Change Every 8

We're not the only ones getting older! Did you know that your mattress goes through the aging process too? After about eight years, your mattress will have lived its natural life. Sleeping on a tired, old, lumpy, saggy mattress may leave you feeling the same way: tired, old, lumpy, and saggy! Who wants that?

As we age, getting quality sleep is critical to maintaining health, vitality, and weight. We spend one-third of our lives sleeping, which means a fresh mattress can help deliver the quality rest we need to feel rejuvenated and healthy.

A new mattress can:

• Support your lower back and neck, keep your hips aligned, and cradle the natural curves of your body. A saggy or out-of-shape mattress does not provide your muscular and skeletal systems with the proper support they need, so your muscles have to overcompensate, leaving you sore and tired in the morning.
• Minimize nighttime allergies and congestion caused by dust, dead skin cells, bed bugs and body oils that collect in older mattresses. These critters and allergens can cause your skin to break out and lead to sore throats, itchy eyes, and constant sneezing.
• Help you maintain your ideal weight and diet because when your body is tired, it seeks alternative energy through food. A good night's sleep can reduce cravings, aid in digestion, promote healthy blood flow, and increase daily activity.
• There is also a dirty little secret that lurks in your old mattress: dust mites and their partners in crime, bacteria. Millions of dust mites can live in a single old mattress. Your body heat and dead skin cells provide dust mites with the perfect home, one that keeps them warm and well fed. Dust mites feed on the skin cells your body sheds at night, leaving behind their droppings for you to sleep on. Protect yourself and your new mattress from body oils, stains, and microscopic critters with a mattress cover or protector.
• If you think keeping your old mattress is saving you money, then consider the consequences of a poor night's sleep--- allergies, aches and pains, health problems, and loss of productivity during the day. How much are these things costing you? If you are tired of being tired, investing in a new mattress can help you get healthy, rejuvenating sleep and stay vital and active.

Remember: change every eight!

Mattress Maintenance

Investing in a quality mattress is the first step to improved and restful sleep. Maintaining your mattress is the key to sustained performance and longevity. With a few steps, you can maintain your mattress for continued rest and support.

Keep your bed dry and clean. A mattress pad or protector is a good precaution against accidental spills, leaks, or accidents that can damage a mattress. To clean your mattress after a spill, gently rub a small amount of soap and cold water on the spot. Be sure not to soak the mattress as it may damage its construction and internal contents.

Use the proper foundation or box spring for your mattress. Not only is this the best way to maintain support and comfort, but also many mattress manufacturers void their warranty if the mattress is not supported by the manufacturer's box spring.

Rotate your mattress. A new mattress should be rotated once a month for the first six months and once every two to three months after that. Double sided, or two sided, mattresses should be alternately flipped and rotated. Manufacturers suggest you rotate the box spring or foundation twice a year.

Use the proper frame support for your mattress. Queen and larger size mattress sets should be supported by a five- or six-leg frame. A queen size mattress is sixty inches wide and requires more support than smaller sizes. If using a headboard or footboards style bed, one should use at least five wood slats with three positioned primarily in the center third of the bed.

Prevent additional wear and tear. Don't jump or stand on your mattress, and avoid folding or bending your mattress as well as heavy wear in one spot and excessive weight on the handles. Check for wear and tear at least once a year because a small tear can readily turn into a large rip. Also, vacuuming the mattress periodically helps with allergies and keeps the bed in good shape.

Many factors such as the manufacturer, the quality of bedding, and the vigorousness of use can affect the lifespan of a mattress. Maintaining your mattress can help sustain it, but just because a mattress appears to be in good condition, does not mean you are still getting the most benefits out of it. Once a mattress no longer feels supportive and instead seems to contribute to body pain or stiffness, it should be replaced. Some symptoms of a broken or worn out mattress include springs which can be felt poking through upholstery layer, visible permanent sagging or deformity, lumpiness, and excessive squeaking.

A Brief History of the Modern Mattress

Comfortable, supportive mattresses are something most of us take for granted. We don't think about how they've evolved over time. Here's brief lesson on the bed throughout history and in more modern times.

• 10,000 years ago In the Neolithic period, people began sleeping on primitive "beds."
• 3400 BC Egyptian pharaohs discover the benefits of raising a pallet off the earth. King Tutankhamen had a bed of ebony and gold. Common people slept on palm bows heaped in the corner of their home.
• Roman Empire The first luxury bed arrived, often decorated with gold, silver or bronze, these beds featured mattresses stuffed with reeds, hay, wool or feathers. Romans discover the waterbed. The sleeper would recline in a cradle of warm water in goats skin until drowsy, and then be lifted onto an adjacent cradle with a mattress, where they would be rocked to sleep.
• Renaissance Mattresses were filled with pea shucks or straw, sometimes feathers, stuffed into coarse ticks, then covered with sumptuous velvets, brocades and silks.
• 16th and 17th centuries Mattresses were generally stuffed with straw or down, placed atop a latticework of rope.
• Late 18th century Advent of the cast iron bed and cotton mattresses. Together, they provided a sleeping space that was less attractive to bugs. Until that time, assorted vermin were simply accepted as an unavoidable component of even the most royal beds.
• 1865 The first coil spring construction for bedding was patented.
• 1930's Innerspring mattresses and upholstered foundations became serious contenders for the dominant position they now enjoy in the U.S. and Canada.
• 1940's Futons were introduced to North America.
• 1950's Foam rubber mattresses and pillows appeared on the market.
• 1960's The modern waterbed was introduced. Adjustable beds become popular with consumers.
• 1980's Airbeds are introduced.
• 1990's Spacious sleeping is once again on the rise. In 1999, the queen-size mattress became America's most popular choice for mattress size – for the first time ever, beating the twin.
• 2000's Choice and comfort are key words in contemporary bedding. In addition to an almost unlimited range of innerspring mattress designs, new types of foam mattress cores (such as "memory" or visco-elastic foam and refinements to traditional latex) as well as airbeds, waterbeds and high-tech adjustable sleep sets offer consumers attractive, quality alternatives. Pillow top mattresses, a popular innovation in luxury, offer an extra layer of soft cushioning, and single-sided no-flip mattresses are common.

How to Choose the Right Mattress

If you feel a little uncomfortable about shopping for a new mattress, you're not alone. Most people only shop for a mattress once every decade, if that, so it's understandable if you're not completely sure what style or size of mattress you should be looking to purchase. That's why we have compiled this list of a few of the important things you should consider to find a mattress that delivers the comforting and rejuvenating sleep you deserve.

Mattress Size
Things to keep in mind when choosing a mattress size:
Length of mattress should be minimum 6" longer than height of tallest person sleeping on the bed To test the width of a mattress, lie down next to your partner and both place your elbows behind your head. Your elbows should not touch one another or go beyond the edge of the mattress. Keep a minimum of 22" clearance at the sides of the mattress to allow sufficient movement throughout your room.
If you have children, keep in mind their increase in height over the next couple years!

Size Recommendations
Crib
Size: 27"x52"
Recommendation Age: Infant-4

Twin
Size: 39"x75"
Recommendation Age: 4+

Full
Size: 54"x75"
Recommendation: Single Adult

Queen
60"x80"
Recommendation: 2 Persons, Taller than 5'5"

King
78"x80"
Recommendation: 2 Persons who want maximum personal sleeping space, Larger Room to Accommodate Size Level of Firmness & Comfort

How to Choose the Right Mattress - Continued

Be sure to ask plenty of questions and take all the time you need when you purchase your mattress.