Dreaming of pain free sleep

Do you sleep well? I always slept well, I managed to get a good night’s sleep so I never really thought about my mattress. Then my daughter came along and suddenly I was unable to sleep on my back, or my front without my back locking up. Was it just the effects of childbirth or did I needed a new mattress?

It was overwhelming, did I want firm, medium, soft, sprung, coil, memory foam, latex, hand stitched? A trip to a furniture store and a few awkward moments of climbing onto a bed, being careful not to get my boots on the nice clean mattress while a smiley salesman watched as I lay coffin like for a what seemed like an eternity but was probably more like 30 seconds! How was ever going to decide.

Prices seem to range from a few hundred pounds to thousands. I decided to stick with my current mattress as the ordeal seemed too much, I considered re buying the mattress I already had but of course that model had long since been replaced with new names, and spring counts and choices of soft, medium or firm.

At about the same time, my husband’s eczema started to flair up and we wondered if we might need to look at allergy mattresses and bedding. We started to research sleep, mattresses, bedding and the impact that poor sleep can have on the body and mind so I decided to embark on uncovering the secrets of a good night’s sleep.

My husband noticed an advert for a mattress that could be delivered in a box with 100 days free trial, it sounded a bit too good to be true, but at £600 for a King Size the offer was quite appealing.

Two companies came to my attention ‘Eve’ and ‘Leesa’. Both seemed to offer the same kind of mattress (although the materials were slightly different) and service and both had rave reviews. So we decided to start by testing both these mattresses. I had reservations about memory foam, after an experience of sleeping on a Tempur mattress. I didn’t like the sinking feeling and I remember getting very hot. We decided to give it a try, and with an offer to return the mattresses it seemed like a very good way to start.

The first to arrive was Eve, as promised it came in a large yellow box, I wasn’t at home to see the unwrapping so was baffled how such a large mattress could fit in such a small box. While the mattress certainly felt comfortable, there was a very odd odour coming from the latex layer. Reading the comments on the website it seemed that this would fade over time so I wasn’t too worried about it. It was quite a deep mattress and it felt a bit firmer than our last mattress, however the first night I slept very well and continued to sleep well even though the smell seemed to linger despite keeping the windows opened.

A few months later I was sent the Leesa Mattress, this time I unwrapped the mattress which came in an even smaller box than Eve, I was surprised how small it looked, but taking off the plastic it soon started to increase in size to a full King sized mattress. This one wasn’t as deep as Eve, so I wondered if it would be as comfortable. It was lighter to move and although there was a faint smell from the materials it was a lot less pungent. The first night was good, it remained cool, supported the body and was extremely comfortable. The best thing about both these mattresses is that I am now able to sleep again without any pain, something I had put up with for nearly 5 years! A few months on and we still love the mattresses, both have been extremely comfortable, although my preference has been for Leesa.

I was so impressed with the mattress that I wanted to speak to the company to find out what makes these mattresses so good.

An interview with David Wolfe, CEO of Leesa was arranged. He had just flown back from Necker Island. I was intrigued how this new startup company could have had so much success in such a short time and find themselves rubbing shoulders with Richard Branson.

Although Leesa is a relatively new brand, it turned out that David has many years of running and advising successful businesses and his friend and partner Jamie had 28 years of mattress knowledge and came from 3 generations of mattress makers. Having moved from the UK to US some 20 years ago and having gained success in the US market, David was keen to bring the mattress to the UK. The UK mattresses are made with some slight differences as they use fabric from Belgium and manufacture in Derbyshire.
I asked David about their mattresses and why they decided to sell them online.

“First of all it is a very good mattress and it’s of a superior quality. We looked at Tempur Cloud and tried to beat it, we chose materials to avoid that sinking feeling and made sure that it wasn’t a ‘hot sleep’. We simplified the buying process and stripped back the materials to make a mattress that had a universal feel, not soft, not firm just a mattress to give you the best experience”

“We also looked at the buying process and for many people especially women, they found the sales room experience a very uncomfortable and awkward experience.

The answer was to offer an online service but one that allowed people, to try the mattress first.”

Leesa are very generous with their offer of 100 days trial and so far returns are very few.

I asked David about the health credentials of the mattress and while he was quick to explain that they have been unable to do any scientific testing, they are currently working with a sleep specialist in the UK and he pointed to his website which has over thousand testimonials.

Although he praises the mattress, he also talks about the importance of eating well and exercising to improve sleep, but in my experience the mattress certainly helped with my aches and pains.

As well as creating a great mattress the company has a strong social conscience, something that David feels is very important. The business has always given substantially to those less fortunate as he has always believed in giving back. They are currently donating 1 mattress for every 10 they sell and have committed to a tree planting programme.

Leesa Mattress

As someone who believes that success comes your way if you work hard, David is certain to find success in this business venture and help many people find the solution to a good nights sleep!

Leesa mattress starts from £390 for a single, 100 days free trial and free delivery www.leesa.co.uk