Imagine having a rough day at work, attending meetings after meetings and carrying out your usual tasks. You think of rushing back home and hitting your bed to get some good night sleep. But as soon as you hit it, you find yourself tossing and turning for hours—thanks to your mattress.
Not being able to sleep at night because of a bad mattress can be uncomfortable, annoying, and downright frustrating. This is especially true when you are exhausted because of work, daily errands, or any other activity.
A bad mattress can do much more than cause frustration. Studies have found thatfirm mattressare one of the leading causes of lower back pain, challenging the long-held belief that they can ease lower back pain. Likewise, a poor-quality mattress can make you feel unrested, deteriorating your overall health and performance at work. This makes choosing the right mattress crucial.
Before diving into how a bad mattress can affect your health, let’s see what makes different types of mattresses bad.
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Signs of a bad mattress
Here are seven signs your mattress is bad:
Poor sleep
If you wake up multiple times a night or wake up feeling tired, your mattress might be the reason. Due to its poor material construction or firmness, you may toss and turn several times in bed before falling asleep. This may lead to a poor sleep cycle, affecting your physical and mental health. It can also adversely impact your work, relationships, and habits. So, if you are not having that good night sleep, your mattress may be the culprit.
Frequent body ache and pain
Experiencing frequent bouts of body ache or pain is often attributed to the comfort layer of the mattress wearing down, causing uneven pressure points. Most people feel pain in joints, lower back, and neck, which tends to last long. If you are experiencing this, it’s time you change your mattress.
Not enough support
Different layers of the mattresses work together to support your spine, with comfort layers supporting proper spinal alignment without excessive sinking. Similarly, support layers are meant to keep the heavier parts of the body in line with the spine.
When the mattress gets old, one or more of these layers stop providing the support they are designed to provide, leading to discomfort and soreness. If you wake up feeling sore and stiff, you should change your mattress.
Sagging
All mattresses start to sag after repeated use. They may end up sagging more in the areas where you usually sleep, leaving permanent body indentations. The uneven surface does not support your spine as well as an evenly surfaced mattress does. This often leads to neck or lower back pain. If you see permanent body indentations in your mattress, you should change your mattress immediately.
Heat Generation
Different types of mattresses generate heat due to the materials used in their manufacturing and design. Mattresses that comprise support coils are cooler than those made from foam as the latter trap more heat due to their solid nature.
Some manufacturers also use gel infusions to reduce the heat produced. But over time, those infusions wear down, resulting in heat generation. Soft mattresses allow your body to sink further in the mattress, leaving no room for airflow around the body. So, if your mattress generates excessive heat, either because of its material construction or age, you should replace it.
Allergen and Dust mites
Over time, different types of mattresses build up allergens and dust mites. These elements may result in allergies and skin issues. They may also result in sinus and itchiness all over the body. To avoid health risks associated with dust mites and allergens present in a mattress, you should replace and choose the best mattress for your health needs.
All these signs indicate that your mattress is not suitable and needs to be changed. It’s always best to invest in a good quality mattress since it has such a huge impact on your overall health. The good news is that you can buy a mattress online these days, saving you significant time and hassles.
How does a bad mattress affect your health?
A bad mattress can cause several health problems, with chronic back pain being the most concerning of all. Here are some of the problems it can cause.
A poor-quality mattress prevents you from having deep sleep, interrupting your sleep multiple times a night. This makes you feel unrested, tired, and drowsy in the morning. It can also impact your alertness throughout the day, increasing the chances of mishaps at work or while driving or engaging in a risky activity.
Low back pain
If your mattress doesn’t support your spine and keep its alignment in check, the risk of developing low back pain goes through the roof. Studies suggest that people who sleep on an overly firm mattress are more likely to develop chronic back pain than those who rest on a medium-firm mattress.
Weakened Immunity
You may wonder how a bad mattress can suppress your immune system, but the science behind it is associated with sleep quality. Sleep science has established a clear connection between immunity and sleep quality. Lack of sleep can weaken your immune system, preventing it from functioning optimally and fighting illness or disease. It can also hamper your body’s ability to recover from injury, which is one of the functions of the immune system.
When you sleep, your immune system releases proteins called cytokines, which help fight infections and illnesses. When you don’t sleep adequately, the immunity system doesn’t produce enough cytokines, which impacts your body’s ability to fight infection.
Unhealthy weight gain
Sleep deprivation makes you feel fatigued throughout the day. This tricks your brain into thinking you are low on energy and makes you eat compulsively. Many people also tend to snack in the middle of the night when they can’t sleep properly. When this goes on for a long time, they tend to gain weight. This also increases the risk of obesity, which is linked to life-threatening diseases such as diabetes and heart attack.
Respiratory problems
Over time, mattresses become a breeding ground for dust mites, allergens, and many other potentially harmful elements. Sleeping on such a mattress can increase the risk of developing respiratory illness caused by allergens, such as asthma, bronchitis and more. Not to forget, it can also lead to skin irritation, allergies, and other problems.
Premature ageing
One study found that lack of sleep can cause visible signs of ageing, making you look older. Dark circles, stretchy skin, and baggy eyes are some visible signs of ageing that sleep deprivation causes. For sound sleep every night, invest in the best mattressfor your health and sleep preferences.
Cardiovascular problems
You probably didn’t know this, but not sleeping for 7-8 hours is linked to the increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. A study found that people who sleep less are at a 48% higher risk of developing heart disease. So, if your mattress prevents you from having deep sleep, you know what’s at risk.
Joint soreness
If your mattress doesn’t support your joints and muscles, you may experience joint or muscle pain when you wake up. This is also the case with an overly firm mattress that puts additional pressure on your tailbone, spine, shoulder, arms, and ankles, leading to joint soreness over time.
Reduced libido
Lack of sleep, whether a result of a poor mattress or health issue, is linked to reduced sex drive. Research reveals that men who do not sleep enough have low testosterone production, which is a sex hormone responsible for libido in men.
Cognitive issues
Sleep plays a crucial role in keeping your brain healthy and optimally functioning. When you can’t sleep because of your mattress, you feel less coordinated and mentally tired all day. When this happens for a long time, it can lead to several cognitive issues, severely impacting your brain health.
Which mattress is good for health?
Which mattress is good for your health depends on your sleep preferences and body type. However, a good rule of thumb is to choose the one that offers adequate spinal support, temperature regulation, comfort, durability, and at least ten years of warranty. You can go for the best Sleepwell Mattress to ensure you have nothing but the best quality mattress with you.
Final Note
A bad mattress can wreak havoc on your health. From disrupting sleep cycles to contributing to chronic back pain and weakened immunity, the consequences are far-reaching and detrimental. That is why spotting and replacing a poor-quality mattress with the best mattress for your health is essential.
When choosing the right mattress, make sure it offers spinal support, comfort, and durability. You can also go for the best Sleepwell mattress, as the brand is a trusted name in the industry, helping people sleep well through their technologically superior bedding products.
