When was the last time you thought about your mattress? Many of us forget that our mattresses are the most utilized piece of furniture we own. In fact, if you sleep eight hours a night, in one year you'll rack up 3000 hours on your mattress. After ten years, you'll have logged 30,000 hours on the same bed. Listed below are a few hints that indicate it's time to start thinking about renewing your sleep surface.

1. You bought your current mattress over eight years ago. The average life span of a quality mattress is eight to ten years. Mattresses older than that suffer from deteriorating comfort features and diminished support capabilities.

2. You wake up feeling more tired than when you went to sleep. Most consumers wait too long to replace their mattresses. If you don't wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated—or if you feel any pain or discomfort—you've definitely waited too long.

3. The couch feels more comfortable than your bed. Concentrate on the feel of your mattress. Do you feel coils or bumps? Your body needs a smooth, comfortable sleep surface to get a regenerative night's sleep. Your mattress should enable you to sleep through the night with minimal tossing and turning.

4. Your mattress looks worn and uneven. Inspect your mattress regularly for sags and imprints. If your mattress appears uneven or worn and frayed, maybe it's time to start shopping. The upholstery layers in all mattresses compress over time. For optimal performance, be sure to rotate your mattress occasionally to extend its durability and renew its comfort. If you "inherited" your mattress from a family member or friend, chances are you need to replace it now.

5. You've taken your mattress for granted. Mattresses are the most used yet most ignored piece of furniture in the house. Pay attention to your mattress. Do you hear creaks and groans? Do you notice the surface sags or indents in certain areas and not in others? The condition of your mattress may come as a surprise, once you take a close look.