It can, in turn, lead to weaker bones, mobility and strength.

According to a survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation, 92% of people believe that a comfortable mattress is essential for a good night's sleep, and 75% reported that their back pain was less severe after sleeping on a new mattress. That’s why you need a supremely supportive mattress that offers 4x lumbar support, and complements your posture and spinal alignment like the UK's first and only HiGRID mattress.

Poor Quality Sleep/Sleep Deprivation Issues

Imagine you’re in deep sleep. You feel intense pain in your back or neck, but any position you turn to doesn’t feel comfortable. You’re disturbed, you relax your muscles and try sleeping again, but now and then your sleep is ruined. By the time you get some undisturbed sleep, it’s morning and you have to start your day again. 

All through the day you aren’t able to focus properly, you feel like hogging on junk food, nothing is up to your liking, and you are tired or bored of everything else. When this continues over a week or month, you develop volatile mood swings, high irritability, hair fall, slower metabolism and you fall sick more. 

Is this a coincidence? Not really. Lack of deep sleep plays out in many forms and can have a severe impact on all aspects of your life. 

Bacteria Infestation

Prolonged use can result in sweat, dry skin cells and body fluids coming into contact with your mattress. These, when paired with allergens in the air, can hold onto your mattress for a long time. They will only evaporate from the surface if the mattress is designed with hypoallergenic, eco-friendly top covers like the HiGRID mattress.  

Else, they remain on the surface, rub off on your skin day in and day out, and cause bacterial infection, rashes, irritability and itching. What’s worse? The allergens make their way into the mattress and stay intact, causing more chronic skin troubles and respiratory problems.

Incessant Headache & Breathing Troubles

Did you know that old mattresses may release toxic chemicals, depending on the materials they are made of? Some older mattresses may contain materials such as flame retardants, formaldehyde, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be harmful to your health. 

Exposure to these chemicals has been linked to irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, as well as headaches, and respiratory issues.

Another instance where you may have a problem breathing is when you turn over and sleep on your stomach. If your top cover is made with chemical-high sheets that don’t react well to moisture, you’re setting yourself up for suffocation. 

Since sleep technology has evolved, especially in recent years and smarter, healthier mattresses like the HiGRID have entered the market, you can be assured that new mattresses will alleviate chemical exposure, avert headaches and induce peaceful sleep with comfortable breathing.

Memory Issues Due to Disturbed Sleep

Sleep not only influences the body, it also governs your mind. Lack of sleep, or disturbed sleep can lead to cognitive decline, faster ageing and poor neuron connections, affecting your memory and recalling capacity. 

When you’re not fully rested, your brain can’t process your information intake and segregate them into proper pockets. Shuteye time is essential for the brain to recharge itself and when your old mattress disrupts your blissful sleep, your memory can fail you in the long run. 

Perspiration and Occasional Suffocation

Regulating temperature and keeping you cool all through the night is an important feature of mattresses. 

Furthermore, as your body comes into contact with the mattress, it can produce static electricity, which increases the heat or warmth of your mattress. If the mattress heats up, you can be prone to profuse sweating, and suffocation and eventually you wake up feeling uneasy. This nighttime sweating can wake you up from even the deepest sleep, completely ruining your sleep rhythm and body functioning. 

Final Words

Now that we know you need to change your mattress for good, we have a ready reckoner for your mattress purchase. Bookmark this checklist to use next time you browse through mattress options.

• 2x comfort: Plush, cloud-like comfort with Luxio Tech feature that a super soft yet sturdy mattress can give you.
• Hypoallergenic eco-friendly top covers that help you breathe, evaporate sweat and body fluids and self-clean itself.
• 2500+ air channels in the mattress to ensure 100% airflow.
• Superior temperature regulating properties that can reduce temperature up to 4-6 degrees.
• Hyper-elastic polymers to even out pressure, support you right and improve spinal alignment.
• Motion isolation feature, to keep you undisturbed from your partner’s movements.
• Strong, sturdy core to keep the mattress stable.
• Free trial for 200 nights, so you check if the mattress suits you.
• High durability, capable of lasting longer than 10 years.

UK’s first and only smartGRID mattress, the HiGRID mattress has all these top-class features intact. Loved by users across the globe for its durability, and awarded 5 stars consistently, it’s the best solution if you’re looking to reap all health benefits from a deep, restful sleep.