Sleep Number Bed Review

Have I mentioned before how little sleep I get? How much my back has NEEDED a new bed?

(yeah, I think it’s come up more than once, both here and on Facebook)

But, in case you need a reminder of what I’ve dealt with every. single. night. for the past 8 years, here’s are just a few of the reasons why I need (NEEDED) a new bed:

I’ve had my current mattress for 10 years.

During my first (poor) year out of college, I inherited said mattress from a friend.

The friend inherited the mattress from another friend.

The other friend inherited the bed from his dead parents. (true story)

The pillow-top mattress is no longer “pillowy.” (Probably because it’s around 25 years old. Ugh.)

Since writing that post, there were other reasons I could have added … specifically, back problems. Oh, my WORD! Am I really getting that old? Ever since the birth of Barney Kneeknuckles, I’ve dealt with chronic back pain and even a few times of being unable to move (for days). Trips to the chiropractor and x-rays have given some direction as to the cause, but every morning crawling out of bed was a chore. Difficult. Painful.

NOT anymore.

Mama Got A Sleep Number Bed

Several weeks ago, the Husband and I made a special trip back to Houston, navigating traffic we don’t miss, to visit a Sleep Number Bed store.

I wasn’t sure what to expect and I wondered if I would REALLY be able to tell that much of a difference in a Sleep Number bed. . . and, as I tried beds out, what if I realized “a bed is a bed is a bed is a bed”?

Within the first 30 seconds laying on a Sleep Number, I discovered the truth: all beds are NOT created equal and the Sleep Number Bed experience is what true comfort, true relaxation is supposed to feel like.

Thanks to Bob (our Sleep Expert) and 3D “Individual Fit” imaging, within about thirty minutes we could see where our pressure points (shown in red/orange) are as we sleep. . .

And, once correctly supported according to our body weight, we could see (and, most importantly, feel!) the ease on our backs and joints.

Bob took us through the process of discovering our Sleep Numbers, helping us find our individual sweet spots of comfort. As the bed’s air-chambers released air, softening the bed’s firmness, it was amazing when that perfect, relaxation-inducing moment arrived … when YOUR individual level of comfort was reached. I knew instantly when we had reached my “number.” I could feel my muscles suddenly relax and breathing became easy and deeper.

And I wanted to go to sleep. Seriously! It was the weirdest thing to instantly feel drowsy from such a deep state of relaxation. Who wants to fall asleep in the public eye of a sleep store???

By the time we had finished our demo, we each had our number. The Husband is a 30 and I’m a 40, which surprised me. I assumed I would have a much higher (and firmer) sleep number, but at a 40, Bob’s demo-bed provided the perfect support for my both my upper and lower back.

A few weeks later, a large truck pulled into our street. A brand-new Sleep Number M-9 bed arrived!!!

The delivery guys were also in charge of setting up the bed . . . for which I’m very grateful. Despite all of the boxes and carrying bags they carried in, constructing the bed’s platform and filling the air chambers were short work with these guys at the helm. Within an hour, the truck was unloaded and they were back on the road. Our new bed was unpacked, filled and ready for new sheets.

The Sleep Number M-9 Bed

So, what does the Sleep Number M-9 offer?

Dual-Air Technology (as with all Sleep Numbers) and individual remotes
5 inches of breathable Luxe-Fit Memory Foam
The sleep surface (“bed cover”) is made of natural fibers and helps control body temperature during the night as it absorbs extra heat. (and it provide anti-microbial protection)

How does all of that affect my sleep?

I have slept on memory foam beds before (when traveling) and wasn’t impressed — in those other beds, I felt like I was sleeping in a ditch, with the sides of the memory foam so stiff around my body that I couldn’t easily move or change positions.

This is NOT the case with my M-9. The memory foam is very sturdy but it isn’t rigid; it perfectly conforms when I lay down and adjusts to me if I reposition on the bed.

The dual-air aspect of the Sleep Numbers is amazing; while our numbers aren’t too far off from one another, I can tell a huge difference if I lay on my Husband’s side of the bed. While the lighter, more soft fill suits him, my back and hips need the firmer surface provided in the 10 points between our Sleep Numbers. It is wonderful having exactly. what. I. need. without putting him into a bed that is uncomfortable. Every night, we each get the best bed for our individual needs.

My back issues have GREATLY improved since sleeping in this bed. I’m not stiff in the morning as I get out of bed, my hips aren’t sore, and lower back is also pain-free. After having had problems for such a long time, it is wonderful to fall asleep and wake refreshed (as opposed to feeling as though I’ve been hit by a truck).

Anything I don’t like?

There are two things which were (or are) annoyances with the Sleep Number M-9.

It takes nearly a full week for the memory foam to “off-gas.”

There was a very strong, chemical odor in the mattress for about a week; it was so strong that I got headaches the first 2-3 nights I slept in the bed and knew we would not be keeping the bed if it didn’t evaporate (and soon). Fortunately, after several days, the odor had dissipated and I haven’t had any issues since.

The air-chambers can’t work concurrently.

Despite our best efforts to keep the controllers out of reach, we have a curly-headed little boy who loves buttons and has an internal radar always hunting for the Sleep Number remotes.

As soon as Barney Kneeknuckles has his chubby fingers wrapped around either of our remotes, he is fast and furiously pushing buttons over and over. At night, when the Husband and I crash, we quickly discover our beds are not as left them that morning.

But … the two sides can’t be fixed simultaneously. If you and your bed parter both need to make adjustments to the fill level of your bed, one of you will have to wait your turn. The pump can’t fill both chambers at once. And, if you’re the one waiting … well, it isn’t fun when you just want to sleep.

Am I Glad I Have This Bed?

Absolutely. The quality of sleep I’m getting each night is vastly better than what little sleep I had on my old (ancient) mattress.

Could I have gotten better sleep on any new mattress . . . even something cheaper and more easily accessible at a normal mattress store? While we had dreamed and talked about getting a new mattress for years, the Husband and I had not mattress shopped so I don’t know how it compares to other, new mattresses.

But, I know that our one mattress allows two very different sleepers to sleep well. Our needs are met. Our backs, spines, and joints supported. And we are waking up happy.

And those, my friends, are very good things.

If you are curious about the Sleep Number experience, I highly recommend, at the very least, visiting one of the Sleep Number centers and going through an official walk-through of the beds. Try them out. Find your number. And you’ll see the difference — the instant relaxation — when your “sweet spot” number flickers across the remove screen.

I was provided a Sleep Number M-9 to facilitate this review; all opinions expressed are my own.