Meet SAM: The Science behind Sealy Posturepedic mattresses

Sealy’s SAM mannequin is a concept that represents the sleep brand’s investment in state-of-the-art technology, scientific research and ongoing development of sleep systems that genuinely prioritise your comfort and health. After all, a mattress is more than just a comfortable surface to sleep on, it should be a partner in your well-being journey. 

Sleep improves your quality of life

By now, most of the world knows that sleep is essential for the following reasons:

  • It is your body’s natural way of recharging. While you sleep, your body repairs and regenerates tissues and muscles.
  • A good night’s sleep helps your brain and enhances cognitive functions, resulting in clearer thinking, better decision making and improved consolidation of memories.
  • Sleep has a profound impact on your emotional well-being. It helps regulate mood and reduces the risk of anxiety and depression.
  • Your physical health is greatly impacted by sleep. It strengthens your immune system, balances hormones, and regulates appetite. 
  • Sleep is the fuel that keeps you going throughout the day.

To summarise all the points above: Sleep is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for our physical and mental health. Furthermore, optimal spinal alignment is one of the most important factors when it comes to good quality sleep.

Spinal alignment is key for good quality sleep

Your spine is like a central highway, connecting your brain to the rest of your body, and the quality of your sleep is linked to how well your spine aligns during the night. When your spine is misaligned, it can lead to discomfort, pain, and stiffness in your neck, shoulders, back, and hips. Conversely, when your spine is properly supported, the muscles along your spine can relax more fully. Proper spinal alignment also ensures your airways are unrestricted, making it easier to breathe deeply and evenly so oxygen can flow efficiently to your body. 

When your spine is aligned, it’s like a conductor guiding your body’s orchestra of functions, ensuring you wake up feeling refreshed and revitalised.

SAM represents Sealy’s commitment to ongoing sleep research

Sealy’s groundbreaking research with orthopaedic surgeons and world-class technology like SAM has identified the ideal alignment for sleep, and you can feel the result in any Sealy Posturepedic mattress. When you invest in a Sealy mattress, you’re investing in a product that marries comfort, support and durability in a harmonious blend:

  • Comfort. All Sealy Posturepedic mattresses are designed to minimise pressure on the body, regulate heat dissipation, and reduce partner disturbance.
  • Support. Sealy Posturepedic mattresses are built to ensure your spine maintains its natural alignment while you sleep. Using technology like SAM, we have identified specific angles your body should be within to be considered a supportive sleeping position. When you’re resting on a Sealy mattress, your neck, pelvis, and knees will fall within these limits to keep you aligned and pain-free. Sealy’s mattresses provide this support irrespective of how soft or firm they feel, their price, or their size. 
  • Durability. Sealy Posturepedic mattresses are designed to deliver comfort and support consistently for years, even with regular use. We put our mattresses through fatigue and durability testing to ensure they will stand the test of time. 

The word ‘Posturepedic’ is a contraction of the words ‘posture’ – the position in which a person holds their body – and orthopaedic – the medically correct position of skeletal and associated structures of the body. When you lie on a Sealy Posturepedic mattress, it’s more than just springs, foam and fabric, it’s the result of decades of sleep research and collaboration with sleep experts and orthopaedic doctors. 

We continue to build upon this foundation with ongoing studies in sleep biomechanics. With access to world class research and development teams not only here in South Africa but across the globe, Sealy is constantly reimagining and refining our sleep systems, putting our beds a step ahead of the rest.

Why women get less sleep than men

Women are 20% more likely to have a sleeping disorder, require more sleep than their male counterparts to stay healthy and are 45% more likely