You remember life changing events in your life, right? Ok, maybe you don’t consider sleep to be a transforming occurrence, but I do. Sleep is something we too often take for granted. Our bed is somewhere we go every night…that much we know will happen. However, how we feel in the morning is all too often a mystery. Not me. Because I sleep on a Carpe Diem Bed from Sweden.
I have an apology to make. My first night on my Carpe Diem bed was not actually my first night on one of them. When I visited Sweden in June of 2012, I had the unique honor of touring the pristine factory and beautiful country, and wouldn’t you know, they arranged a Carpe Diem bed for my sleep! After one night, I knew my sleep would be forever changed.
Let’s back up. For seven years, I slept on a Tempur-Pedic bed. You know, the original memory foam based bed that has a 94% customer satisfaction rate and one that I’ve been selling at Gardner’s Mattress & More since 2001. In fact, my Tempur-Pedic mattress was on top of an adjustable bed base where I could elevate my legs to improve circulation and reduce lower back tension and elevate my head to improve breathing and reduce reflux. Yeah, that’s right…I invested in an adjustable bed at the ripe age of 30, about half the age that you might expect someone to. Again, I understand the importance of sleep and its effect on everything else that you do.
My Tempur-Pedic bed was great. It took a few nights to get used to it, but it was a great bed for the time I owned it. In fact, it felt just the same as when I got it 7 years prior. No dip in the bed, no soft spot, no roll-to-the-middle. There truly was no reason to replace it. That was, until the Swedish swept me off my feet.
Although my Tempur-Pedic mattress was very firm and supportive, I often felt it was too stiff on the surface for my preference. In the past few years, Tempur-Pedic has developed softer models that I would have preferred over mine. I had always preferred to sleep on my side and somewhat longed for a mattress that was softer on the surface. The problem with softer beds is that they often lack substance on the surface. What I mean is that they feel comfortable and pressure relieving at first, but they lose their shape and support more quickly than you’d like. Certainly, there are beds that do this well – the softer Tempur-Pedic and iComfort models, the wonderful Pure Latex Bliss beds, and the Aireloom hand made mattresses. But, none like Carpe Diem.
Ok, I’ve teased long enough…let’s talk Carpe.
Simply put, my Carpe Diem bed is a side sleeper’s dream – soft enough to eliminate pressure points and firm enough to keep my spine in alignment. A truly unique combination of surface softness without sacrificing support. As good as it is on my side, the same is true for when I sleep on my back. Often, I’ll fall asleep on my side and wake up on my back – surprisingly plush and supportive at the same time.
So, what’s the secret? A Carpe Diem bed is handmade with the finest natural materials a bed can be made out of. Generous amounts of New Zealand lamb’s wool, organic cotton, and pure natural latex, on top of 2 rows of vertically aligned pocket coils combine to create a sleep experience like no other.
The support coils in the bed come in varying spring tensions, firm and medium. I sleep on the medium Sandö bed. I am a taller guy in the 210lb. range and sleep on my side, so I felt that this feel was the best fit for my sleep needs. Back sleepers, heavier individuals, or people that like a stiffer bed may prefer the firm tension. The Sandö bed also features an extra “x pocket” micro coil, adding a layer of support that the others don’t have. For folks sharing a bed who have varying bed firmness opinions, Carpe Diem makes split firmness beds a reality.
A unique feature of the design is the Carpe Diem top mattress, where the wool, cotton, and some of the latex reside. In fact, it has a “warm” side (wool) and a “cool” side (cotton). Additionally, the top mattress is a component that can be replaced without investing in a whole new bed. Think about your current mattress…what happens when it develops an impression? You either deal with it and sleep poorly or you have to go out a re-invest more quickly than you would have liked. With a Carpe Diem bed, the support layers have a 25 year full warranty and the topper – which won’t last forever – can be replaced, providing a brand new sleep surface.
By the way, did you catch the word “natural”? Carpe Diem uses as many natural components as they can, and have very little waste in the manufacturing process. They are recognized by the SWAN and öko-tex associations for their environmentally conscious ways. Giant wind turbines planted next to to factory help to power it – how natural of them, right? While “natural” doesn’t physically help me sleep, it is comforting to know that I have supported a manufacturer who cares deeply about the world we live in.
At the time of this writing, I have been on my Carpe Diem bed for 3 months. I love to travel, but I’ve got to tell you, I hate to leave my Swedish bed behind. If you told me when I started in the mattress industry 13 years ago that I would sleep on a Swedish made mattress, I would have thought you were crazy. Am I the crazy one to invest so much in a bed? Perhaps. But at least I know I’m experiencing the type of sleep most people dream about. Won’t you be crazy with me?