You may remember that back in October I did a review on a Sleep Number Bed – the i10 Model. I was given the bed to review after doing a post about the impact of lack of sleep on running performance (Damn! Maybe now I should do a review on how not living on a yacht in the Mediterranean negatively impacts my running performance).
When I wrote that post, I had been sleeping terribly – tossing and turning, waking a lot, having a hard time getting comfortable. It was absolutely affecting my training and I was turning into more and more of a bitch by the hour. Ken and I even tried switching sides of the bed, which was a total disaster. That just made me toss and turn, wake a lot and have a hard time getting comfortable, but on the WRONG SIDE OF THE BED.
In my original Sleep Number Bed Review, I had promised to do a follow up review after a few months, but I never did because 1) I’m lazy, 2) I felt I needed more time.
I knew if I waited long enough I’d get inspired. I have gotten tons of emails asking about the bed and how I like it after a few months. I have to say, it wasn’t until I went to Mexico last week and slept on another bed for several nights that I realized just how IN LOVE with the Sleep Number I really am. The quote, “absence makes the heart grow fonder” doesn’t just refer to your love life, it refers to your BED LIFE!
Before I get into the follow up review, let me say this - I am a believer that a bed is not a panacea. While the right bed/mattress can significantly help with one’s sleep in terms of providing support and comfort, there are (IMHO) many other factors that affect sleep including caffeine and alcohol consumption, anxiety, too much stimulation before bed, etc. This very scientific pie chart I created gives a good visual of what I mean:
Now onto the follow up review. Here’s what we think of the bed after 6 months of use:
- Pain Reduction: The HUGEST bit of feedback I have is from Ken. He is someone that, prior to getting the bed, was getting out of bed every single morning stiff and achy. He states that while the bed hasn’t changed his sleeping that much, how he feels in the morning is drastically different. He now gets out of bed with either no aches and pains or significantly less than he had before using the bed. This is most likely because when you buy the bed you get your sleep number based on how well it conforms to your body and supports it.
- Comfort: Unlike Ken, I don’t usually wake with achiness (he is a year older, after all). What I notice most about the bed is pure comfort. I really can’t explain it more than that. When we went on vacation and slept on another bed, I slept terribly. The beds were hard, but I usually like that (TWSS). However, the minute I got home and got back into my bed, I realized just what a difference the Sleep Number makes.
- Setting the Numbers: Since we set our original numbers back in October, we really haven’t messed with them at all. The bed has held up well with no sagging or “give” to the mattress.
- Possible Complaints – Foam Divider/Air Loss: Some people have asked if the foam divider in the middle of the bed (separating the two sides and the two air chambers) creates discomfort. We have not noticed this at all. It may be because we have significant padding on the bed. We have also had no air loss whatsoever.
- Possible Complaints – Noise: Some people complain about the noise that the pump makes. This is crazy in my opinion. You only use the pump when you are adjusting your sleep number and it takes about ten seconds. Once it is set, you don’t hear noise from the pumps because they are not engaged. Like I said, we hardly change our numbers.
- Downside: I still think the only real downside of this bed is the cost. Our model is near the top of the line and therefore the most expensive. It retails for about $4,700, but at any given time you can usually get it on sale for $3,800. The basic model goes for as little as $998. This is still a huge investment. I did notice on the website that they offer a 30 day in home trial. Basically, you can try the bed for 30 days and if you don’t like it, they will fully reimburse you minus the home delivery and set up fees. Would I actually BUY one of these beds? Yes, but I’d have to go with the more basic model.
Please note: These are my (and Ken’s) personal and unbiased observations/reviews of the bed. We were given the bed for free, but were not asked to make a positive review or influenced in any way. And, it was not part of my contract to do a follow up review. I fully realize that over time, our impressions of the bed may shift.
Let me know if you have questions.
If you’ve had a Sleep Number Bed, how do you like it?
What kind of bed do you sleep on?
SUAR
