Oregon College Student Wins “Sleep Sponsorship” From Tempur-Pedic

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Sage Michaels, a student at Reed College in Oregon, describes himself as a professional sleeper and a Tempur-Pedic superfan. So, he sent the company a very creative “sleep resume” and YouTube video detailing all his relevant skills, and asking them for a sponsorship.

A few months later, Tempur-Pedic representative Rick Maynard showed up at Reed College to surprise Michaels, accompanied by a reporter, camera crew, and a truck full of loot. The company roused the college senior out of bed and presented him with goodies including a brand-new Tempur-Pedic mattress, an adjustable bed base, 25 pillows, embroidered pajamas, and a robe.

Check out our review of the Tempur-Pedic mattress.

Members of the Portland Sing choir serenaded him with a special song, and a BedMart employee shared details about the Tempur-Pedic gifts. Best of all, the entire thing was caught live on camera by news channel AM Northwest.

tempur pedic sleep sponsorship sage

(Craig Mitchelldyer/AP Images for Tempur-Pedic)

Michaels seemed a bit stunned by the whole thing — after all, the surprise visit roused him out of bed early in the morning. When the segment was ending, the camera landed on Michaels in the back of the van filled with Tempur-Pedic products, lying on top of a pile of pillows. His final words to the camera crew? “Good night.”

According to a story from Buzzfeed, Michaels sleeps close to 12 hours a day, including power naps in between college classes. ” I typically go to bed between midnight and 2 am then I’ll wake up at 9 am or 10 am. In between classes, I’ll sleep for 30 minutes to an hour in the computer-science lounge,” said Michaels to Buzzfeed.

Read our review of the Tempur-Embrace pillow, here.

Michaels says he will “look to enter the tech world with my undergraduate degree” after college, he said to Buzfeed. He admits that he may have to leave Portland for an opportunity but we bet he will continue to sleep well no matter where he lands.

Featured image: Serenethos/Shutterstock

 

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Joe Auer

Joe Auer

Founder/Managing Editor

About Author

Joe is the founder of Mattress Clarity and has been reviewing mattresses and other sleep products for more than five years. Joe knows a lot about mattresses, having tested more than 100 personally. Through his experience, he has developed a straightforward and practical approach to making mattress recommendations.

Joe does not believe there is one best mattress for everyone and that a more tailored approach is often the most helpful to mattress shoppers. He tries to make clear what types of sleepers a particular mattress would be good for. He also notes what considerations people should make when looking at a particular type of bed.

His extensive knowledge of mattresses, and the mattress industry, has garnered him some media attention. He’s been interviewed and featured in several online publications, including Inc.om, Business Insider, New York Magazine, Huffington Post, and Forbes.

Thanks to his expertise, Joe has tested countless approaches to improving his own sleep quality. He has two top sleep tips that he’s benefitted from personally. He limits his caffeine consumption to 100 mg a day and meditates for 15 minutes daily.

Joe has an undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and an MBA from Columbia University, where he studied entrepreneurship.

When he isn’t reviewing mattresses, Joe loves to play classical piano, read fiction and non-fiction, and travel.