Sleep Number

In 1980, the category of adjustable air-supported sleep systems was invented by a private company, Comfortaire Corporation of South Carolina. Robert Walker left Comfortaire and he and his wife, JoAnne Walker, formed a new company in 1987 called Select Comfort.

Select Comfort acquired the Comfortaire Corporation, its major competitor, in January 2013. In March 2017, Select Comfort announced that they would no longer offer the Comfortaire lineup of Air Beds to their third party retailers/dealers. In November 2017, Select Comfort Corporation changed their corporate name to Sleep Number Corporation.The company's TV commercials used to feature actress Lindsay Wagner. Other endorsers include conservative radio talk show hosts Glenn Beck, Paul Harvey and Laura Ingraham; Rush Limbaugh also previously advertised the product, but the company pulled its advertising in the wake of the Rush Limbaugh–Sandra Fluke controversy. Sleep Number is the official sleep and wellness partner of the NFL. Its commercials also feature star athletes like the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott.

Robert Walker left Select Comfort in 2001 and formed an alternative energy company, Bixby Energy Systems. In 2014, he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud, tax evasion, witness tampering and conspiracy for repeatedly misleading investors about Bixby Energy.As of December 2011, Sleep Number holds 23 issued or pending U.S. patents and 40 issued or pending foreign patents for its products. In September 2017, According to the Global Mattress Toppers market research report, Sleep Number was among the key players of Mattress Toppers market.In January 2020, Sleep Number announced a collaboration with Mayo Clinic to further sleep science research and cardiovascular medicine, valued at $10M over five years. In February 2022, Sleep Number entered into a long-term partnership with the American Cancer Society to embark upon foundational sleep research to identify the impact of quality sleep on cancer prevention and recovery.