There is nothing better than a good night’s sleep, waking up feeling refreshed, and ready to take on the day. But what if you are not waking up that way? What if you wake up in pain, discomfort, and feeling exhausted?
There can be many reasons for waking up that way, but it is possible that your mattress is the culprit. Older mattresses tend to create issues for the sleeper including pain, trapping heat, and even microscopic pests, like dust mites. Let’s take a look at how a worn-down mattress can be causing you issues — and why a natural latex mattress might be the key to waking up feeling refreshed.
How an Old Mattress Can Affect Your Sleep
Sleeping on an old mattress can impact your sleep in several ways.
Sleep Quality
As a mattress wears down, it can provide many issues that impact your sleep. An uncomfortable, worn-down mattress can cause pain, be a breeding ground for allergies, and prevent you from getting a quality night sleep you need and deserve.
To determine the cause of your lack of sleep, jot down some of the things that might be affecting your sleep. For example,
- Are you drinking caffeine close to bedtime?
- Are you being affected by blue-lights that come from screens?
- Are you drinking alcohol before bed?
There are lots of reasons that might affect your sleep. But if you are able to cross those reasons out, perhaps your mattress is what is keeping you up.
For instance, a deformed mattress can prevent you from getting quality sleep. If you start to see the bed sagging down in spots where you sleep, you may be affected by a worn-out mattress. This worn-out mattress could be putting you in uncomfortable positions that are preventing your body from sleeping well.
Back Pain
If you wake up in the morning, and your back is throbbing, it may be time for a new mattress. Your body should feel supported by your mattress, not attacked by it. Your mattress, if old, can be sagging and deformed, or have lost the support you need.
Not only will you be in pain, but it can cause long-term back issues if not remedied. In addition to the back pain, you’ll also not get a good night sleep, resulting in drowsiness among other issues.
Joint Pain
Having an old mattress can impact your joints. If your mattress is too firm, it can create pressure in your joints, especially in your shoulders, hips, and knees.
Overheating
If you are having trouble overheating and sweating while you’re sleeping, your mattress may be the culprit. Mattresses that include foam, or ones that are deformed, tend to hug your body, leaving no space for air to come in and cool you down. Overheating can lead to you getting a restless night's sleep.
Dust Mites
Allergies are already detrimental to your sleep, but what if your mattress is causing your reactions? Dust mites are microscopic pests that live on or near our bedding. When there, they feed off the dead skin we shed while sleeping. As if that is not disgusting enough, dust mites then excrete allergens through their body parts and fecal matter.
It's those allergens that could be keeping you up at night. Since your skin has accumulated in your mattress and around your bed, that will be their feeding ground. Replacing your mattress is a great way to get rid of these creatures and your allergies!
Hygiene Issues
Older mattresses not only cause the issues listed above, but they are also unsanitary. Due to years of sweating, spills, and dust mites, mattresses are a breeding ground for mold and spores that can form on your mattress. While it can be prevented with a mattress protector, it is nearly irreversible once the damage is done.
An older mattress can also bring the potential for hygiene issues. For instance, we sweat a whole lot while we sleep, losing about a quarter of a liter of liquid each night, which goes straight to our mattress. Liquid leads to spores and mold, which can affect your health.
How a New Mattress Can Affect Your Sleep
Sure, the cost of a new mattress can be steep, but the cost of poor sleep and its impacts are even more costly. See how a new mattress can be beneficial towards your health.
Sleep Quality
A 2009 study showed that the quality of sleep improved when the participants purchased new bedding. Additionally, the study mentioned that not only did sleep improve during the first week of the new mattress, but the quality of sleep continued to improve week after week.
Cuts Down on Allergies
Swapping out with a new mattress cuts down on allergies, since it removes and/or lessens the amount of dust mites. Remember when you move out your old mattress, clean thoroughly to get rid of dust mites that may be in your bedroom.
Eliminates Stress
How many times do you lay awake at night and stress over being tired the next day, or not being able to fall asleep? When you are tired, your day can also be filled with stress, poor concentration, hunger for unhealthy food, and a generally poor mood. A good night of sleep on a comfortable mattress, thankfully, keeps those symptoms at bay.
What is the Best Mattress for Me?
Picking a new mattress is a personal choice. You need to determine the size you want or need, how firm or soft you want it, and even the material. However, if you are looking for one that is best for your bones and joints, you may want to take a look at latex foam mattresses.
Latex Mattress Advantages
It’s Eco-Friendly
Natural latex comes from a rubber tree sap. Rather than cut them down, the sap can be removed right from the tree. The tree continues to grow and provide sap for nearly 30 years. As if that was not awesome enough, natural latex is biodegradable and recyclable.
Certified and PBDE-Free
National latex is certified, which means that it is made of mostly natural materials, which is not the case for other latex mattresses, or many memory foam mattresses. Additionally, national latex does not have PBDEs (polybroinated dipheyl ether), which is used to make mattresses fire retardant.
PBDEs have a long history of causing health issues. Being certified and PBDE free means your family is safer from chemicals while you sleep.
Odor-Free
If you are sensitive to smells, new products can be problematic. But natural latex has no off-gassing, which means there are less chemicals to breakdown, so it will not release odors.
An Investment
When you purchase a mattress, you are making an investment. You want that investment to last, and be beneficial for you. You will have to foot the cost for quality and longevity. But in the long run, the natural latex mattress should last you 10-20 years, perhaps up to 25 years, whereas a regular mattress should be replaced in 5-8.
Keeps You Healthy
Latex that is pure and organic is hypoallergenic and free of the chemicals that create allergic reactions. Additionally, natural latex is microbial, so it will repel the germs that tend to live on mattresses. Even more so is that natural latex is not conducive for hosting dust mites. The mattress is naturally keeping you healthy while you get a good night’s sleep.
Great for Your Body
Natural latex changes as you move to be able to support your body. Natural latex also is known to maintain your spine’s alignment, and provide pressure relief towards areas known for issues, such as your lower back and joints.
Also, if you are sharing the bed with someone else, it does not disrupt you when they move, which is known as motion isolation. Having someone change the dynamics of your mattress can alter your sleep, so a natural latex mattress will allow you to sleep without their movement disruptions.
Where can I Get a Natural Latex Mattress?
If you are looking for a company that cares about your sleep as much as you do, check out Latex For Less. Some highlights for purchasing a Latex for Less mattress or latex mattress topper include:
Product Perfection Before Launching
Some businesses are quick to put out a product just to sell, but not Latex For Less. As a company, we’ve spent over a decade researching, testing, and altering their product to make sure it was not only 100% natural, but also comfortable, reliable, and affordable.
Care for the Environment
Latex for Less products are known to be environmentally friendly and free of chemicals and pollutants. The latex used in the manufacture of the mattresses are natural and certified.
Consistency is Key
Latex For Less uses one source for all of our products. Additionally, Latex For Less handcrafts each piece of our collection at our location, and creates it once it is ordered. We know what goes into the product, control the steps, and make sure everything is detailed, quality crafted, and made specifically for you.
Affordable
Let’s be honest, mattresses are not cheap. But natural products also tend to be more expensive. Not anymore. Latex For Less makes sure that you can get a quality, long-lasting product for a fraction of the price of other companies.
Safe
Natural latex mattresses are PBDE-free. PBDE’s, a fire retardant, are known to be a harsh chemical that causes health issues. But the mattresses are still safe for you. Latex For Less uses natural California wool, which has inherent fire-resistant properties.
What’s more, these mattresses do comply with federal flammability regulations, so you can sleep well knowing you are protected.
Belief in the Product
Latex For Less knows our product will last. That is why we offer a 20-year warranty to go with their latex mattresses. In addition, we’ll let you try it out for 3 months (though we are certain you will want to keep it after that point).
Here for You
Latex For Less is a small company, but we make it a point to be there for your needs. We have sleep experts available online and by phone seven days a week, 12 hours a day. So, no, they will not be closed on the weekends when you need help!
Takeaway
It might be frightening at the thought of making such a large purchase, but the long-term return on investment that will benefit your health will be worth it. While there are a lot of factors to consider when making your new mattress purchase, leaning towards natural latex seems to have the most benefits to ensure you get a healthy and quality sleep.
