My husband and I have differed over our bed comfort for the past 30 years. Years ago we did the fashionable water bed thing. We had the big old king size free- flow slosher, complete with heater. He complained that I tried to cook him, while I thought he wanted to freeze me for posterity! My husband outweighed me by quite a bit, so when he moved, or got up, I got quite the tidal wave.
I also have a bad back, so all of that squishy, sloshy movement left me in pain and grouchy every morning. So, we tried a baffled, foam inserted water bed liner as a sort of compromise. I still tossed and turned. He decided I was so miserable and sleep deprived, he would relent and give up his water bed. Enter the regular king size bed with a nice firm mattress. I was finally sleeping like a baby, and now he was grouchy and sleep deprived.
After a couple of years of trying to figure out a solution, short of the “Ricky and Lucy” twin beds, I started checking into the Select Comfort Sleep Number beds. I thought they were a little pricey, and was really leaning towards twin beds or separate rooms! Finally, I gave in and got on line and ordered a king size dual controlled mattress and frame. I didn’t even have to pay for it, because Select Comfort quickly gave me a line of credit to purchase their Sleep Number bed with.
UPS delivered within days and deposited these rather large boxes on my porch. I dragged them into the living room and started accessing the situation. There certainly were a lot of boxes. I wondered how big a jigsaw it would be. Deciding I would like to surprise my husband, I started ripping open boxes looking for instructions. They looked pretty easy and understandable.
In defense of the Select Comfort Sleep Number bed, I must say that it went together pretty simply. The main problem was having the room to open everything, as it didn’t seem to be packed in any kind of order. I had to put together the bottom frame, or box board that the mattress would sit on. I was a little upset that it was nothing more than hard plastic slats and six square plastic pieces that slide together for the top. This part sits on your bed frame, much like a box spring for a mattress.
The black box for the Select Comfort Sleep Number bed came with a cover that hides the fact that it is a black plastic box. This was a nightmare to get on by myself, but I finally managed. Putting together the sleep number mattress was pretty easy. I just had to lay out the mattress lining and start inserting pieces of foam, the air bags, and more pieces of foam. I had to snap the air hoses in too. I thought this was pretty easy, but later found out I had them reversed. Apparently, I was facing the wrong way when I hooked them up and my right was opposite of their right!
The top of the mattress zipped on, all of the way around. This was hard to do, especially by my self, but I finally got everything stuffed in and zipped shut. It was starting to look like a bed again. The pump has to sit where there is room for the air hoses to reach the Sleep Number mattress and an electric outlet. Luckily there was room under the head board. It clicks and whirs when it needs to pump, so this takes some getting used to.
My husband wasn’t to pleased that I had tackled the bed all by myself, but I assured him it hadn’t been hard. Actually, the hardest part had been dragging in the heavy boxes and sorting the various parts. We were both anxious to try it out and find our perfect sleep number.
I started out with my side of the Sleep Number bed set at 60, because I wanted firmness. My husband chose 30, as he likes his side soft. After a few nights, he had adjusted to 25, and was sleeping like a baby. Me, I was nearly wearing the controller out, going up and down the scale of numbers. The only thing disturbing my husband was the click and whir, and my tossing and turning.
The bed did come with a 90 day sleep guarantee. If you didn’t love it, after trying it for that length of time, you could send it back. I should have sent it back, because I hated that bed. I didn’t because my husband was sleeping so good on that Sleep Number bed, that I didn’t have the heart to take it away from him. Besides, I thought I would eventually find my perfect sleep number.
I just kept hoping, by some miracle, that I would find a number on that dual numbered controller that I would like. After nearly 2 years, I have given up hope and resign myself to tossing and turning, while he snores peacefully away. Oh, that and I get great pleasure in calling Lindsey Wagner a liar, every time I see the commercial on television for the Select Comfort Sleep Number bed.
I’m not sure why I can’t find a number on the Sleep Number bed controller that I like. I just know that I am continually adjusting the numbers, giving it a few days and then adjusting again. Maybe because this particular bed has the regular twin size air mattresses, and the air is not controlled that well to the head, middle or foot. Most people are heavier in the middle, so that the middle of the bed is pushed in more. The air goes to the foot and head, causing a curved affect.
I have noticed recently that the Select Comfort Sleep Number bed has a model that has 6 different air chambers for the foot, middle and head. This may be a better sleep option, but I don’t think I’ll be trying it any time soon. We have thought of different option to assure we both have a better night’s sleep, but right now my husband enjoys his selected sleep number while I continue to try to hunt for my perfect sleep number. I don’t think it exists.
While my husband would recommend the Select Comfort Sleep Number bed, I certainly would not. The best I can tell you, if you are interested in a Sleep Number bed, is to pay close attention to the time frame they allow you to try it out. If you haven’t found your perfect sleep number by then, you aren’t going to.
Sources: My own experiences
www.selectcomfort.com
