Mattress Firm partnered with SleepScore Labs on a new study that measured sleep before and after customers participated in Mattress Firm’s in-store pillow fitting process and found that participants slept 487 more minutes per month on average (or 8.1 hours) when using the new, fitted pillow compared to when using their original pillow.
This adds up to an extra night of sleep on average per month. Data was collected objectively using SleepScore Max, a non-contact monitor that unobtrusively and objectively measures sleep at home. Participants also completed daily questionnaires about their sleep.
The most significant learning from this research, according to the companies, is that fitting a pillow to participants based on their unique sleeping habits boosts sleep quality and duration.
When compared to their sleep on the pillow they were using previously, participants who experienced in-store pillow fitting spent more time in bed, slept longer, and spent 10% more time in deep sleep, the stage of sleep that supports immune system functioning and metabolism, helps clear toxins from the brain, and repairs tissue damage.
They also had more consistent sleep, spending a lower proportion of the night awake after falling asleep. In tandem with SleepScore’s objective data, participants’ questionnaire data showed that those sleeping with a new, fitted pillow reported better overall sleep quality (27% increase), improved ability to sleep through the night (36% increase), and felt more well-rested in the mornings (24% increase) compared to when using their original pillow.
“There are hundreds of thousands of products and services which promise to improve sleep, but very few with any real science or data behind them,” says Colin Lawlor CEO of SeepScore Labs. “This study shows that sleep expertise and data combine to help people find the right pillow for them and that can make a significant difference to sleep quality.”
Mattress Firm’s in-store pillow fitting process considers each customers’ unique body and sleeping position to match them with a pillow that best fits their body type and sleep preferences.
The study analyzed more than 750 total nights of objective and self-reported sleep data.
