Marfa: Sleeping Cool in the Desert

When one of our mattresses sold to a client in Marfa, Texas, we had to look it up on a map.  After talking to the customer and investigating the town further, we think we might have found our spiritual homeland.

A photo of the faux-Prada store in Marfa, Texas.

Marfa: Art & Design Mecca

If you are a fan of art and design you might have already heard of Marfa.  It is a town that appears to be just one big art installation.  Bolstered by minimalist artist Donald Judd who moved there in the 80’s, the town has become a destination for art lovers.  There is no gallery district, just art that is installed amid the spectacular Texas high desert, or smaller galleries that ask you to call them first so someone can let you in to have a look around.  And then there’s the weird Prada store in the middle of nowhere.  Actually, it’s not a real store, just an installation by artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset intended as a critique of the luxury goods market. Note to future prospective vandals: The shoes aren’t pairs and the purses have no bottoms.

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Peak Performance and the Pillow

We once knew a Division I volleyball coach who said: “Legs pay the bills.”

In between countless sets of squats, leg extensions and leg sled reps lied the key to success… along with hours of running, jump roping and sprinting.

There’s no doubt that resistance training and aerobic exercise are very important factors in an athlete’s physical performance.  Who doesn’t love the weight room, the suicide sprints and the tailored diets? They work.

Left out of that equation:  the role of sleep.

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Sweet Dreams! English Soccer Club Gets Serious About Slumber

One of England’s top soccer clubs is incorporating sleep science in their new $300 million training facility.

In an article published this past week by United Kingdom-based newspaper The Daily Mail, Manchester-based club Manchester City took a reporter for a tour of the facilities, which included a visit to the club’s high-tech sleeping quarters.

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“I think this is one of the best, if not the best, facility in the world,” said Patrick Viera, a former Premier League star who now runs his former employer’s elite development program.

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