Select Comfort Corp.

Select Comfort Corp., manufacturer of the Sleep Number® bed, is the leading bed retailer in the country, according to trade magazine reports. It is best known for its line of mattresses that supposedly enable a couple to select different grades of firmness on either side of the bed. Thus, Mommy's mattress can be too soft while Daddy's can be too firm.

Select Comfort

• Sleep Number Consumer Complaints
• Sleep Number Mold
• Sleep Number Trench Effect
• Sleep Number Uncomfortable
• Sleep Number 30-Night Guarantee
• Sleep Number Disputed Orders

The problem with all this is that, according to some of the sleep-deprived consumers we hear from, it's hard to adjust the thing so it's just right. Make one side firm, the other soft and you get the dread trench effect, causing Mommy and Daddy to roll into one another. Other consumers say the mattresses collect mold, some aren't happy with the 30-Night Guarantee and others say the darned thing is just plain uncomfortable.

A few things to watch out for:

• The 30-Night Guarantee. Read it very, very carefully before you buy the bed. Be sure you understand it. There are loopholes in every agreement.
• Your chiropractor. He says this bed's just what you need? Ask him bluntly whether he gets any kind of referral fee. Hey, we're not saying he or she does but it doesn't hurt to ask.
• Trouble sleeping? See your doctor first. Lots of things can cause insomnia. You should be sure you know the cause before running out and buying a new bed in hopes of correcting the problem.
• Back pain? Backs that don't get enough exercise hurt. Join a gym and enlist a personal trainer to help you strengthen your lower back. It's a lot more likely to work and exercise has side benefits a mattress doesn't -- like weight control and improved cardiovascular health.