Get Paid to Sleep at Work: Get a Job as a Bed Tester

Some people hate to get out of bed to go to work in the morning. Other people go to work in the morning to get back in bed.

bed tester

(Photo Credit: guzzphoto/Flickr)

Hotel Chatter called attention to the dream job of professional bed tester when it profiled Travelodge’s Director of Sleep, Wayne Munnelly, back in 2006. Munnelly was paid to nap on the company’s 25,000 beds. He would check the lighting in the room and pay attention to how sound-proof the walls were. Pillows, blankets, and mattresses had to meet his comfort standards to be part of a Travelodge bed.

As noteworthy as this wild and wacky job is, it is not as uncommon as you may think. Jo Unsworth of London, England is a full-time duvet tester for John Lewis department store. In her quest to help her customers find the perfect bedding, she diligently crawls into bed and sleeps in all of the company’s products. Her personal favorite and recommendation is a big, thick goose-down duvet.

If you are looking for a temporary gig, you may want something similar to student Roisin Madigan’s 2009 temp job. Madigan worked with the luxury bed company, Simon Horn Ltd., which supplies beds to the Savoy Hotel. Madigan was hired to test beds from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the showroom under various conditions simulating the typical traveler’s experiences: sometimes after drinking alcohol, sometimes after drinking caffeine, as well as with different lighting and sound arrangements. The company also adjusted the temperature in the room, as that can affect a person’s ability to sleep even in the most comfortable of beds. Madigan had the added difficulty of sleeping in the showroom while people were milling about. That, we hope, does not simulate the typical traveler’s experience.

As part of her month-long employment, Madigan also blogged about the various beds she slept in for the company. Great work, if you can get it.

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