We don’t have central air.
I don’t want central air.
It’s not that I dislike being cool, that’s not the problem. The issue is that I grew up in a temperature controlled home and as a kid became way too enamored with being hermetically sealed. The whole thing, like a freezing cold pack of cigarettes, stunted the growth of my outdoor life.
Now that I’m a dad in charge of his home’s weather patterns, I won’t allow the same thing to happen to my daughters. Instead of expensive to install and run constantly a/c, we rely on a single window-unit air conditioner in the family room for when it’s plain old insufferable outside, and hard-working ceiling fans in ever single room (save for, unfortunately, two of the warmest places in the house: the dining room and the kitchen). This works out pretty well — my girls love exploring the outdoors and don’t scowl at getting sweaty. They already have a scratched and dirty leg up on my childhood, and my body has made the necessary adjustments over the years to be generally okay with the warmth. I no longer need to be set at 65 degrees, except for when night falls and slumber takes over. I cannot handle being warm in bed and while the swirling fan above me admirably does its very best to counter-punch Mother Nature when she’s at her most obnoxiously oppressive, our king-sized bed sheets are often un-comforting between the months of May and September. That problem, I’m happy to report, has been SOLVED.
Say hello to my new square friend, the Sleep Number® In Balance™ Layer.
Since strapping the In Balance™ Layer to my bed, I’ve never slept better during the summertime. Not since ditching my parents’ house as a 20-year-old have I enjoyed such restful nights in late-June and early-July. There’s some crazy mad science behind this thing, I just know it, but I haven’t a clue how the material called Outlast® works. But then again I haven’t figured out the microwave oven either. I’m totally fine with these mental limitations. All I know is that I can now get 9 hours of rest even when the cicadas are perspiring and a defrosted bagel in 28 seconds when I awake.
This Outlast® material is clearly stuffed with magical unicorn feathers and pixie dust, that’s the only possible answer (no, no it’s not). But this much is for sure, Outlast® features a temperature balancing technology that absorbs excess heat. Crazy, right? Where has this been my whole, sweaty adult life?
I even tried sleeping on just the liner, sans sheets, because I’m THAT dedicated to turning over ever damn stone when reviewing a product! Um, also because I wanted to feel it working without any obstruction, and hot damn (or cool damn, in this case) I slept great, and until nearly 9am which is preposterous for this dude who’s usually up pre-dawn doing laundry and other housework. Also, the In Balance™ Layer adds a level of cushioned comfort for all-year-round bedtime enjoyment. So if you ever get backed up with the bed linens in the washer, you can totally chillax on just the layer — it’s as smooth as silk and as cool as the other side of the pillow. Hey, speaking of pillows (how about that segue?) Sleep Number® has also made pillow protectors to keep your head as cool as the rest of your body. I’ve tested those as well and while it does (unlike the bed layer) add a slightly clunky covering around your favorite pillow, it isn’t enough of a change to negatively impact your sleeping habits, but is enough to ensure that pillow, and the head that rests on it, will be cool as a cucumber throughout the night. Listen, I’m EXTREMELY finicky about my two pillows — I’ve had the same pair for over 10 years — and I love having the In Balance™ Pillow Protector on them.
The Sleep Number® In Balance™ Layer and Pillow Protectors are available for every size bed and pillow, even an extended Queen — what in the hell is that? — and while these aren’t the cheapest thingys in the world you can’t really put a price on a good night’s sleep. Productivity, smiles, joy, and good spirits don’t come with a bar code or a price tag.
I’m incredibly happy that I have an In Balance™ Layer on my King-sized bed and a Pillow Protector on one of my fave pillows, and if you too like not sleeping in a puddle of your own sweat, I’m pretty certain you’re gonna love these products.
Check out Sleep Number on Facebook for a coupon to score a free travel pillow, and take a closer look at the In Balance™ products on their website.
*OWTK received a sample In Balance Layer and Pillow Protector from Select Comfort / Sleep Number for review consideration. The opinions above are honest and unbiased, as always.
