I am not a doctor...

In our age of quick fix, take a pill for this and that, we often take the easy way out, or only hear things that we want to hear. The bedding industry is not an exception for some manufacturers who claim they possess a cure. Before I go on, it is important to know the rules of the game, the legal rules of how a bed or mattress can be marketed. A bed or sleep system cannot cure an illness, disease or condition. A bed, like an adjustable bed, can alleviate some syptoms of conditions like restless leg syndrome, GERD, acid reflux, and many others, but it will not cure them. The mere act of sleeping in bed “x” cannot repair years of wear and tear on the human body.

I bring up this topic as a friend sent me a Web site that told the tale of the waterbed. If you lived in the 1970’s or 1980’s you probably slept at one time on one of these floating furnishings. The site made some reasonable claims that a waterbed may help people with back pain, although it usually took me longer to get out of the bed than the time I slept, but it could be plausible. As I scrolled to the bottom of the page the claims got bolder and bolder, until, there it was, the end all, be all. This organization of the waterbed industry claimed that sleeping on a waterbed, can cure insomnia.

I have been in this industry for decades and have heard many statements, and this one was big. A cure for 70 million Americans can be had with a bed that is filled with a garden hose. I poke a bit of fun at the waterbed industry, but the problems many of us have with sleep affect the way that we live, and this is not a subject to joke about.

If you suffer from a condition, do your research, make some calls and test multiple styles of beds to see what works best for you. Look for a reputable company or salesperson to deal with and know that if the claim of a cure is made, it is not only a lie, it is illegal.