Is Your Mattress a Halloween Nightmare? Never Fear, We Have Your Solutions!

Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls are all a part of Halloween fun. Trick or treating with the littles is a blast. Admit it. You know you’re watching for your favorite candy bar to steal from the kids candy bag at the end of the night.

You know what’s not fun at Halloween? Getting to bed super late on a weeknight with an uncomfortable mattress. Have you experienced:

• Sagging mattresses so uncomfortable it’s scary?
• Creaking noises in your house after dark that are from—spoiler alert—your mattress?
• Dreaming of spiders and awakening to real-life nightmares of bedbugs?

Save the scaring, creaking, and buggy nightmares for the haunted houses—not your mattress. In this blog, we’ll talk about the scary things that can steal your sleep and our solution to get you through Halloween and beyond.

Sagging Mattress Scaring Away Your Beauty Rest?

Why is your mattress sagging? Don’t worry, it’s not you and it’s not your partner. It’s true you gravitate to the same position most nights which eventually causes the mattress to wear down. Mattresses are designed to withstand and support us even with weight changes—up or down. Sagging is the result of time. With repetitive and everyday use, mattresses wear out after years and years of sleep. You may notice more sagging after seven to ten years of sleeping on it.

How much sag is acceptable? Some say an inch and a half. Others say up to two inches of sag is fine but more than that is too much. The true answer depends on the age and type of mattress. In general, if your mattress is new enough that it’s still covered by a warranty, it could be a manufacturing flaw where you can contact the store you purchased it from about filing a warranty claim.

If you’ve had the mattress for years and are experiencing uncomfortable sag, it might explain why you feel pressure build-up in many different areas of your body. Pain in these body parts might be the result of sleeping on a saggy mattress:

• Neck
• Back
• Hip
• Shoulder
• Spinal cord

Try rotating your mattress. Yes, that can be a hard task. But if you find someone to assist you, it can be easier. And depending on the mattress, you may not need to flip it. Ask the mattress store about your specific mattress type.

You might wonder how often you should flip your mattress? Flipping your mattress can vary based on the type of mattress you have. Check out this article for more detail. Remember, some sagging in a bed is normal. To talk through your specific mattress situation, contact your nearest sleep expert.

Can a sagging mattress affect your health? Yes, it actually can. Losing sleep, interruptions to your circadian rhythm, or not getting enough quality sleep can all negatively affect your health. Here are some examples of how lack of sleep can affect your health:

• Weight gain
• Sore body
• Depression
• Heart disease
• Inability to store and recall memories
• Decrease in capacity to solve problems

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, a trip to the doctor is a good idea. Please note we are not diagnosing a new mattress as the solutions to serious health issues. We are merely suggesting when doctors rule out all other possibilities, you might find your mattress, and your lack of restful sleep, is the culprit. 

Creaking Noises Keeping You Awake at Night?

No, your mattress should not be making those creaking noises. It’s not normal. You should not just learn to live with it. Not only is a creaking mattress incredibly annoying, it’s also an indication that your mattress is wearing out. Mattresses start making noises when the springs are no longer providing the support you need. A creaky mattress is a problem, not just because it can keep you up at night. A mattress with dysfunctional springs can cause: 

• Achy joints
• Numbness (nerve compression)
• Pain

Not to mention, your bed’s age might be showing if you own the kind of mattress that creaks in the first place. Newer, modern mattresses have come a long way. There are many types of mattresses made to conform to your body and your specific lifestyle that go far beyond “soft” or “hard” firmness. For example:

• Hybrid
• Adjustable
• Bed in a box
• Foam
• Gel foam
• Innerspring
• Latex foam
• Memory foam
• Pocketed coil

These are just types of mattresses. You can get even more specific with size, brand, and style and even find some nice combos.

Dreaming of Spiders and Awaking to Nightmares of Bedbugs?

Let’s hope those nightmares don’t come true! While spiders and bugs are staples of Halloween, just say “no” to bedbugs and mattress mites. If your bed is older and without a mattress protector, you might be rolling around on fungi, mites, bacteria, and chemicals all night long. Ew! Creepy!

Reduced liver function and MRSA are two of the potential terrifying outcomes of you sleeping on your old mattress for too long. Typically, sleep experts recommend you replace your mattresses every six to eight years. Some experts say you can go as long as ten to fifteen years. Check out this article to determine if it’s time to update your mattress.

In the meantime, you can put some safeguards in place to help keep your mattress safe from mites—protect the bed from the bugs. Mattress protectors are a quick, easy, and preventative solution to your buggy problems. Although, an old mattress is—well—an old mattress. Remember, mattress protectors can’t fix that problem. And we have plenty of mattress protectors at Beautyrest Sleep Gallery.

“Dr. Lisa Ackerley, a home hygiene expert, said people could be unwittingly suffering from ‘sick bed syndrome’ due to dust mites” (Davies, 2015).

If you love horror stories, especially around Halloween, check out this video from the Ohio State University Acarology Lab about dust mites breeding on your bedding. But if you want to avoid the nightmares, don’t look!

Just know that mattress protectors are a small investment to prevent the allergens that make it hard to sleep well at night.

Sleep Well with No Nightly Terrors!

This Halloween, you can sleep well knowing the scaring, creaking, and dreaming about bugs, plus those other scary Halloween moments in between, will go away when the holiday ends. But your sleep can be restful and rejuvenate you no matter what time of year it is!

Don’t be afraid to contact your nearest sleep expert to maximize your sleep. They can’t fix problems with ghosts, goblins, or ghouls, but they can help you analyze your sleep issues that are the result of your mattress. You can relax, sleep well, and be happy with Beautyrest Sleep Gallery.

References

Davies, Madlen. (26 Nov. 2015). “Horrific video shows why your mattress is the perfect breeding ground for millions of dust mites that feed off your skin.” Dailymail.com.