Buying a new bed is an important investment especially when we consider that we spend a third of our life in bed. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to our health, wellbeing and productivity, having the right divan bed or mattress ensures that we wake up refreshed. According to research conducted by sleep expert Dr Chris Idzikowski, Sleeping in an uncomfortable bed could cost you up to an hour’s sleep a night. With the Sleep Council and scientific research now recommending that we change our beds every seven years, it’s worth making time to take the Bed MOT (Mattress Obsolescence Test) to ensure that your bed(s) meet the health and wellness needs of you, your partner and your family. Am I due a new bed?

The Bed MOT

Ask yourself the following 10 questions to find out how your bed stands up when you are lying down:

1. Is it seven or more years old? The critical ‘Seven year itch’ can be a make or break moment for many marriages and mattresses.
No [ ] Yes [ ]

2. Did you have your best night’s sleep recently on a different bed?
No [ ] Yes [ ]

3. Are you waking up more frequently feeling unrefreshed and with aching joints?
No [ ] Yes [ ]

4. Do you disturb your partner or are you disturbed by them when changing sleep positions during the night?
No [ ] Yes [ ]

5. Does it look used or worn?
No [ ] Yes [ ]

6. Does it feel lumpy?
No [ ] Yes [ ]

7. Does it make suspicious noises in the night or when you turn the mattress?
No [ ]  Yes [ ]

8. Is it sagging in the middle – do you and your partner roll towards each other unintentionally during the night?
No [ ]  Yes [ ]

9. Are the base, legs or castors lumpy, worn or wobbly?
No [ ] Yes [ ]

10. Would it be embarrassing if the neighbours saw your bed without its covers?

No [ ] Yes [ ]

If you answered yes to four or more questions the advice from the Sleep Council is to “Get a new bed fast”.

Other Reasons For Considering A New Bed

We are often unaware that our bed is one of the main reasons for not sleeping well. Sleeping in a bed that no longer provides the proper support or comfort can affect the quality of our sleep. Four out of every five adults (80%) will experience back pain at some stage in their life and a recent American study found that 63% of back sufferers felt an improvement after sleeping on a new bed.

Changes in our lifestyle and the quality, care and amount of use our beds get impact on whether we need to think about buying a new bed. Factors such as getting married, moving to a new home, losing or gaining weight and our age can affect the level of comfort and support our bed provides. How we use our beds and the length of time we spend in them e.g. reading, watching television or the occasional use of a spare bed can be the deciding factors in choosing a new bed.

What To Do Now….

Stocking a wide range of leading bed brands, Armagh Beds.com and Dalzell’s of Markethill has an extensive selection of firm, medium and soft mattress options to help you find the optimum level of support for your bedding needs. With over 500 beds in stock from leading brands that include Kaymed, King Koil, Respa,  Sleeptight, Myers and Staples there’s something for everyone at Dalzell’s.

What’s more we offer a Free Delivery and Recycling Service across Northern Ireland and Counties Louth, Monaghan and Dublin, with competitive rates across the rest of Ireland.