"Sleep number" Bed?

Another thread recently mentioned someone's improvement when they got a new mattress. I noticed the sleep lab I went to had the "Sleep Number" air-filled beds. Don't know who manufactures them, but I thought I'd throw that out and see if anyone has one and whether they thought it was worth considering for those of use with sleep problems.

I have used a sleep number bed for years now.. Since I'm just now starting to use a cpap I can't talk to its effectiveness one way or the other, but I can say that the bed itself is great.

The ability to dial in the mattress to your own firmness levels makes all the difference in the world.. especially when I like a soft hammock like mattress (35) and my wife prefers to sleep on concrete (90).. It was kind of the only solution for us.. ( apart from sleeping in different beds which neither of us likes the idea of..)

Well, my spouse had occasion to sleep on one at her sisters about ten years ago and came home ready to acquire one. They are expensive unless you are used to buying premium sleep sets so I was reluctant to spend the $$$ even though over the years we had gone many directions seeking a good set that would last, and actually needed to buy a new one at the time. So, we ordered one and it has been trouble free for over ten years now and still going strong with no leaks. She has her side a 35 and I have 75 so you can see just how much firmness each likes. They are supposed to last twenty years so I have to say it is a good value considering the long service life., not to mention the best sleep ever

Sleep number beds are two rubber bladders surrounded by foam and inflated by a pump with "numbers" on it.

You will never see a cross section of the construction of the beds in any sleep number store because if you do you won't want to spend more than $100 on one.

Looked at the Sleep Number 3 years ago, decided against it. Two Simmons Beautyrest beds later (in three years!) I finally bit the bullet and bought one of the higher end models from QVC. We've had it for about 6 months now and my wife and I love it. Yes, it will make you sick when you see how they are constructed, and the fact that it arrives in 6 boxes on your door step...BUT, my theory, the first thing that wears out on a traditional bed is the foam. So...I can unzip the bed every year...run to Bed Bath and Beyond, and purchase a new piece of foam....brand new bed!

I researched the beds for months...I would not recommend the lower end models. The stories of mold in older models are true, and they have addressed those issues by using new materials, and recommending you open the bed up and let it breath....which I do anyway because I rotate the foam occasionally.

If you start reading reviews you will drive yourself nuts....everyone has different opinions of every bed out there (tempurpedic etc). You need to go to the store and lay on one for at least 30 minutes and give it a try. The sales people at the store can lay it on thick- so be prepared. If you request a DVD, they'll include a $50 gift card- not much given the cost of the beds, but it helps! They also have sales ALL of the time. Read the fine print on the 30 day free trial- you are responsible for the return shipping- the stores do not accept returns. Some models have a 30 day EXCHANGE only policy as well.

GOOD LUCK! Let me know if you have any questions!

What is the foam you use from Bed Bath & Beyond? My sleep number bed is in need of new foam and I'm not wanting to spend what Select Comfort wants to charge.

We've had a sleep number bed for about 6 years now. I think it's great. My husband likes a very soft bed, and my needs have varied over time--when my back is bothering me I like it a bit firmer, when my back is OK, I prefer it a little softer at time. I can have whatever degree of firmness or softness I need any given time without running out and buying a new mattress.

The foam does break down and it's not holding up as well as I'd like, but I spend a LOT of time on the bed to elevate my swollen legs. That time has increased since CPAP because I often fall asleep watching TV--I watch in bed instead of the recliner so I can use my CPAP when I feel sleepy.

I'd say try one out before even considering purchasing a Sleep Number bed. My sister used to (past tense) have one in her guest bedroom. My husband and I hated it. It felt like there was some kind of bar running up the middle making it very uncomfortable to cuddle, make spoons, or roll near each other (which is how we like to sleep).

Then we went to a hotel and they had Sleep Number beds. My husband did something (maybe set it too high?) and it collapsed...all the air gone and sagging. The hotel was full from a wedding and had no other rooms available. Talk about a bad night's sleep. For us, it made sense to go with a high end Sealy mattress, very very thick requiring extra deep pocket sheets (Egyptian cotton preferred). Our bed is super comfortable, and I wouldn't change it.

I think Consumer Reports did a lot of work and arrived at the truth. They concluded preferences varied greatly and no one could judge whether they would like a particular mattress or not until they tried it out for a few nights at home. You can find the article in their 2009 or 2008 archive.

That is kind of like CPAP masks - you don't know until you try it for a few nights in your own bedroom.

Slartybartfast wrote:Another thread recently mentioned someone's improvement when they got a new mattress. I noticed the sleep lab I went to had the "Sleep Number" air-filled beds. Don't know who manufactures them, but I thought I'd throw that out and see if anyone has one and whether they thought it was worth considering for those of use with sleep problems.

Well, here's the manufacturer's web site:
http://www.selectcomfort.com/

We have used those sleep number beds for more than fifteen years and like them a lot.

My husband and I slept on one for a week in a hotel. I didn't like it, he thought it was "okay". We ended up getting a split king adjustable memory foam bed from Costco.com. I love their memory foam mattress but he doesn't. He ended up purchasing a coil mattress to use on his side of the bed. It's worked well for us. The split king adjustable foundation came with 2 mattresses. Even though we ended up buying a 3rd mattress for his side of the bed, in total it was still much less expensive than Tempurpedic.

Razorback wrote: Read the fine print on the 30 day free trial- you are responsible for the return shipping- the stores do not accept returns. Some models have a 30 day EXCHANGE only policy as well.

GOOD LUCK! Let me know if you have any questions!

I bought mine many many moons ago when they had 90days/nites return policy, even that wasn't long enuff.

It wasn't until I went for my PSG at the Marriot that I suddenly realized I needed a new bed. Compounding that I started sleeping on my back bc of the cpap mask and would wake up with a terrible burning sensation in my leg. So shopping we went.

While I didn't buy one cuz of price - the most comfortable mattress I could find was made by Kingsdown. I had never heard of them but was told they are still hand made in NC.

If I had a regular mattress, I think I would simply buy a memory foam mattress topper to see if that made sleep better. $200 is better than $1000 or more.

The Select Comfort ad about sleeping on air seems great but the fact that you have 2 bladders means that when you put a force on one it in fact applies a pressure to the other. This causes that swelling in the middle mentioned above. Mine is now in the basement.

I will say that when shopping lay down at least 20 or 30 minutes before deciding and don't let anyone rush you.

Dream Lady-
I haven't purchased a replacement piece of foam from BB&B just yet...but they have several to choose from. You can also find some online as well.

The swelling in the middle of the bed was the primary reason I hated the sleep number bed. I would rather have the crack in the middle of a split king than feel like I am forced to roll on to my side by the raised portion of the middle of the sleep number bed.

GumbyCT wrote:While I didn't buy one cuz of price - the most comfortable mattress I could find was made by Kingsdown.

Ditto and ditto.

The Kingsdown is the holy grail of mattresses. If I had unlimited funds, one of those mattresses would be the first thing I would buy.