Time For A New Bed?

If beds had to have a 25,000 mile service like cars, most would fail. Although the bed is the most heavily used item of furniture in the home, it is usually bought with least consideration. After all, a bed hardly ever appears on wedding lists, although a good one costs no more than a canteen of cutlery or a decent dinner service - and it will get far more use. In fact, up to half the newly-weds in the US actually start their married life in a second-hand bed. According to the Mediawise Bed Report, far too many people put up with saggy, soft, lumpy and uncomfortable beds which can ruin a good night's sleep, despite the enormous choice of new beds now available. And, most of the nation's beds are too old and should be changed, adds the report. The effective life of the average bed is only seven years, after which it won't give the proper support, so you not only have a poor night's sleep but could develop back problems too. "The third of your life you spend in bed can also have a real effect on your health, so it is important to choose the right bed," says the report.
The most popular mattress is the panel quilt, and regularly turning any mattress from top to bottom and from head to tail will prolong its life. Women on average, sleep longer than men - 8 hours 20 minutes a night compared with 8 hours. Most women, however, feel they need more sleep and one reason could be that most men snore. Every year a quarter of all new beds are bought to replace a damaged old bed. And, almost 40% of new beds bought are replacing beds which are more than 10 years old, and 10%, nearly 300,000, are over 20 years old. Many of these older beds are unsafe because they do not comply to new fire resistant material standards. More than 3,650 people die in fires in the home and the bedroom is the second most common location for residential fires after the kitchen.
Beds can also become unhygienic as they get older. The average adult sweats about half a pint of moisture every night while sleeping, and every year an adult sheds about 1lb of dead skin, much of it in bed. In turn, almost invisible house dust mites live in the bed feeding on this dead skin and cause allergies affecting millions of people. More than 44 million Americans suffer from allergies and breathing problems. Many experts believe that a new bed could be a useful part of allergy treatment. Back problems affect one in five Americans and it is the most common physical complaint among American adults. It is also the leading cause of lost job time at a cost of billions to the economy. Bad beds can interfere with sleeping patterns and cause bad backs and many back pain problems are aggravated because of bad beds. One in seven men and more than one in four women have difficulty sleeping. Sleep quality improves considerably with the right new bed. In trials, chronic poor sleepers got to sleep much quicker in a new bed than in their own old beds, woke up during the night less frequently, and overall, gained almost an hour's extra sleep. The right pillow is also important. Your head accounts for one fifth of your body weight and your neck contains seven of your spine's 35 vertebrae, so the right pillow offering correct support and comfort makes all the difference to a good night's sleep. Many people believe a bed should last their lifetime, but do not realize that sleeping patterns change over the years, and a new bed can reflect these changes by providing more support, adjustable height and so on. The bed check list below provides a quick, practical ten-pint guide to identifying the bedroom-worthiness of your bed. Is it time for a change?
1. Is your bed more than seven years old?
2. Are you sleeping less comfortably or do you wake up with aches and pains in your neck and back?
3. Is the mattress cover soiled, stained or torn?
4. When you lie in bed, can you feel any springs or ridges?
5. When you move in bed, do your hear creaks, crunches or any other suspicious noises?
6. Do you and your partner roll together without meaning to?
7. Do you and your partner find your bed a little too small to give you both an undisturbed night?
8. Does your divan or base have an uneven or sagging surface?
9. Are all the castors or legs in good working order?
10. Would you be embarrassed if your neighbors saw your bed without the covers on?