You know that comfy bed that you struggle to peel yourself out of every morning? Well, if this news is anything to go by, it could be seriously past it's snooze-by date.
A survey has revealed that up to 30,000 people in the UK could be sleeping on a mattress which is over 40 years old.
Additionally, 28% of people are sleeping on worn-out mattresses that are over eight years old, 5% have kept their mattress for fifteen years, and it's estimated that eight million beds in the UK are well and truly fit for the skip.
All of this, researchers believe, is contributing to serious sleep issues across the country.
The study of 2,000 people unearthed worrying statistics when it comes to sleep deprivation across the country.
One in four people feel they are not getting enough sleep and only 12% say they always wake up feeling refreshed. Researchers believe this sleep deprivation stems from lying on old mattresses.
Bed manufacturer Dreams suggests users replace their mattresses every eight years if they want a decent night's kip, which they believe could have a positive effect on productivity and quality of life.
They also believe replacing mattresses could impact health, as nearly two in five find themselves waking up twice or more during the night due to pain or discomfort, according to national Omnibus research.
Several studies published in the past year also show links between sleep deprivation and dwindling health.
A study from the Journal of Health Psychology found that the more tired a person is, the more likely they are to over-eat which can lead to obesity.
Meanwhile another found that lack of sleep was worse for productivity at work than being hungover.
Dreams has now called for an industry-wide set of guidelines for the lifespan of mattresses and the introduction of a mandatory ‘snooze-by’ date to bring the products in line with many other consumer products.
Here's to having a good night's kip.
