What's On The Bed

Sleep Sync System™ by Boyd Specialty Sleep

New Diagnostic Technology Drives Bedding Accessory Sales

In Pursuit of Optimum Sleep
Most people agree that the quality of our sleep is directly related to the quality of our life, yet most people give little thought to the actual process of sleeping. The average consumer will spend approximately 218,400 hours sleeping or in the pursuit of healthy comfortable sleep or roughly the equivalent of 25 years. The growth of our bodies, the optimum function of our brains, the strength and maintenance of our immune system, even the regulation of blood sugar are all influenced positively or negatively by the critically important hours we spend at rest. The free flow of nerve impulse relays, blood circulation, the ease of breathing, are impacted by alignment and pressure points created when the human body interacts with the mattress and pillow in the sleep process.

We simply crawl into bed at night weary and tired, borough our head into the pillow and drift off into the unconscious world. But, as we recline, the mattress and pillow together supporting our body creates the alignment position in which our body will spend cumulatively 25 years of time. Retailers focused on the mattress sale often give little attention to how the pillow impacts the sleep experience or how the pillow affects the customer’s long term satisfaction with the mattress they are purchasing. Customers many times lack a full realization of the importance of the interactive relationship between the body, the mattress and the pillow and may continue using a pillow long past its useful life or buy one that’s on sale at the local discount store. An inadequate pillow can cause a $5000 mattress to function like a $5 mattress. Denny Boyd of Boyd Specialty Sleep says, “We recognize a tremendous opportunity in the industry to educate the consumer and provide them with a pillow and mattress designed to work together with the individual’s sleep position and provide them an optimum sleep experience.”

Pressure Mapping Research Guides the Way
Pressure mapping research points to a correlation between reduced pressure and the perception of comfort as the human brain generates messages of comfort when we are in healthful sleep positions. Pressure Mapping Research confirms that the pillow used with the mattress significantly impacts alignment and pressure points and should be matched to the customer’s sleep position and mattress firmness. Other issues that affect the customer’s sleep experience are allergies, dust mite build up, back, neck, hip or shoulder pain due to alignment problems or strains and stress of daily life and health concerns such as diabetes, where maintaining circulation is critically important. Boyd Specialty Sleep conducted pressure-mapping research with consumers of various genders, heights and weights as they slept in preferred sleep positions on different mattress surfaces, from ultra plush to firm. This research measured the impact of specific types of pillows on pressure and comfort in the primary sleep positions of side, back and stomach on these different mattress types. The data collected was then quantified and used to develop specific recommendations for a pillow that will best match with the customer’s mattress choice and their specific sleep needs and sleep positions. Pillow industry veteran and head of the Boyd Specialty Sleep Accessory Division, Kris Thomsen, worked with a multi-discipline development team at Boyd, mapping this data into a software application to create an intelligent Kiosk based patent pending accessory diagnostic selection process called the Sleep Sync System™.

Sleep Sync System™ State of the Art Technology
With Boyd’s state of the art touch screen technology, the retail sales person, using the Sleep Sync System™ accessory selection Kiosk, guides the customer through a short question process, collecting information about the customer’s type of mattress, their sleep position, significant sleep issues or needs and then matches or “synchronizes” the customer and mattress with a sleep accessory product from a predetermined assortment to fit their specific needs. Following a mattress selection, the sales process can be quickly and easily concluded by diagnostically matching a mattress and pillow to the customer’s individual needs and level of comfort.

Utilizing the Sleep Sync System assures that the pillow is not neglected, and is treated as an important component to lasting customer satisfaction when the mattress is being purchased. A side benefit is that it also reduces comfort returns of the mattress.

Beta Test Shows Sleep Sync System™ Kiosk Delivers Results
Thomsen states, “Initial beta tests of the Sleep Sync System Kiosk in St. Louis based “The Bedroom Stores” resulted in tripling accessory sales in 4 weeks time. This is an amazing result and we are very pleased with the performance of the Kiosk.” The Bedroom Store customers were surveyed for the four weeks of the beta test and overwhelmingly affirmed their appreciation for the speed and accuracy of the technology as well as its helpfulness in the selection process. Bryan Davis, General Manager at The Bedroom Stores, notes that, “the Kiosk has delivered an excellent Return on Investment and both customers and sales people enjoy the using process and appreciate the results.”

The Sleep Sync System™ Accessory Selection Kiosk includes an electronically transmitted inventory management system, two attractive wood merchandising display racks, an electronic Kiosk and wireless router and a research based, high quality value packed assortment of Gel Fiber, Visco, and Latex accessory sleep products assembled to match customer sleep position, mattress selection and special sleep needs.

The Sleep Sync System™ Accessory Selection Kiosk from Boyd Specialty Sleep allows every salesperson to deliver an expert recommendation and helps the customer have confidence they are being correctly guided in the selection process.

Boyd Specialty Sleep plans the Grand Launch of the Sleep Sync System™ Accessory Selection Kiosk Systems during the July 2006 Las Vegas Furniture Market.
 

For more information on the Sleep Sync System™ Accessory Selection Kiosk program please contact:
Kris Thomsen, Accessory Division Manager for Boyd Specialty Sleep
1-612-384-5516 or kristhomsen@aol.com
Also, come see us in Las Vegas at Pavilion #1, Booth P 14405.