The Smart Bed Revolution

The Smart Bed Revolution Two co-workers wait in line to get their breakfasts at Benny's Bagel & Coffee Bar before going up to their 11th floor office. Joe says, "You look mighty fresh today, Mike. Must have had a good night's sleep." "I did," says Mike. "I've been sleeping better since we bought that new bed a month ago. Even better now than when we first got it." "What kind of bed is it?" "It's one of those new smart beds." "Smart bed? You've got to be kidding! Beds aren't smart....

Mr. Sandman: Silica and Sleep

Mr. Sandman: Silica and Sleep A popular song recorded in 1954ยน begins with, "Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream." An old nursery rhyme says, "The Sandman's coming in his train of cars / With moonbeam windows and with wheels of stars." Both of these verses are about the mythical Sandman of folklore in Northern Europe. The imaginary Sandman caused people to sleep, then sprinkled magical sand on them to bring good dreams. The "sand" in the stories refers to grainy particles most people have in and...

What Chemicals Are in My Bedding?

What Chemicals Are in My Bedding? The public, not only in America, but in Europe and the rest of the world, has become keenly aware of the use of chemicals in commonly used items. One major industrial firm1 used the slogan, "Better Living Through Chemistry" until dropping it in response to public concerns over the effects of many chemical compounds on health and the environment. It has become fashionable to deride or hold in suspicion anything labeled "chemical" or "synthetic." But this...

Boxable Adjustable Beds

Boxable Adjustable Beds For a decade, the momentum of mattress-in-a-box e-commerce has been building. From only a very few companies selling mattresses online which are compressed, rolled up into boxes, and shipped via UPS or FedEx, it has expanded to several new firms specializing in this product line. Now most major manufacturers and retailers are entering this market segment. Mattresses are being followed by adjustable beds. Leggett & Platt had already been delivering adjustable...

Marketing Mattresses Online

Marketing Mattresses Online What is Amazon best known for? Online shopping. Amazon began with selling books over the Internet and delivering them through the Post Office, UPS and FedEx. Now they sell almost anything, including beds, mattresses, pillows and sheets. More than just an online store, now Amazon is a marketplace, with manufacturers and distributors posting their products on Amazon. Likewise, eBay has expanded from an Internet auction site to a marketplace. In addition, eBay...

The Giants Strike Back: Established manufacturers challenge the upstarts

The Giants Strike Back: Established manufacturers challenge the upstarts For the last few years there has been a proliferation of start-up companies selling mattresses only online and shipping them directly to the customer in a cardboard box. Just a few of the newcomers are Yogabed, Casper Sleep, Tuft & Needle, Lull and Leesa. The mattress-in-a-box trend actually started in 2006 with BedInABox, which began selling mattresses online, compressing and rolling them, and shipping them in...

See-Saw Support

See-Saw Support I remember when as a child I played with other children on a tilting board, variously called a "see-saw" or "teeter-totter." Pushing with our feet, we would alternately go up and down. Easy enough to do when we were both close to the same weight. This was where we learned the principle of the balance scale. When one end goes down, the other goes up. and it's the heavier end that goes down. That's the way it was on the see-saw. With an average first grader and a fifth...

Sleep Patterns: What they are and why they matter

Sleep Patterns: What they are and why they matter So often we hear about our need to get enough sleep and to sleep restfully. It is important that we are not sleep deprived. It is a matter of health and safety. It does affect the quality of our work. A lot of stress is also put on the type of beds and pillows we use. Lack of proper support and cushioning leads to problems with backs, necks and other joints. It can cause breathing difficulties and make them worse. Other items also factor...

What’s New in Box Springs?

What's New in Box Springs? For many of us, the box spring is a Ho-Hum item. We buy a mattress, and a box spring is included. When the new mattress is delivered and set up, the box spring is placed on the rolling steel frame, which is adjusted for fit. Then the new mattress is placed on the new box spring. We think we know what a box spring is, so we just take it for granted. The truth is, that plain old box spring under our bed might not be as old a design as we think. It may be something...

Progressive Rate Springs: What Are They Doing in My Bed?

Progressive Rate Springs: What Are They Doing in My Bed? If anyone of us knows what progressive rate springs (PRS) are, the first place we expect them is in wheeled vehicles. In fact, that is the intended application of progressive rate coiled springs, and that is what comes up first in an online search. So it surprising to find "progressive rate springs" in the description of a mattress. And a waterbed mattress, no less! Before we go on, let's see what a progressive rate spring is. Some...

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