“I’ll sleep on it and get back to you later,” says the common guest. You mull it over, think it over, sleep on it—whatever your saying may be, it is always good to think a purchase through, especially one as important as a mattress. It’s just a mattress, right?

Wrong, a mattress is one of the most vital pieces in your home because how you sleep determines how you feel for the rest of the day! We spend a one-third of our lives in our beds, and here at AFD, we want to make sure that you find the perfect mattress to provide relief to your busy lives. We want you to wake up free of sweat, aches and pains. How do you know when it is time to move on from your older mattress to a new one, though? There are several different ways to tell.

1. Is Your Mattress Sagging?

When your mattress begins to sag, it’s time to bag… it up and throw it out. This usually occurs when the memory foam loses its shape or springs collapse, which is usually visual with a body impression.

2. Does Your Mattress Smell or Aggravate Your Allergies?

Trust us on this, take a whiff of your mattress. If it smells poorly, it is time to replace it. This happens over years of use because of build up of mildew, mold, sweat, and any other fluids spilling into the pores of the mattress. Your mattress can double in weight during its average lifespan. This happens very quickly and often while living in the south due to high humidity. Because of that build up, your nose, watery eyes and head begin to suffer because of these allergens.

3. Can You No Longer Find Comfortable Positions or Wake in Pain?

Waking up in pain because of lack of comfortable sleeping positions is the number one sign to tell you that you need a new mattress. Have you noticed that you are sleeping better on other mattresses? Waking up with pain is not normal and not something you should have to deal with when American Factory Direct has plenty of options for you to try out. Maybe you used to sleep comfortable on your mattress, but your life has changed. Pregnancy, injuries, weight loss or gain, and many other health conditions can add to your discomfort. We will help guide you to the mattress right for you!

So now you know its time to replace your mattress, but what do you even look for when shopping for one?

At American Factory Direct, we operate on a number system with our beds. Starting at 1, we have the firmest bed, which typically means that you are going to have coils in your bed. Coils today are not what they were 20 years ago! Instead of pokey or uncomfortable springs, our coils are individually wrapped for your comfort. The firmer mattresses are perfect for those sleeping on their backs. 10 is the softest, which is perfect for those of you who sleep on your sides so that your arms do not also go to sleep. For those who may experience back pain, a hybrid mattress would be perfect for you! It features a buildup of the coils in the middle for the natural placement of your back, but there is a foam encasement for those that still want to enjoy memory foam. If you sleep in multiple positions, the many options in between would be perfect for you to come and actually lay back in our Mattress Shoppe to determine which fits your body best. We carry mattresses made with a wide array of components like foam, springs, pocketed corks and latex.

Beyond the number system, we have many different name brand mattresses. Tempur-Pedic, Stern + Foster and Sealy line our walls in the shop. There is so much more to a bed than the firmness or softness. If you ever find yourself sweating at night, our cooling beds are what you are looking for! AFD has mattresses that take you up to 15 degrees cooler throughout the entire night. Other options would be temperature regulating mattresses that keep you from getting too hot or too cold

We could go on and on about the perfect mattress for you and how to find it, but the easiest way to explain it without writing a book would be to come in store and try them out. This time, though, don’t just sleep on the idea of getting the perfect mattress for you—actually buy it and sleep on that very mattress at home!