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Ahhhh, sleep.

That precious commodity that physicians have been denied through the majority of their career (some may even carry lack of sleep as a badge of honor, boasting that they worked the equivalent of two shifts or more).

The pager used to be the bane of my existence.

Even when it didn’t go off I was never able to get a good night’s sleep as I would always worry that I had somehow missed a page.

Lack of a good night’s sleep can impact your wallet.

As adults we are supposed to spend 1/3 of our lives in bed (I know, good luck with that as a physician, especially a physician with kids).

With that sort of time commitment, it is imperative that we make this activity as enjoyable as possible.

For 12 years I was sleeping on what I considered a premium bed, a Tempurpedic Memory Foam mattress.

I was not in the market at all for a new mattress.

It just so happened that there was a Sleep Number store adjacent to a restaurant my girlfriend and I were going to.

Since we had some time I thought just for fun let’s go in and see what the buzz was all about.

Big Mistake.

I’m not going to lie.

I went into the store with absolutely no intention of purchasing a mattress and pretty much had it in my head that this was just another gimmick.

And then I laid down.

Initially my negative bias was confirmed.

I didn’t think this was anything spectacular.

However my feelings rapidly changed as the saleswoman started adjusting the sleep number settings, raising the mattress from very firm to soft to find “my number.”

It was at this magic number, 35 in my case, that it felt like I was being cradled with absolutely no pressure on my back or legs (an issue I was beginning to develop even with my own memory foam mattress).

Then the saleswoman did something that really threw this experience over the top: she adjusted the elevation of the head and feet until I was in a position similar to those zero-gravity recliners.

The feeling was indescribable.

The combination of the individually tailored firmness and the zero-gravity position was pure bliss.

I was hooked.

I realized that some products do warrant the buzz they generate and this was one of them.

I did not want to feel pressured into a sale then and there so I took a step back and did not commit.

That night when I went home, the bed I was used to now just felt awful.

My legs were completely flat and my back still bothered me.

The spine has normal curvatures along it’s course, most pronounced in the lumbar region with a lordotic bend.

We are not meant to be lying completely flat on our backs as this creates undue pressure points as we fight against these curvatures.

This is why luxury cars have adjustable lumbar cushions to make driving more enjoyable by supporting these changes in contour.

After that very first night back in my own bed I decided then and there to order a new Sleep Number bed system (I went with the i7 360 smart bed system with a Flex 3 base (adjustable head, foot, and foot warmer (highly recommended)).

With my Tempurpedic mattress I was a stomach sleeper (pretty much slept like that my entire adult life).

Sleeping on my stomach I was considered a “restless sleeper” as my arms would get uncomfortable if in a position too long and I would then have to flip from side to side.

That all changed once my new bed arrived (the waiting period was the hardest part).

I finally was able to sleep on my back and be comfortable.

It took a few days to get used to this new sleeping style but once I did I began having the best night sleep possible.

I used to get tired in the morning at work but because of my new and improved sleeping habits I no longer have that issue.

The 360 smart bed also appealed to the geek side in me (as a radiologist I love all things tech).

The bed could sense any movement and adjust the individual air cells to that area to maintain support.

Plus the bed gives feedback to your smart phone which allows you to monitor how well you slept (even giving suggestions on ways to improve).

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many models to fit all sorts of budgets.

The smart 360 beds have all the bells and whistles and thus have a premium sticker price.

If you are in the market for a king size bed, I suggest getting a flexible base with a full split option so that each individual can raise his or her head/feet to their preference rather than forcing a compromise between the two (with partial split (head only) or non-split mattress).

Unfortunately this option is not available for smaller mattress sizes.

The foot warmer is especially a great add-on during the winter months and can be set to preheat from your smart phone or by programming a routine tailored to individual days of the week.

My radiologist colleague bought one earlier this year based on my recommendation and is now raving about it to his friends and colleagues as well as telling me that he is now sleeping better than ever.

There is a negative side effect however to buying a Sleep Number bed: The beds in even high end hotels I stay at now feel subpar at best.

If you are not in the market for a new mattress/bed, you should avoid a Sleep Number store like the plague.

It is better to live/sleep in bliss not knowing about this technology.

 

However, if this post does inspire you to visit a Sleep Number store and you do place an order, I kindly ask that you give my customer number as a referral: 1013004631 (by doing so I get a certificate for Sleep number accessories like bedding. I thank you ahead of time).

I also have a special offer for being an inner circle Sleep number member.

If you use the COUPON CODE: R119QM between now and April 14, 2019 you have the following offers available:

• Save 30% SleepIQ Kids k2 Bed or Upholstered Furniture Collection
• $100 off FlexFit 1 smart adjustable base
• $200 off Sleep Number 360 c4 smart bed or FlexFit 2 smart adjustable base
• $600 off Sleep Number 360 p5, p6, i7, i8 or i10 smart bed or FlexFit 3 smart adjustable base (the one I have)
• Save $150 DualTemp individual layer

 

 

P.S.

Another interesting tidbit:

This was the sleep profile the night I finally committed to starting a blog by purchasing a Bluehost Domain and website.

I was so excited about the possibilities that I really couldn’t sleep.

As soon as I closed my eyes a potential new topic came into my head, I had to wake up, and put it in my phone before I would forget it.

All told I wrote 47 potential topics that night which I wanted to blog about.

I gave myself a deadline of April 23, 2018 (my 47th birthday) to launch the blog you are currently reading.

By the time I was ready to launch I had already converted 27 of those topics into actual posts which are now being released as the Tuesday series posts.

I hope this is actual proof of how passionate I am about this endeavor and I thank you for your support in hoping to build it into something that is worthwhile for all.

 

 

Curious to see what other items are in my doctor’s bag?  

Just open the bag and peer inside, you may find something of use.