Changing a mattress: Warning signs

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Extract from the article: A mattress doesn't last for years. Back pain, waking up at night. Good support is essential to avoid back pain and problems. So it's time to invest in new bedding. Several signs should alert you to the need to change it.

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A mattress doesn't last for years. Back pain, waking up at night. Good support is essential to avoid back pain and problems. So it's time to invest in new bedding. Several signs should alert you to the need to change it.

Most Togolese people let several years pass before changing their mattress and box spring, whereas it should not be more than 10 years. New bedding allows pressure points to be better distributed and limits micro-awakenings. But no matter how many years have passed since the bedroom was last rearranged, it is enough to trust your common sense and pay attention to certain signs to know when it is time to change your bedding.

Suffering from sleep disorders

In Togo, it is estimated that many people are affected by sleep disorders. « While these can be linked to stress, an illness such as restless legs syndrome or the consumption of stimulants, the mattress is rarely considered as another likely cause. However, poor bedding can indeed be one of the risk factors for sleep disorders », says Germaine Abouya Adohoun-Anthony, a master in kinesitherapy at the National Orthopaedic Fitting Centre  (CNAO-Lomé).

The poor condition of a mattress can be the sole cause of restless sleep. You know it's time to change it « when you start sleeping poorly, when you don't get enough sleep and you feel tired when you wake up, once all the other causes of poor sleep have been eliminated. This proves that it is worn out», says Germaine Abouya Adohoun-Anthony. A cause that is all the more difficult to identify because wear and tear does not happen in one day: a mattress lasts a long time, so so does bad sleep. Unfortunately, people end up getting used to it.

Back pain

Someone who, for example, has back pain when they wake up or during the night is not normal. « Indeed, when sleeping becomes an ordeal when it is supposed to bring relaxation and rest that are essential to health, it may be the fault of the mattress that no longer plays its supporting role correctly. The body will send signals which will be essentially spinal and joint pains. You'll be sore all over, you'll be stiff », explains the physiotherapist.

Furthermore, disturbed and non-restorative sleep has potentially serious effects on daytime activity in particular: According to Germaine Abouya Adohoun-Anthony, « a mattress that has outlived its usefulness is annoying beyond the fact that it is no longer comfortable because there are short, medium and long-term consequences linked to the poor sleep it causes. You are not in good shape, you are sleepy, which is dangerous for your safety, you have concentration and memory problems, you are more irritable and anxious ». It can even lead to overweight, metabolic, cardiovascular or respiratory problems, but also accelerate ageing.

The mattress is very soft

A particularly soft mattress is a sign that it is sinking and therefore that the body is no longer supported. « The hollows that appear all over the surface of the mattress will cause pain and deformities in the long term, but not only that: you sink into it, which means that you can no longer move or turn around properly. This can even lead to respiratory problems. Because you are folded in on yourself, your chest and abdomen are in a bad position », says the specialist.

The mattress is too firm

Neither too soft nor too firm: when it comes to mattresses, the body does not like extremes. « When you lie on your back, the support points (the head, between the shoulder blades, the sacrum and the heels) must be distributed. However, when we lean too long on a hard surface, there will be a lack of vascularisation locally on these pressure points, and tensions will accumulate », explains the physiotherapist. You will find yourself changing position very regularly during the night to remove the pressure points.

Allergies appear or increase

Runny nose, watery eyes, repeated sneezing. The allergens responsible for these symptoms are dust mites. The Physiotherapist at the CNAO shows that « these little creatures that love dust and humidity will find happiness in a mattress that is full of them. This is a real problem, which makes it necessary to consider changing the mattress as soon as the symptoms persist ». Once you have a new mattress, you can prevent dust mite allergies by adopting good hygiene: You should air your mattress regularly and put it in the sun because dust mites hate fresh air, dryness and sunlight. This will help it to last longer, as it will prevent it from retaining moisture, which is the result of the body sweating during the night.

Choosing the right mattress

There are different types of mattresses on the market and making a good choice will help to keep it in good condition. Mrs. Germaine Abouya Adohoun-Anthony, Senior Technician in physiotherapy at the CNAO advises: « With a quality mattress, well maintained by ventilation, conservation in a good state is possible for many years. For a good life span, quality must be added to the choice of a good bed base. The quality of the base is also crucial to maximise comfort, but also to increase the life span of the mattress ». The mattress and the slat base are the real tandem to achieve optimal comfort for many years of use.

Abel OZIH