Based in Minneapolis, Select Comfort is the nation's leading bed retailer and creator of the Sleep Number bed.

Harmon, and husband Jason Sehorn, cornerback for the New York Giants, are long-time Sleep Number bed owners and Dallas residents. While visiting Ronald McDonald House, Harmon read her favorite bedtime story and helped the children create their own storybooks.

Select Comfort, the Official Bed Provider for Ronald McDonald House Charities®, delivered 21 Sleep Number beds to Ronald McDonald House® of Dallas on October 22. Sleep Number bed owner Angie Harmon showed support for the charity by reading her favorite bedtime story to the children.
(Photo courtesy of Select Comfort)

"It was a thrill and an honor to be at Ronald McDonald House for the donation of new Sleep Number beds," said Harmon.

"With a better night's rest, families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in my hometown of Dallas will be able to better maintain their health and well-being at a time when their children need them the most."

In 2001, Select Comfort was named the "Official Bed Provider" for Ronald McDonald House Charities® with an initial donation of 145 Sleep Number beds -- one for each Ronald McDonald House in the United States. To date, the company has donated more than 500 Sleep Number beds to Ronald McDonald Houses across the country.

"We are thrilled to accept Select Comfort's donation of Sleep Number beds to our home-away-from-home," said Barbara McDermott, executive director at the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. "Ronald McDonald House strives to create an environment where family members can rest and rejuvenate away from the hospital. Our guests are very grateful for a good night's sleep or even a short nap in a comfortable bed."

The Sleep Number bed utilizes patented air-chamber technology that allows the mattress to be quickly adjusted for personalized comfort on each side of the bed via a hand-held remote control -- perfect for families who are away from home and need a good night's rest. A SLEEP NUMBER® is a number between zero and 100 that represents the ideal combination of mattress comfort, firmness and support for each individual.

Good Support for Better Sleep

Each year, thousands of families stay at Ronald McDonald Houses while their children receive medical treatment at nearby hospitals. These family members frequently experience stress and anxiety that can disrupt sleep schedules, cause insomnia and provoke a greater occurrence of daytime sleepiness. It is during these stressful times that restorative sleep is needed most for recovery and healing.

"Watching a child struggle with a serious illness is difficult and exhausting, to say the least. Through our support of Ronald McDonald Houses, we hope to help families with sick children get a better night's sleep so they have the energy they need during the day to be strong and supportive," said Noel Schenker, senior vice president of marketing and new business development at Select Comfort. "In clinical studies, our bed has been proven to improve sleep quality and to allow a deeper, more restorative sleep, something of great value to families under stress."

In a study conducted at the Stanford University Medical Sleep Disorders Center, researchers found that 87 percent of those who slept on a Sleep Number bed experienced a greater percentage of REM sleep with fewer sleep disturbances.

More than 500 Sleep Number beds and various bedding accessories will be donated to Ronald McDonald Houses across the country this year. In addition, Select Comfort's 1,600 employees have donated nearly $5,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities through a payroll deduction program. Select Comfort's long-term goal is to provide a Sleep Number bed for each of the more than 3,800 bedrooms in Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide.