Author: Texas Mattress Makers

A significant portion of I-45 in Houston’s downtown area will be closed this weekend. Both the northbound and southbound lanes of the freeway will be closed between Interstate 10 and U.S. 59. The closure begins this Friday, November 11th, at 9pm. The closure is due to demolition and reconstruction of the West Dallas bridge spanning I-45 which was struck by a truck carrying a piece of construction equipment in September. If you are planning on travelling in the downtown area this weekend, you may want to prepare alternative routes to your destination as needed. Please view the map above to view the scheduled road closure and our suggested alternative route to our factory showroom.

Every year the Houston Press, a popular local publication known for reporting on the ever changing pulse of our city, releases their Best of Houston list to celebrate everything which makes it so vibrant and unique. The list includes a wide variety of entries ranging from Houston’s legal landscape to the best places to grab a bite. Each entry on the list features only those people, places and things which provide a unique local flavor and adds to the rich culture of our city.

Considering the cookie cutter clutter of mattress stores which can be found en masse on every busy Houston street, we are particularly honored to learn that they have named Texas Mattress Makers the Best Mattress Store and even created a new category to do so. We are also honored by the added bonus of being awarded Best Local TV Commercial, which can be seen in the video below.

We would like to thank the Houston Press for this recognition as a valuable asset to our city, as well as all our employees who work so hard every day to make Texas Mattress Makers everything it is. As a small, locally owned and operated business, nothing is more rewarding than receiving feedback from our customers and our community. Our priority has always been to provide only the very top quality products and services so every time we hear the word “Best”, whether it’s in regards to sleep, experience, or mattress store, we know we’ve done our job.

Each night, over 20,000 children in the Greater Houston area go to sleep without a bed. Since we became aware of this issue, we have made it our mission to help as many children as possible. This is our third year to partner with the Houston Children’s Charity and their A Better Night’s Sleep program. We are honored to work with them to help provide beds to Houston’s children to ensure they get the sleep they deserve.

Quality sleep is a key factor in children’s ability to learn and focus in school. A proper bed to sleep on has an immediate impact on the education of our children and ultimately, their future. During our 47 day #OneForOneBed event, we will donate a bed to a local child in need for every purchase of $500 or more.

Last year, with the assistance of our customers, we were able to help the HCC reach their annual bed donation goal. In fact, we were able to exceed our own donation goal by over 50%! This year, we want to do even better. With your help, we hope to provide 500 beds to Houston’s children.

The #OneForOneBed event is very dear to our hearts and it is something we cannot accomplish without your support. Your purchase during this time will help make an impact on our local community. Each bed will make a difference in a local child’s life.

Want to get more involved?

Learn more about the Houston Children’s Charity and their A Better Night’s Sleep program by visiting: https://houstonchildrenscharity.org/programs/better-nights-sleep/

U.S. Army Specialist (Ret) Dillon Cannon became inspired to join the military following the tragic events of 9/11. He attended the Marine Military Academy in Harlingen, TX and joined the U.S. Army in 2005. He was always the first to volunteer for assignments and approached his duties with enthusiasm, an attitude which earned him several medals including the Purple Heart. While serving in Iraq, Dillon was shot in the neck by a sniper, a near fatal injury which he fought hard to survive. After enduring 10 hours of surgery, he found himself permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Dillon now lives in Sugar Land, TX with his fiancée, Sarah Billingsley, whom he met at a local Military Appreciation Dinner after his medical discharge from the military. They share a home which was provided by Impact A Hero, a non-profit organization committed to helping wounded soldiers. Their home was specifically outfitted with all the amenities needed to accommodate his injuries.

However, the couple faces several other challenges around the home they did not originally anticipate. “After being injured you don’t really think about some of the stuff you’re going to need because your life has changed so quickly,” he says, “so even the simplest things of like how high a sofa is… or how soft or firm a bed is, you have to make adjustments for your lifestyle.”

The couple has had to adjust several daily routines such as getting out of bed and even how they sit together on the sofa. Youval Meicler, the President of Texas Mattress Makers and Living Designs Furniture, is a veteran himself and he and staff members personally worked with the couple to provide furniture specially customized to help improve their daily lives.

The couple’s original bedding was less than ideal. Dillon and Sarah slept on two mattresses side by side which often became pushed apart and caused Sarah to fall out of bed. The staff at Texas Mattress Makers designed a pair of mattresses for the couple which not only meets their different comfort and support needs, but will also fit closer together. The sides of the mattresses are shaped so that they will mold almost seamlessly for a tighter fit. Sarah is excited to finally be able to cuddle with Dillon comfortably in bed for the first time.

Living Designs Furniture also stepped up to address the challenges presented by their couch. The couple’s original couch was set about 5 inches lower than the seat of his wheelchair with a cushion that set the body further in towards the back of the seat, making it very difficult for Dillon to get in and out of his chair. The cushions on the new couch are made to provide a firmer surface for Dillon to support his weight on his arms while he moves. Every aspect of the couch from the height of the seat and arms to the pitch of the back support has been designed to accommodate the veteran’s needs as well as the couple’s personal comfort and style.

Despite the challenges he faces on a daily basis, Dillon refuses to let his injuries stop him from accomplishing his goals and he actively pursues his hobbies of photography and working on his car. “God spared my life for a reason,” he says, “I am meant to be here on this earth and become a productive person.” Dillon is a source of inspiration for us and we are honored to be able to do our small part to help improve his quality of life. We would like to thank Dillon for sharing his story with us, and thank all veterans for their service to our country.

Learn how you can get involved by visiting the Impact A Hero website.

At Texas Mattress Makers, we are proud to be a part of this community and we love to help others whenever we can. When we were invited by the Houston East End Chamber of Commerce (EECOC) to help support higher education for East End high school students, we knew we had to get involved.

Youval Meicler, our company President, originally came to this country with nothing but the clothes he wore on his back. His career began with sweeping a factory floor, a path which eventually led to the establishment of Noah’s Manufacturing Inc., Texas Mattress Makers, and recently, Living Designs Furniture. The opportunity to help one of our very own EaDo neighbors achieve their dreams through their own hard work is a cause very close to his heart. He believes that education is the first stepping stone to helping the children and young adults in our community flourish.

On April 27^th, 2016 at the 4th Annual Education Symposium, we were able to learn so much more about the needs of our community. We are proud to have awarded a $10,000 scholarship to Belen Mendoza, one of the twenty-five high school students to receive a scholarship. We are also excited to participate in the EECOC mentorship program. Rachael Gordon, one of our very own Texas Mattress Makers team members, will be able to follow up with Belen and provide mentorship whenever she needs guidance.

After meeting and getting to know Belen better, we could not be more excited to see her develop and realize her full potential. She is currently a student at our local Stephen F. Austin High School and an intern in the IT department at Kinder Morgan, a unique opportunity which was offered to her due to her advanced skills. She has already been accepted to several colleges and has chosen to study at the University of Houston in order to remain close to family and retain her internship. In the top quarter of her class, Belen is very dedicated to her schoolwork and is actively involved in several extra-curricular activities including the National Honor Society, Academic Achievers Program, and the Science National Honor Society to name a few. She is the type of person who always maintains a positive outlook and tries to help others as much as possible, no matter what type of day she is having.

We took a moment to catch up with Belen to see how the school year was wrapping up for her. According to Belen, this scholarship will help ease her mind on the financial aspects of school so she can focus more on her studies. “My family and I are still shocked at this unbelievable chance!” she gushed, “I know that with their help and mentorship program, I WILL be successful, and will be able to eventually pay it forward!”

We look forward to seeing what the future holds for Belen and the other students in our community. If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved in helping the students in our community, please visit the  Houston East End Chamber of Commerce website.

We all know that we need to get a good night’s sleep to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Most of us know sleeping well also improves concentration. But few are aware that sleep has a strong impact on so many important aspects of our lives we are constantly striving to improve. We have compiled the top 5 New Year’s resolutions (according to statisticbrain.com) and reviewed how Texas Mattress Makers can help you achieve your goals in 2016.

1. Staying Fit and Healthy

Too much or too little sleep is associated with a shorter lifespan, a fact that is little wonder when you consider the positive effects quality sleep can have on the immune system. Sleep also reduces stress and the risk of heart disease by 34%. According to Raymonde Jean, MD, director of sleep medicine and associate director of critical care at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City, “Sleep can definitely reduce levels of stress, and with that people can have better control of their blood pressure. It’s also believed that sleep affects cholesterol levels, which plays a significant role in heart disease.”

2. Enjoy Life to the Fullest

One night without sleep provides the functionality of a blood alcohol content of 0.08, or in other words, acting as though you are legally drunk. This can dramatically inhibit your ability to enjoy life to the fullest. Sleep deprivation also inhibits our ability to empathize with other people and can dramatically affect your mood. Allison T. Siebern, PhD, a Fellow in the Insomnia and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Stanford University Sleep Medicine Center asserts that “Over time, impaired memory, mood, and other functions become a chronic way of life. In the long term, this can affect your job or relationships.” Unless your idea of living life to the fullest involves living as a hermit, you may want to consider your sleep habits a top priority this year.

3. Spend Less, Save More

Given the benefits of quality sleep, a new mattress is a MUST if your current mattress isn’t providing the comfort and support your body needs. If a mattress is on your list to buy this year, Texas Mattress Makers can help you spend less money in 2016. In addition to our everyday low prices which are at least half of the price compared to typical retail stores, we are offering a New Years Sale. Save 10% off when you shop in our showroom! We also have several King Size mattress specials.

4. Getting Organized

Organizing is often a daunting, energy consuming task, even for the Martha Stewarts among us. In addition to improved concentration, proper sleep leads to higher energy levels. A Stanford University study found that college football players who dramatically increased their sleep for seven to eight weeks improved their average sprint time and had less daytime fatigue and increased stamina. The right mattress could be the difference between starting your day energized and wanting to spend the rest of the day on the couch.

5. Lose Weight

If you don’t get enough sleep at night, increasing your sleep time by just one hour could lead to a weight loss of 14.3lbs a year. When we don’t sleep enough, we often counter low energy levels by eating more than we normally would. However, oversleeping has also been found to increase weight gain by an average of 11lbs. According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago in which the participants were dieting, those who were well rested lost more fat—56% of their weight loss—than those who were sleep deprived, who lost more muscle mass. Find the proper balance between sleep time and quality of sleep with a mattress fitted to your body and your specific sleep needs.