One delighted commuter got a big surprise when passing through London King's Cross station, as she won a new mattress – from a vending machine.
The one-of-a-kind, two metre tall “Dream Machine” offers weary travellers the chance to wake up feeling more bright-eyed in the morning, by dispensing full-sized mattresses rolled up in a box, at the push of a button.
It comes as a poll of 2,000 adults found that almost a fifth (18%) admit to sleeping on a mattress that is older than the recommended shelf life of seven to ten years.
And a third of bleary-eyed Brits (32%) would describe their mattress as “well past its best”.
One lucky winner of the Silentnight mattress said: “I can't even remember the last time I changed mine – it's a bit embarrassing, really.
“But I know that it's really important to do so – and now I've had the stress taken out of it for me. It's amazing, I'm super happy.”
The research, commissioned by sleep brand Silentnight, found that four in five consider a decent mattress to be a sound investment – and 75% believe you can't put a price on a good night's sleep.
But despite this, four in ten of those polled admitted they don't prioritise quality sleep enough – and should make more effort with this aspect of their health.
Jason Mcilvenny, from Silentnight, which commissioned the research to launch its new Just Sleep collection of rolled and boxed mattresses, said: “Brits know a good mattress plays a key part in getting a good night’s sleep.
“Despite this, our study suggests they might not be prioritising this as much as they perhaps could – with millions putting up with tired mattresses.
“So we launched the “Dream Machine” to remind time-strapped commuters of the importance of a good mattress for getting a good night’s sleep, and how easy and convenient it can be – whilst giving them the chance to pick-up a comfy new mattress for free in an instant.”
When asked why they haven’t replaced their mattresses, the study revealed 25% simply haven’t had the chance to get a new one.
However, more than one in ten (12%) “can’t be bothered” to purchase one – and 12% admit they’re overwhelmed by the choice of options available.
Respondents also revealed what they look for in a mattress, with 56% wanting it to be comfortable, and 44% taking price into account – while, for 22%, firmness is important.
Carried out through OnePoll, the research also explored consumer’s obstacles in purchasing a new mattress – with 14% believing they would struggle to get one upstairs and into their bedroom.
And 12% fear they’d have to wait a long time for it to be delivered.
Jason Mcilvenny, from Silentnight, added: “With one in five Brits keeping their mattress for longer than the recommended eight years, we wanted to make it easier and more convenient than ever to make sure everyone is getting the quality sleep that they deserve with our new Just Sleep collection.
“There’s so much to choose from when it comes to mattresses, that it can be hard to know where to start. We’re hoping our “Dream Machine” will show just how easy it can be to get a quality night’s sleep.”
