Mattresses should be seen as one of the most important investments we have to make in our lives. Although, in my opinion, a house is still a major investment, some people insist that buying a mattress is much more beneficial than buying a car. Because? We only spend a third of our lives sleeping, that’s why.

The mattress is also the one place we turn to at the end of each day when all of our body’s energy has seemingly been depleted from our activities. Then it is appropriate that we give it full attention and proper care. Give your mattress proper maintenance and it will return years of service. But what happens when one night, when you could only think about hitting the pillow, you discover that your mattress has turned into… something else?

This article outlines some of the most common problems a person may encounter with their mattress. If you know that your mattress still has a ways to go (most mattresses only need to be replaced after 10 years), then I insist that it is not yet the time to buy a new one. But if you know that your mattress has given its service, look at the following problems, problems that may be indicating that you start looking for a new sleeping partner, I mean, mattress.

My mattress gives me the springs, literally

This problem would obviously occur on an innerspring mattress. Innerspring mattresses are so named because the mattress’s support comes from the springs inside. These springs or coils have fillers and there is usually another layer of filler on top of the coils. This is designed to prevent the user from feeling the coils or springs.

However, a sure sign of wear, the padding can settle. This happens once the mattress cover gets worn, damaged, or worn out. The springs, which are harder than the threadbare cover, are now able to push and that is why the springs are felt.

A mattress that has springs popping all over the place is a sign that your mattress is getting old. You would not sleep well if all you can feel at night are the metal coils and there is barely any mattress left. Unless you’re pretty comfortable with that situation, you should now start looking for a replacement mattress to replace your old, ratty one.

My mattress sags in the center, on the side, sometimes on both

Like the first problem mentioned above, a sagging mattress is another sign that you are getting old. The center or middle of the mattress is usually the first place a mattress sags because it is where the sleeper’s body and weight are normally concentrated. Sagging in the middle is typical of innerspring mattresses, especially those constructed with horizontal rows rather than vertical rows of coils or coils.

A mattress can also sag on the sides. This happens particularly when a sleeping person does not lie in the middle but lies on the sides of the mattress. While not as common as middle sagging, a sagging side can cause discomfort for the sleeper as it tends to slide down the sagging side. However, many mattresses today are already designed with reinforced support along the edges so that the sleeper’s weight is kept within the mattress.

For first offenses, you can try rotating or, if possible, flipping your mattress. Then sleep on the unused side which is relatively firmer. You can try rotating or flipping the mattress regularly. However, if your mattress is already old, you may need to look for a new one to replace your current one.

My mattress does not give me enough support

There are so many reasons why a mattress no longer provides support for sleeping. The two problems mentioned above, the exposed spring and the sagging, will surely not give any support. A sure sign that you know if your mattress is giving you enough support or not is the level of comfort you feel every time you use it.

It is said that if you have a mattress that gives you enough support, you can also receive enough comfort no matter what sleeping position you are in. Also, if you are using a mattress with great support, you will not feel any back pain, neck pain and the like in the morning. In addition, you can also feel your posture improve.

However, if you are not experiencing any of these things, and instead start to feel very uncomfortable, develop body aches and notice that your posture suffers, I would strongly suggest you go now and buy another mattress. Sure you may have to spend a fair amount of money, but it’s better than having your health compromised, right?