New research from the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) and Sealy beds has revealed that almost one in 10 people (7%) would wait until their mattress began to smell before replacing it - a figure that almost doubles to 13% in the age group 16-24.
It's National Bed Month! Do you sleep well?
More than half of us at 55% wait until our beds lose all firmness before changing it, and an astonishing 16% wait until we experience aches and pains from our sleeping pattern before doing so.
With experts recommending that you should replace your mattress once every seven years, the survey of over 2,000 adults found that more than one in ten (11%) have never replaced their mattress at all, and the same number would only do so if they slept better on a different bed.
Tim Hutchful, BCA Chiropractor commented: "We know that an unsuitable mattress is a huge contributor to back and neck pain. I'm amazed that some people take such a blasé approach when it comes to changing and choosing the right mattress."
Marketing Director of Sealy UK, Neil Robinson added: "I'm not totally surprised by these figures as they match some of the anecdotal evidence we get back from our stockists. We always advocate people to change their mattress regularly and choose one that supports their body properly and encourages them to be deeper sleepers. Everyone should try before they buy to ensure they get the correct one, such as a Posturepedic, and most certainly take advice from an expert such as a chiropractor if they suffer from back or neck problems."
Five steps to a better night's sleep, from the BCA are as follows:
- Recognise the warning signs that it's time to change your mattress; you wake up feeling stiff or aching, your mattress is misshapen or sagging or you can feel individual springs.
- Wake your body up slowly: Don't leap out of bed first thing in the morning as this can damage the back. Instead, gently get out of bed and avoid bending or doing anything sudden or strenuous until your back wakes up.
- Adopt a good sleeping position: Lie on your side rather than lying on your front with your neck twisted to one side.
- Try before you buy: If you are lying on your side, your spine should be parallel to the mattress and your spine should not sag (bed too soft) or bow (bed too hard). The longer you can spend lying on a mattress before you buy it, the more accurate this feeling will be. If you are sharing a bed then take your partner with you.
- Banish tech in bed: Looking down at screens in bed means your neck will not be supported and the weight of your head leaning forward will put pressure on your back, which may cause back or neck pain. If you're desperate to stay switched on make sure your back is supported with a pillow and the device is propped up so it's at eye level.