How Often Should You Change Your Mattress?

The average mattress has a lifespan of 6-8 years, according to The Sleep Foundation. This is significantly shorter than the usual consensus that a mattress lasts for ten years or more. 

This can vary, however, if your mattress is well cared for and properly maintained from the onset of its use. Alternatively, neglect can cause the mattress to be irreparable even sooner than the 6-8 year period.

Mattresses and their lifespans can vary according to brand, material, and general quality of the bedding. However, these signs of wear and tear are near-universal symptoms of a mattress that can no longer serve its purpose and needs to be replaced.

• Uneven in weight distribution, sinking in some places, causing sore muscles
• visible wear and tear on the fabric
• struggling to get into a comfortable position during sleep
• noticeable staining or odours
• worsened allergy symptoms, such as eyes watering, a blocked nose or coughing, for allergy suffers
• loss of overall original shape 

Latex and memory foam mattresses last the longest, according to studies. Due to their dense filling and lack of traditional metal springs, they land on the upper end of the typical 6-8 year lifespan of a mattress.

You may be able to slightly extend the aging process of your mattress by :

• flipping or rotating it to avoid the worst of the sinking regularly.
• using pillows to alter the mattress' pressure points
• changing your sleeping position to adapt to any annoying grooves

However, these are quick fixes that only go so far. These tips will do little for mattresses with significant sinking, only improving your sleep experience than winding back the clock and undoing pre-existing damage to your mattress.

Your mattress can last longer, even beyond the 6-8 year timeframe, if the following forms of maintenance are implemented regularly:

• regular cleaning - including vacuuming, clearing of allergens such as pet hair and spot-cleaning stains 
• avoiding direct sunlight or heat
• regular flipping and rotating
• adding an extra layer of bedding that will protect your mattess

Protecting bedding layers, usually named a mattress topper or mattress protector, can create a natural barrier between you and the mattress that prevents direct contact, helping to protect it from stains or too much weight in one spot. Mattress toppers and protectors, especially the firmer varieties available on the market, also help your bed feel firm and evenly distributed, even if your bed is sinking or uneven due to its age or other damage.

The longevity of your mattress depends entirely on its type, maintenance, and protection. Although 6-8 years is the standard lifespan of a mattress, this can be significantly extended - or even shortened - by how it is treated, and the protections (or lack thereof) put in place by your other bedding.