The vast majority of human beings spend roughly one third of our time sleeping. So it may surprise you to learn that 164 million Americans (that’s 68%) admit they struggle with falling asleep or staying asleep, according to a recent Consumer Reports survey.

Most of us wouldn’t imagine taking on a new hobby, like yoga or skiing, without investing in the right clothing and equipment, correct? So why do so many of us continue to sleep on uncomfortable mattresses that cause us neck and low back pain? Don’t ignore the importance and investment of a comfortable mattresses for the following reasons:

1. You take electronics to bed
Do you work on your laptop in bed? Do you surf the web on your smartphone or watch TV before you fall asleep? Chances are this is what’s keeping you up at night and causing you disturbed sleep. In fact, physicians from the EOS Sleep Centers, in California, say that excess blue-green light emitted from screens (i.e., smartphones, tablets, televisions, and laptops) actually mess with our natural melatonin production and inhibit the release of melatonin, our sleepy-time hormones. So try to cut screen time 2-hours prior to bed for a better night’s sleep.

2. Your mattress is just plain uncomfortable
While a comfy mattress is defined differently by everyone. Certain aspects of your sleeping pad can disturb an otherwise good night’s sleep (i.e., springs or bar digging into your back). In fact, research conducted by the Sleep to Live Institute claims, “a decent sleep all comes down to comfort”. So if your mattress has seen better days, it might be time to invest in a new one. Just be sure to go to the store and test out different mattresses before you buy.

3. Quality sleep reduces stress
A 2009 study conducted by graduates of Oklahoma State University’s School of Applied Health and Educational Psychology, Health and Human Performance, found that quality sleep, or lack thereof, greatly impacted stress and anxiety. For instance, the study noted that participants who slept poorly also experienced symptoms of nervousness, moodiness, worrying, racing thoughts, and headaches. While participants who slept well on a comfy mattress experienced a significant reduction in these stress responses.

4. Allergies
If you suffer from asthma and allergies, particularly to dust mites, your mattress may be exacerbating your allergies by providing a breeding ground for these microscopic creatures that feed on the dead skin cells…in your bed! As horrific as that sounds, dust mite allergies are quite common. In fact, 20 million Americans have dust mite allergies, according to research from WebMD. But you’re only making it worse if you don’t allergy-proof your bed. For instance, investing in a hypoallergenic mattress cover, and washing your bed linens regularly in hot water can greatly reduce dust mites and allergies.