No matter how old your mattress is though I guarantee this one has got you beat.
Researchers at the University of  Witwatersrand in Johannesburg recently unearthed a 77,000 year old mattress from a cave in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Even cavemen knew that a hard flat bed was not going to provide a great night’s sleep.

According to archaeologist Lyn Wadley, the mattress measured 12 inches thick, Deep pocket sheets, anyone, and was made of layers of reeds and rushes, providing a “very comfortable” and “quite long-lasting form of bedding,” according to Wadley.

How long lasting is too long lasting?

The Better Sleep Council recommends that you evaluate your mattress twice a year. Look for obvious signs of wear and tear. Today’s mattress construction can deliver beds that can look great for 10, 15, 25 years, but that doesn’t mean they are giving you the best night’s sleep.  As we age we require more and more pressure relief, so listen to your body. Are you waking up stiff & sore?  Do you get a better night’s sleep away from home? Are you waking up feeling alert and well rested? If not it may be time to shop for a new mattress. Wadley also reports that the mattresses were periodically burned to help eliminate contaminates and pest.

Speaking of pest.

Our ancestors didn’t have the advantage of GORE-TEX® to keep their mattresses clean, comfortable and varmint free, they did realize however the importance of keeping insects out of their beds. According to Wadley our stone aged siblings used a thin layer of leaves from the tree Cryptocarya woodii, or river wild-quince that produce an insect killing chemical. If you don’t happen to have a river wild-quince tree growing in your back yard, may we suggest the Serenity Mattress Protector, not only will it keep the creepy crawlies away, it’s also water proof, and breathable, so you can get the ultimate protection without sacrificing comfort.

A great night’s sleep isn’t expensive.

Continuing to sleep on a mattress that’s past it’s prime can be though. According to the National Sleep Foundation :

sleep loss costs U.S. employers an estimated $18 billion in lost productivity. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conservatively estimates that vehicle crashes due to driver fatigue cost Americans $12.5 billion per year in reduced productivity and property loss. The greatest cost? More than 1,500 people die every year in fatigue-related crashes.

Even a super-premium mattress such as Serta’s iComfort collection can cost as little as 8 cents per night to sleep on. You don’t even have to pay for it all at once. America’s Mattress has easy, no fee lay-a-way, or up to 24 months interest free finance. Come see us today, at any of our 3 Polk County Locations, where we guarantee you’ll say “I love my bed!“

Meerlo looked at how sleep loss impacts specific neural circuits and chemical responses associated with depression. They found that after one week of only four hours of sleep a day, the rats demonstrated reduced sensitivity in the areas of the brain that regulate neurotransmitters and hormones associated with mood disorders.

Too little sleep may not only be the result too little time in bed though. If your mattress is too hard, not supportive enough, worn out, or just plain uncomfortable, your 7-8 hours spent in it may only produce 4-5 hours of quality sleep. When a mattress is uncomfortable it will take longer to fall asleep, and the tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable position can keep you from reaching the deeper, more beneficial stages of sleep. A newer, more comfortable mattress will properly support you while giving you enough cushion to comfortably cradle you into the deeper stages of sleep.

Sleeping in a few extra hours on the weekend may not be enough to undo the damage done during the week.

Researchers also looked at the animals’ ability to recover from lost sleep. Following a week of sleep restriction, animals were allowed unlimited sleep for one week to test how their systems recovered. Researchers saw that an entire week of recovery sleep was needed to increase the sensitivity of their serotonin 1A receptor back to original levels.

If you suspect your mattress may be giving you the blues, or for more information on sleep and your health visit any of our 3 Polk County locations or follow us on facebook.