In the time honoured Indian tradition of not discarding anything till there is even a semblance of usefulness left in the product in question, an extremely large number of people use their mattresses far longer than is safe for them. This unique habit of ours to treat a mattress like a family heirloom that has to be handed down from one generation to another is not just ridiculous, but positively harmful to our health.
It is not just that the mattress would be out of shape, thereby making it uncomfortable and most likely bad for the back. Old mattresses are a storehouse of germs, bacteria, dust-mites and horror of horrors even microscopic spiders feeding on dead skin! Well doubtless nobody would like to sleep on such a mattress, if they knew the kind of risk they were subjecting themselves to every night when they go to bed to sleep.
Age of the Mattress
There are a few indicators that let one know that one’s mattress has well and truly served its purpose and now needs to be discarded. The age of the mattress is the first important one- anything older than seven years needs to be jettisoned. One the other hand if the mattress is embarrassing to look at and you would rather keep it covered at all times, it too is an indication that it’s time for it to go.
Other Mattresses are more comfortable
Another definite indicator is the fact that you always sleep better on a bed other than your own. Inadvertent rolling at night or waking up tired and with an aching body are all signs that your mattress is taking a toll on your body.
Sagging & Lumpy Mattresses
Other indications are that the mattress sags here and there or is lumpy.
The problem of sleeping on useless and in many case positively harmful mattresses is an acute one in our country. This is because most people sleep on what could be termed as primitive mattresses by world standards. Mattresses filled with cotton wool are quite the norm, but these quickly outlive their utility with the mattress becoming misshapen. The other popular type of mattress is the coir mattress which has a thick layer of coir on one side and a corresponding layer of rubber on the other. These too are good for a little while before giving up the ghost.
Internationally it is the scientifically designed and ergonomically sound innerspring technology incorporating mattresses that rule the roost. These are in the truest sense real mattresses that not only give one proper rest, but actually help rejuvenate one after a good night’s sleep. In India such mattresses are beginning to make inroads with more and more Indians aspiring to international standards of living. The company to introduce these world class mattresses is Peps India. Included in their range of mattresses is the iconic and America’s favorite brand of mattresses- Restonic.
The coming years are going to witness a sleep revolution in India, which is all very well considering the kind of harm that the current crop of antiquated mattresses is doing to the hard working people of this country on a daily basis. It cannot be that the aspirational Indians who today drive the best cars and live in luxurious homes will continue to sleep on mattresses that belong to a previous century.
As a matter of fact people are beginning to realize that the type of mattress that they sleep on should be accorded top priority in their lives as it has a direct bearing upon their health. No longer can one accept sleepless nights, allergies and chronic back aches as normal. Not when we have the right choices available to us.
