This Mattress Helps Me De-Stress My Body and Mind — and It’s on Sale

Sleep is important to me. That sounds silly to say when sleep is fundamental to life, but I take the task seriously — not only do I commit to an eight-hour snooze (or more, if I can help it), but I make sure my sleep setup is in tip-top shape.

And after years of sleeping on a beat-up hand-me-down mattress — not to mention dealing with sleep-disturbing stress and back pain from my suboptimal work-from-home setup — it was time to upgrade.

Enter Brooklyn Bedding's custom mattress, the sleep company's latest launch that debuted in October 2021. Just select your firmness, layer, fabric and temperature preferences and voila: In mere days, you're delivered your own Brooklyn Custom bed in a box.

Nothing beats having a mattress delivered straight to your door. But how does it hold up in the bedroom? Here's my review after putting it to the test.

I'm at my happiest when enveloped in soft things, so my queen-sized mattress is, naturally, the softest firmness Brooklyn Bedding offers. To add to the cushiness, I opted for their luxe memory foam comfort layer and topped it off with a luxury knit cooling fabric.

If that sounds like overnight back pain waiting to happen for you, you could instead select the very opposite — the mattress comes in soft, medium and firm with a memory foam, latex or foam comfort layer so you can adjust your bed to suit your preferences. There are also hybrid models, cooling mattresses and all-natural varieties to choose from.

Even better? If you sleep with a partner, you can customize each half of a king- or California king-sized bed so everyone's happy.

As fancy as that all sounds, setting up the mattress was anything but. Just unbox the bed, cut off the vacuum seal, unroll it onto your bed frame and let it inflate. In just minutes, you're all set for a nap.

But a nap is small potatoes compared to a full night's sleep. Luckily, the mattress lived up to the task.

The top layer is just the right amount of squashy — enough to sink in, but not so much that my joints and curves don't feel supported as I sleep on my back or side.

And it's because of that cozy support that I've gotten some of the best nights of sleep on this bed that I've had in a while. It's undoubtedly physically more comfortable than other mattresses I've slept on in the past (even those with plush memory-foam pads). In fact, I wake up less stiff than when I sleep on firmer beds — it feels like my achey back is better able to relax and recover overnight.

But what I didn't expect was that this physical comfort could also facilitate better sleep mentally.

Have you ever found such a comfortable position that you can't help but actively relish it? Well, that's how I feel when I hop into bed for the night. I'll sometimes literally giggle when I cozy up under the covers because of how relaxed I feel.

And savoring that sensation acts like a meditation of sorts — it clears my mind, grounds me in my body and helps me drift off faster and more easily than usual.

As a result, my sleepy time has become even more sacred — and restorative — than it was before. While I've always gotten good sleep, I find myself waking up more rested and physically relaxed than I'm used to. This translates to more energy and less stress throughout the day.

It's also inspired me to practice better sleep hygiene to further enhance my snoozes: I've kept a more regular sleep schedule, take time to wind down in bed before falling asleep and upped my white noise game, all of which likewise benefits my body and mind come morning.

I can't say enough good things about this mattress — fittingly, I'm writing this very article from the bed.

But mattresses are pricey. Brooklyn Bedding mattresses typically range from $274 to $1,999. Luckily, you can get them at a discount this winter.

• ‌Gift of Sleep Sale (through December 13):‌ 20% off
• ‌Brooklyn Custom:‌ 20% off (starting at $1,399)

As a cherry on top, there's (always) free shipping nationwide.

And if you don't like what you get, Brooklyn Bedding offers a free 120-night trial during which you can send back the bed if you're unsatisfied. If you decide to keep it, the company also offers a 10-year warranty.

‌So if you've been wanting to take your snoozes to the next level, now is the time. Sleep tight!‌