MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- What do peanut butter and jelly, rainy days and movies, and champagne and caviar have in common? They are pairings that offer the best of both worlds. Today, a new iconic pairing of "foam and air" is created with the national launch of the SLEEP NUMBER MEMORY FOAM(TM) Bed -- the latest innovation from the nation's leading bed retailer, Select Comfort Corporation (Nasdaq: SCSS). For those who enjoy the feel of foam bedding, this memory foam mattress provides the ultimate memory-foam experience combined with personalized comfort, support and firmness that comes from the adjustability of the bed's air-chamber technology.

"The Sleep Number Memory Foam Bed is the ultimate solution for people who enjoy the feel of memory foam, but also want what the Sleep Number bed offers -- the ability to adjust the comfort, firmness and support of the bed daily," said Greg Pesky, director of product development for Select Comfort. "This is the first time a memory foam mattress and Sleep Number adjustability are together in the same bed for the first time."

The introduction of the new memory foam bed offers hope for, as the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) estimates, nearly half the U.S. population who is not getting enough sleep. A recent survey, conducted by Russell Research on behalf of Select Comfort, reveals that for a third of all Americans, an uncomfortable sleep environment (including an uncomfortable bed) can make them lose sleep.

-- The standard eight-hour business day is no longer the norm in America. NSF's 2008 Sleep in America poll reports the average American's work day is now nine hours and 28 minutes.

-- The average time spent in bed is six hours and 55 minutes -- with six hours and 40 minutes spent actually sleeping. NSF recommends getting at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night.

-- Ninety-three percent (93%) of Americans agree that the quality of their sleep impacts the quality of their life.

The Sleep Number Difference

The Sleep Number Memory Foam(TM) bed exceeds the traditional memory-foam experience. Beyond the feel of memory foam, the Sleep Number Memory Foam bed gives sleepers total control over their sleep experience because the bed allows them to adjust their side to their Sleep Number setting -- a number between 0 and 100. At the touch of a button, sleepers can increase or decrease their Sleep Number setting to achieve the exact level of comfort, firmness and support that's ideal for them.

Several product tests were conducted on the Sleep Number Memory Foam(TM) Bed including: durability, temperature, ease of movement, comfort, and pressure point relief.

Durability and Pressure-point Relief -- Changes in the body create changes in areas of pressure that can disrupt the quality of a person's sleep. In a recent in-home study conducted by Select Comfort among current memory foam bed owners, 81 percent agreed that being able to adjust the firmness (Sleep Number setting) of their memory foam bed enhanced their overall comfort.

Over time memory foam can lose its firmness and shape. In a test simulating 2.5 years of wear, a leading memory foam bed lost more than 50 percent of its supportive firmness. In the same test, the Sleep Number Memory Foam(TM) Bed lost only 2 percent of its supportive firmness.

Temperature -- Other memory foam beds tend to sleep hot due to the dense material that doesn't allow optimal air circulation. In fact, the thicker the memory foam, the more it will naturally retain heat. However, in the same in- home study conducted by Select Comfort, two-thirds of the participants rated the sleeping temperature of the Sleep Number Memory Foam(TM) Bed as "just right." The combination of air chambers and a carefully chosen amount of foam in the Sleep Number Memory Foam(TM) Bed allows for increased natural air circulation. The mattress is covered with a knitted fabric to further enhance breathability of the bed and help ensure a comfortable night of sleep.

Ease of Movement -- Memory foam bed owners say that not being able to feel their partner move in bed is a key benefit. However, the same memory foam that also inhibits sleeping partners from feeling the other's movement can also make it difficult to move at all during the night. In the same study, 85 percent of participants gave high ratings of "excellent" and "very good" regarding ease of movement on the Sleep Number Memory Foam(TM) bed.

About Select Comfort

Founded more than 20 years ago, Select Comfort Corporation is the nation's leading bed retailer. Based in Minneapolis, the company designs, manufactures, markets and supports a line of adjustable-firmness mattresses featuring air-chamber technology, branded the SLEEP NUMBER(R) bed, as well as foundations and sleep accessories. SELECT COMFORT(R) products are sold through its more than 470 company-owned stores located across the United States; select bedding retailers; direct marketing operations and online at www.sleepnumber.com

SOURCE Select Comfort