We don’t talk about mattresses very much, and yet they are vital to the comfort of our lives and, if we find the right one, they can make a huge difference to the quality of our sleep.
So, what can we find out about people’s relationship with their mattresses? What makes us throw them out or change them for a new one?
After becoming curious about what makes the nation buy a new mattress, The Original Bed Co. decided to produce a survey to discover the facts.
The makers of affordable, well-made and stylish beds and mattresses spoke to 1,500 people between the ages of 18 to 65+.
Comfort is important for almost a third (31%) of respondents, who admitted they bought a new mattress after the previous one became unbearably uncomfortable or caused them to wake up tired as the result of a poor night’s sleep.
Interestingly, over a quarter (27%) of all respondents admitted to never having bought a new mattress in their lives.
25% disposed of a mattress when they felt it had become too old or dirty, while 6% gave theirs up after the end of a relationship. 5% realised that their mattress wasn’t providing the comfort they needed when they spent a night away from home and enjoyed a better night’s sleep as a result. Finally, 4% decided to buy a new mattress instead of using one that had been left behind by the previous tenants of their property.
Mattresses and Relationships
More male respondents ended up changing their mattress after they broke up with their partner, (6% compared to 5% of women doing the same). The people most likely to make the change for the same reason were aged between 18 and 34 and 45 and 54.
Surprisingly, the most common response from those aged 18-44 was that they had never bought a new mattress. Those who gave this answer amounted to 36% of people between those ages.
However, 40% of those aged between 45 and 54, 38% of 55 to 64 year olds and 41% of people aged 65+ decided to get rid of their old mattress due to discomfort or a lack of sleep.
It appears that women are more likely to buy a new mattress; 24% of the female survey participants said they had never done so, while the same response was given by 27% of men.
Looking at regional data, Scottish respondents were the least likely to ever have changed their mattresses, with 34% saying so.
The Original Bed Co. spokesperson said: “Our survey showed that there is quite a large percentage of people who have never changed their mattress. Yes, choosing the right mattress can be difficult. We need to consider the best mattress for our health and wellbeing, and most importantly a good night sleep.
“But a new mattress can make a huge difference to the amount of deep sleep we achieve each night. And a good night sleep affects both our personal and professional lives.”
