You can have the most ideal sleeping conditions – a nice cool, dark room, soft, satin sheets, a cpap machine if you should happen to snore, and your favorite blanket and pillow ready to go when you need it. Even with all of this, you find that it is still impossible to fall asleep. All of these ideal conditions are moot if your mattress is the problem.

The first question to ask yourself is how long have you had your current mattress? I have heard numerous times that you should replace your mattress every eight years. As you sleep, you shed dead skin cells that collects onto your mattress along with dust, and dust mites. Yikes! While that statement is true, it is important to keep in mind that you actually do NOT have to replace your mattress every eight years based solely on that.

It is recommended that you replace your mattress between every seven to ten years depending on the level of comfort it provides. If you are waking up and are still feeling tired despite following every tip and trick in the book to get a good night’s sleep then it might be time to look into getting a new mattress. And while I know that mattress’ do not come cheap (heck, what does these days!?), can you really put a price on getting a good night’s sleep? Think about it – you sleep well, you have a more productive day at work or school, you have more energy to spend time with your family, friends, and loved ones, and, most importantly, you feel great! The pros seem to outweigh the cons, right?

Now, if you do decide that that you are going to purchase a new mattress, please remember that a firm mattress is not always the best option. The main goal of sleep is to rest – your mind and your body – and regenerate for the upcoming day. A firm mattress does not necessarily mean that you are going to rest peacefully. Yes, a firm mattress offers support for the body, which is something we definitely want (because how are we going to sleep or even feel relaxed on a foam cloud when we feel like we are falling!?) , it lacks in comfortability. It will be hard to sleep and rest if you are not comfortable, not to mention, a possible diagnoses of pressure point pain (let’s be real, we do not need anymore health related problems).

A soft mattress, while comfortable, is not a good idea either, due to the fact that it does not give the body enough support throughout the time of use. A soft mattress can lead to plenty of aches and pains, especially in the back and neck area. You are going to want to find a mattress that falls into the medium firm category – a combination of firmness and comfortability. This particular mattress is said to alleviate pressure points that cause lower back pain, and back pain in general. However, this is all subjective to weight and height. Do not be fooled by an advertisement that says “ultra-firm” or “ultra-plush” because that could mean just about anything depending on your build.

And just because you get a new mattress that does not mean that you are immune from tossing and turning. Please bear that mind! A lot of people assume that a new mattress will prevent any sort of tossing and turning throughout the night, but they could not be more wrong. The human body is designed to move, and just because you are asleep does not mean that your body just stops functioning. You are going to toss and turn and move around, a new mattress is not the problem or solution to that.

Multiple studies have shown that sleeping on a good mattress not only allows the person to feel rested and refreshed, but they also see a decrease in their stress levels. They do not suffer from back or neck pain, and are generally much happier about their lives. I know that it is something that is easily overlooked, but our mattress really does play a large roll in our lives – determining not just how we sleep, but how we got about our day as well. If you think that you are in need of new mattress, be sure to do your research before actually purchasing one. You could wait for a major holiday for a decent discount, or shop around to see what stores have the right mattress for you.