For most college students, getting 7–9 hours of sleep a night is challenging.

Between studying and maintaining an active social life, deciding to skimp on sleep may feel like the only option.

However, while that route might help you in the short term, the long-term effects may cause considerable harm to your mental and physical health.

A great way to encourage healthy sleeping habits is by ditching your old bed, considering what a worn-out mattress can do to your body.

Frequent Drowsiness

Exhaustion is a feeling that can drain on you all day long. When fatigue strikes, your brain will not be as sharp, so you won’t be able to operate as well. One of those significant functions is memory retention and retrieval.

Theoretically, pulling an all-nighter might seem like a good idea, but a good night’s rest improves your brainpower so much more. It’s challenging to form memories when you are on no sleep, causing things to go in one ear and out the other.

Therefore, if you’re overly tired, it might be time to get a new mattress.

Achy Joints

Your mattress preferences may be affecting your body without you even realizing it. For example, those who prefer a firm mattress will likely feel some joint discomfort in their shoulders, arms, and tailbone.

That doesn’t imply that everyone needs a soft bed. A mattress that’s too soft won’t support your spine properly, which may cause alignment complications.

Constant Back Pain

A loose spring, random lump, or sinking hole in your mattress causes you to twist your body until you feel comfortable. You never want to get to the point of becoming a contortionist to sleep in your bed.

Outside of purchasing a new mattress, one tip for alleviating some back pain is to sleep on your side with a pillow between your legs. You will feel some relief in your hips and lower back from using this position.

Weight Gain

When you are constantly waking up throughout the night, you’ll feel drowsy the next day, which causes you to overeat.

If your appetite increases noticeably, but you haven’t been as active, the odds are good that it’s from a lack of sleep.

Lung & Throat Complications

Stationary items, such as your television, gather dust as time passes, worsening your room’s air quality. Your bed also collects an abundance of dust mites that may cause throat and lung issues.

Premature Aging

While you probably aren’t worried about premature aging as yet, this is a long-term effect that’s worth remembering for the future. Not sleeping well may affect your skin and give you some unwanted blemishes.

Proper sleep will slow the aging process and keep your skin looking healthy.

Now that you see what a worn-out mattress can do to your body, work on building yourself a healthy life by limiting those dust mites, aches, and pains.

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