Matress problems...time for a replacement?

[phoenix]

Hi pmsmith2032,

My wife and I currently have a queen size Simmons Beautyrest Classic Trinity Park Plush Firm Euro Top that I believe may need to be replaced. The mattress is approximately 6 years old (I don’t remember when we actually bought it but it has a manufactured date of 07/12/10). The issue is that both my wife and I haven’t been sleeping well lately. She is being woken up numerous times during the night due to my tossing and turning. Sometimes I realize I’m doing it and other times I don’t. I do know that I am experiencing discomfort during the night… Most of this discomfort is in my arms and they feels sore and almost like they are falling asleep. I’m mainly a side/stomach sleeper and she is mainly a side/back sleeper. So I have a couple of questions:

1. I’ve heard that the lifespan of a mattress is 8 years…is the lifespan of a pillow top half that?

While there is no way to specifically quantify how long any mattress will last for a specific person or predict exactly when they will decide to replace it because it is no longer suitable or comfortable for them (because this is the only real measure of durability or the useful life of a mattress that really matters) and because there are too many unknowns and variables involved that are unique to each person … if a mattress is well inside a suitable comfort/support range and isn’t close to the edge of being too soft when it is new (see post #2 here) and you have confirmed that it meets the minimum quality/durability specs relative to your BMI range that are suggested in the durability guidelines here then it would be reasonable to expect a useful lifetime in the range of 7 - 10 years and with higher quality and more durable materials like latex or higher density memory foam or polyfoam (in the comfort layers especially) it would likely be in the higher end of the range or even longer and the chances that you would have additional “bonus time” beyond that would be higher as well.

Having said that … the major brands such as Sealy/Stearns & Foster, Simmons, and Serta all tend to use lower quality and less durable materials in their mattresses than most of their smaller competitors that will tend to soften or break down prematurely relative to the price you pay which is why I would generally suggest avoiding all of them completely (along with the major retailers that focus on them as well) regardless of how they may feel in a showroom along with any mattress where you aren’t able to find out the type and quality/durability of the materials inside it (see the guidelines here along with post #3 here and post #12 here and post #404 here).

There is more information about how to tell if it’s time to replace your mattress in post #3 here but based on your comments I would guess that your mattress is well past its “due date” and probably needs to be replaced. There are many people that have come to the forum after purchasing major brand mattresses that needed to be replaced after only 3 - 5 years so your experience certainly isn’t unusual.

2. Are the symptoms I’m experiencing most likely due to the deterioration of the pillow top? I think the foam in the pillow top may be compressed and not provide proper support.

Yes. The upper layers of a mattress are generally the weakest link of a mattress in terms of durability and are the layers where the quality/durability of the materials is particularly important. A mattress will tend to soften and break down from the top layers down because the regular deflection/compression of the upper foam materials and components when you sleep on the mattress is what softens or breaks down the materials over time and the softer upper layers of a mattress will deflect and compress more deeply and more often than the firmer deeper layers and components in a mattress.

3. If the problem is due to the mattress is there any way to improve the problem without buying a new mattress?

While it’s certainly possible to “fix” a mattress if the only issue is that it’s too firm and the mattress is still in very good condition and there are no soft spots or sagging in the mattress … it’s generally much more difficult to fix a mattress that was too soft initially or that has developed soft spots or is sagging because the best solution would normally be to open up the mattress and remove the layers or components that are too soft or have developed soft spots or are sagging and replace them with new layers. A firmer topper will generally just “follow” any sagging or soft spots underneath it and at best it may be a partial or temporary solution and at worst it can make any issues that you are having with your mattress worse. For example if you add a firmer topper you could end up with a sleeping system where the top layer (the topper) was too firm for you to provide good pressure relief but the layers underneath your topper could either be too soft or sagging too much to provide suitable support to keep your spine in good alignment.

There are some suggestions in post #4 here that may be helpful for a mattress that is too soft or is sagging at least on a partial or temporary basis but I would keep your expectations low because the odds of success wouldn’t be very high … particularly over the longer term.

4. If we do need a new mattress, what would be a good type/brand/model for our sleeping issues and habits? I’ve read about memory foam but am a bit apprehensive since we both tend to over-heat at night if it’s too warm. I would assume the extra room of a king size bed might help? Are there any decent options under $1,000?

While I can certainly help with “how” to choose … It’s not possible to make specific suggestions or recommendations for either a mattress, manufacturers/retailers, or combinations of materials or components because the first “rule” of mattress shopping is to always remember that you are the only one that can feel what you feel on a mattress and there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved that are unique to each person to use a formula or for anyone to be able to predict or make a specific suggestion or recommendation about which mattress or combination of materials and components or which type of mattress would be the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, or PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and your own Personal preferences) or how a mattress will “feel” to you or compare to another mattress based on specs (either yours or a mattress), sleeping positions, health conditions, or “theory at a distance” that can possibly be more reliable than your own careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in step 4 of the tutorial) or your own personal sleeping experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here).

I’m not sure what you’ve read since you found the site but just in case you haven’t read it yet … the first place to start your research is the mattress shopping tutorial here which includes all the basic information, steps, and guidelines that can help you make the best possible choice … and perhaps more importantly know how and why to avoid the worst ones.

Two of the most important links in the tutorial that I would especially make sure you’ve read are post #2 here which has more about the different ways to choose a suitable mattress (either locally or online) that is the best “match” for you in terms of “comfort” and PPP that can help you assess and minimize the risks of making a choice that doesn’t turn out as well as you hoped for and post #13 here which has more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase which can help you make more meaningful quality/value comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability (how well you will sleep), durability (how long you will sleep well), and the overall value of a mattress compared to your other finalists based on all the parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

Assuming that the materials in a mattress you are considering are durable enough for your body type and meet the quality/durability guidelines I linked earlier in this reply relative to your weight/BMI range … the choice between different types and combinations of materials and components or different types of mattresses are more of a preference and a budget choice than a “better/worse” choice (see this article).

It’s also not really possible to quantify the sleeping temperature of a mattress for any particular person with any real accuracy because there are so many variables involved including the type of mattress protector and the sheets and bedding that you use (which in many cases can have just as significant an effect on sleeping temperature as the type of foam in a mattress) and on where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range and because there is no standardized testing for temperature regulation with different combinations of materials but there is more about the many variables that can affect the sleeping temperature of a mattress or sleeping system in post #2 here that can help you choose the types of materials and components that are most likely to keep you in a comfortable temperature range.

In very general terms … the materials, layers, and components of a sleeping system that are closer to your skin will have a bigger effect on airflow, moisture transport, and temperature regulation than materials, layers, and components that are further away from your skin and softer mattresses will tend to be more “insulating” and for some people can sleep warmer than firmer mattresses.

If you are looking for local options that you can test in person before a purchase then if you let me know your city or zip code I’d be happy to let you know about the better options or possibilities I’m aware of in your area…

If you are also considering online options then the mattress shopping tutorial includes several links to lists of many of the better online options I’m aware of (in the optional online step) that include many different types and categories of mattresses that use different materials and components in a wide range of designs, budgets, firmness levels, and with different return/exchange policies that may be well worth considering as well.

In its simplest form choosing the “best possible” mattress for any particular person really comes down to FIRST finding a few knowledgeable and transparent retailers and/or manufacturers (either locally or online) that sell the types of mattresses that you are most interested in that are in a budget range you are comfortable with and that you have confirmed will provide you with the all the information you need about the materials and components inside the mattresses they sell so you will be able to make informed choices and meaningful comparisons between mattresses and then …

1. Careful testing (hopefully using the testing guidelines in the tutorial) to make sure that a mattress is a good match for you in terms of “comfort”, firmness, and PPP … and/or that you are comfortable with the options you have available to return, exchange, or “fine tune” the mattress and any costs involved if you can’t test a mattress in person or aren’t confident that your mattress is a suitable choice.

2. Checking to make sure that there are no lower quality materials or weak links in a mattress you are considering relative to your weight range that could compromise the durability and useful life of the mattress.

3. Comparing your finalists for “value” based on #1 and #2 and all the other parts of your personal value equation that are most important to you.

You should certainly be able to find a mattress that would be a suitable, durable, and good value choice in your budget range and I’m looking forward to finding out what you end up deciding … and of course to any other comments or specific questions you may have along the way that I can help with.

Phoenix