7 tell-tale signs your bed or bed linen needs an upgrade

There's a saying: "Invest in quality shoes and bedding, because when you're not in one, you're in the other." Nevertheless, good bedding needs a quality hotel bed. In this guide, we look at whether your bed or bed linen are worth keeping or if it’s time to give them the heave-ho.

• You toss and turn through the night

Shifting your sleep position is normal but endless fidgeting can suggest your bed’s too soft or hard. You can check your bed’s comfort level by lying on the mattress and seeing how your body reacts. If the mattress droops, the bed may be too soft. If it doesn’t contour to your body shape, it may be too hard. If it feels just right, other sleep stealing factors may be at play such as food, alcohol, temperature and stress. Replacing bedding with a high quality 100% cotton hotel quality duvet cover and bed sheet will also help you enjoy a better night’s sleep.

In summary: Does the mattress contour to your body? If no, replace the mattress. If yes, consider the room temperature and replace bedding with naturally breathable cotton sheets. Some people naturally move positions more than others. As such, a medium firm mattress and a medium height hotel quality pillow such as our Savoy Duck Feather and Down Pillow or Rosewood Goose Feather and Down may be best.

Read our ultimate guide to the best pillows for more pillow advice.

• You don’t wake feeling refreshed

It’s normal to have the odd bad night’s sleep, but constant sleep deprivation can have a notable impact on our happiness and health. If you want to know how many hours sleep you need to start your day happy, read this. Spoiler alert, it’s not less than seven. While many factors can affect sleep quality, such as diet and stress, a poor mattress and non-cooling synthetic bed linen can also be to blame. A mattress that fully supports your body, along with a soft, breathable hotel quality duvet cover and cotton bed sheets will help you fall and stay asleep more easily and wake feeling refreshed.

In summary: Is the bedroom conducive to falling and staying asleep? Are you avoiding pre-bedtime exercise and foods that hinder sleep? If yes, check your mattress hasn’t outstayed its welcome. According to The National Bed Federation the average mattresses needs replacing every seven years, during which it will have clocked up 20,000 hours of use. Check your pillow too. Soft fillings are better suited to back and front sleepers, while a firmer pillow such as our Marquis luxury pillow is best for side sleepers. A hotel quality pillow will last about three years so it’s a worthwhile investment.

• Waking with aches and pains

The best mattress for you – we're all different - will keep your spine aligned, reducing pressure on bones and joints. If you wake up achy but the aches go as the day wears on your mattress may have sagged through normal wear and tear or not be right for you. Many factors can influence mattress suitability including you and your partner’s size, shape and sleep style. Whether you’re a side, front, back or combination sleeper can also affect your pillow choice. A quality hotel mattress topper may also help to provide an extra layer of all-over body support for a better night’s sleep.  

In summary: If you wake up achy but find the discomfort soon goes, your mattress may be to blame. To maintain a neutral alignment while sleeping check you’re sleeping on a suitable mattress for your weight, shape and sleeping preference and do the same for your pillow. Pillows need to keep your neck in neutral alignment, maintaining the same space between your head and shoulders as when you are standing. Read our guide to Which Pillow is Best to find the best pillow for you.

• Sleeping better away from your bedroom

Sleeping better on holiday is normal, especially when you wake up in a freshly made bed. If you sleep better, feel more rested and wake up with less aches and pains every time you sleep in a hotel bed, however, it may be time to give your old mattress the heave-ho. A mattress topper may also help. According to Tielle founder Robert Lancaster-Gaye ‘adding a mattress topper can be the single most important thing you do to creating year-round comfort and warmth.’ In much the same way the perfect pillow provides exquisite comfort and support (head, neck and back), the best mattress toppers offer all-over body support for a better night’s sleep. 

In summary: If you repeatedly sleep better away from home think about why. Was the hotel mattress you slept on softer? Did the bed linen feel silky smooth against the skin. If it’s the linen that’s making a difference, the good news is that creating a freshly made hotel bed can be easily achieved at home. Ask the hotel who supplies their bed linen and for the hotel mattress brand name. Tielle supplies bed linen to hotels including The Connaught, The Savoy, Soho House, The Pig, Lime Wood and The Newt.

•  Your mattress has lumps or dips

A typical mattress will last around seven years, after which it may show signs of wear and tear, such as lumps or dips. You’ll know if a mattress dips (sags) as you will likely roll into the middle of the bed unintentionally. A tired mattress filling may also separate and form lumps. Aside from wreaking havoc on your sleep, a mattress with lumps or dips won’t support your spine. This can put pressure on joints and aggravate existing injuries. Regularly rotating a mattress will help to prevent premature sagging.

In summary: To keep your mattress in good condition, rotate it regularly. This helps to keep the comfort fillings evenly distributed. A topper can also be used to extend a mattress’s lifespan but only if it is in a reasonable condition, says Robert Lancaster-Gaye. “A mattress topper isn’t designed to fix a saggy mattress, but it will help soften a mattress that’s too firm and protect it from wear and tear.”

• The bed is creaky or noisy

If your mattress squeaks or creaks the bed springs or mattress fillings may be showing their age. A wooden bed may also squeak because of joints that need tightening. Once a mattress becomes old the fillings can move and the metal coils rub against one another making a noise when you move. The National Bed Federation has a handy Bed Buyers’ Guide and MOT to help you decide if your mattress has had its day and to help you choose the best bed for you.

Useful links: Bed Advice UK from The National Bed Federation

• Your mattress has collected allergens

House dust mites love a warm, damp bed and a typical mattress will roughly absorb a bath full of moisture and half a stone of dead skin during its life. Anti-allergy mattresses can prevent dust mite penetrating the mattress surface where they’ll quickly breed. Additionally, your bedding can play a big role in helping to banish dust mite from your bed. A high-quality anti-allergy hotel quality duvet and mattress protector will also protect against germs and mites and prolong your mattress’s lifespan. Likewise, high quality pillow protectors will keep pillows clean and fresh.

Read the Tielle Love Luxury guide to choosing the best dust mite allergy bedding for more advice.

In summary: To reduce allergens in your bedding look for pillows and duvets with the Nomite® and Downafresh® certifications. Nomite® accreditation is the gold standard for anti-allergy bedding. Downafresh® ensures your hotel quality duvet or pillow has been washed and steam dried at a mite-quashing temperature of over 100°C for more than 30 mins. Regularly washing your bed linen and using a pillow and mattress protector will also keep house dust mites at bay.