Put it to bed!

Relationship expert shares tongue-in-cheek warning signs of when it’s time to instigate a break-up, even if it is with your mattress

 Finding lumps in all the wrong places?  Feeling unsupported? Noisy groans in the middle of the night?  Fantasizing about sleeping elsewhere – well, your relationship has clearly run its course.  In fact, 1 in 10 Brits have fallen out of love with their mattress; with just under half complaining of discomfort night after night.

The survey from UK bed specialist, Bensons for Beds, has found that there’s some long-term relationships which are outstaying their welcome, with over a third of Brits sleeping on a mattress that is more than 10 years old and a staggering 1 in 10 STILL sleeping on the first mattress they ever bought! But how often should you change your mattress? What are the signs your mattress needs replacing?

Interrupted sleep (16%), waking up in a bad mood (11%), broken springs (8%) and allergy flare ups (7%) are just some of the signs that indicate you are in a toxic relationship with your mattress.

Relationship expert, Sophie Personne, explains:

 “Unsupportive relationships can trigger stress and a sense of anxiety, which can trigger poor sleep quality and leave us emotionally drained.”

“Most of the time, we hold on to things and/or people because they represent comfort or familiarity – even when they no longer serve our best interests. This attachment can create a false sense of security and make it even more difficult to let go even when it’s unhealthy.”

“In order to move forward, we have to allow the new to come into our lives. Hanging on to the past keeps us there and affects the way we live in the present as well as our future.”

So, with Valentine’s Day around the corner how do you break up with your mattress? Sophie Personne has broken down her relationship advice into five simple tips, with further advice available on the Bensons for Beds website.

• Acknowledge the emotional attachment and the reason(s) why you’re holding onto it– More often than not, it’s because of a memory or it gives us comfort. Letting go, not just of objects but in general, is scary because it can feel like we’re letting a part of ourselves go.
• Prepare yourself to let go– The timing has to be right. Taking a photo of the object can help because you can still look at it if you want to. The chances are that you won’t, but it can give you help you to part with it and give you reassurance.
• Separate the emotion from the object– Can you actually use it for the purpose it was intended for? Often the objects we hold onto no longer serve us and aren’t enhancing our life, they just take up emotional and physical space.
• Remember that the memories are within you– An object is a thing and isn’t the experience, it’s just a reminder of the experience. Remember that no-one can take your memories away from you.
• Pass it on with purpose– If the object is still in a reasonable condition, give it to someone who will appreciate it or repurpose it as something new. That way, you can feel safe in the knowledge the object still lives on.

If this sounds like you then why not trade your old one in for a brand new mattress?  Whether you’re a hot sleeper, an all-night mover, or someone that needs that extra bit of support, Bensons for Beds has got your back.  Visit https://www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk for more information and to buy a new mattress.