Several of my nieces and nephews are in college now. This summer, while getting things ready for their kids' apartments, my sisters went out and purchased new mattresses and furniture. I thought they were a little nuts for spending that money. When I think back to my first college apartment, my roommate and I had a couch we bought for $10, an entertainment center we found on the side of the road, and a chair we found abandoned at the apartment complex. After reading this article about bedbugs, however, I think my sisters did the right thing by not letting their kids go garbage picking for furniture.

College campuses and dormitories are like a luxury resort for these blood-sucking little critters. Students frequently visit each other's rooms (possibly transporting little friends as they do so). Universities like Texas A&M, Ohio State, Stanford, and the University of Florida have had to deal with outbreaks of bedbugs.

Bedbugs are hard to spot. Waking up with small, red welts is one tell-tale sign. You may also spot tiny black or reddish-brown spots on your sheets.

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That carton of milk in your fridge is stamped with an expiration date, but what about your pillow? Prescription medications, mattresses, vitamins, contact lens solution, and other items all need to be replaced after some time. It's important to replace these items to preserve your health -- in time allergens can build up or the efficacy of the product can wear off. But how do you know what needs to be replaced... and when?

• Smoke alarms. Change detectors after 10 years.
• Pillows. Replace bedroom pillows once a year.
• Mattresses. Replace after 5-10 years.
• Vitamins. Replace after two years.
• Fire extinguishers. Replace after 10 years.
  

Knowing when to replace items as they wear out can help keep your family safe and healthy.

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On a recent shopping trip to check out new mattresses, the salesmen was trying to show me differences in firmness. After trying out two or three mattresses that all felt the same to me, he said, "Here, try this one." I immediately sank into the softest mattress I have ever felt. It was like lying on a huge bed of feathers, and it felt like Heaven. But I knew I could never get a good night's sleep on it.

Though people are too diverse in their mattress preferences to be properly studied, most sleep experts agree that firm is better. That's because a too-soft mattress won't support your hips and spine, and you could wake with pain in the morning. Instead, try to find a balance with a mattress that's firm enough to support your weight, but still has plenty of cushion and bounce for comfort.

WebMD recently interviewed sleep experts to find out what things to consider when shopping for a new mattress. If you're in the market for one, you may want to take a minute and see what they had to say.

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"Don't let the bedbugs bite!" I teased my astute four-year-old once. "BUGS?" She was alarmed. Oops. I assured her there were no bugs in her bed, but then I read this article and thought, maybe I shouldn't tease so lightly.

Bedbugs, which were thought to be eliminated by pesticides like DDT, are making a strong comeback, and no area of the country seems to be immune. Big cities, small towns, even dormitory rooms can be infested with the pests, and they aren't easy to exterminate.

You'll know you have bedbugs if you wake up with extremely itchy red spots, black spots in your bed, or even squashed bugs. You might find them by lifting up your mattress, but they can live in walls, cracks, and crevices for up to a year without food. If that isn't enough to make you stop reading so you can itch and squirm, read more about the bugs and how to eliminate them here.

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