Two military families meet Dallas Cowboys star Michael Gallup and get new beds, along with a busload of 300 Sleep Number^® pillows to take back to fellow soldiers at Fort Hood.

Defending our nation is hard work. Sleeping well makes it a little easier. That's why Sleep Number recently teamed up with the Dallas Cowboys to give two Army families Sleep Number 360^® smart beds.

Army Sgt. Isiah Hulett, along with his wife, Cherokee — who is also a sergeant in the Army — received a Sleep Number 360^® smart bed. Army Staff Sgt. Luis Munoz and his wife, Esmerelda, also received a smart bed. Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup presented the beds to them during a VIP tour of the Cowboys state-of-the-art training facility, The Star, led by the “Voice of the Dallas Cowboys" Brad Sham.

Dream Tour With Big Surprise

The tour alone was a dream come true for Isiah Hulett, a lifelong Cowboys fan who has been at nearby Fort Hood for four months after being stationed in Germany.

He was thrilled when he learned he'd been chosen for the tour as part of the Cowboys' effort to honor Dallas-area servicemen and women. He invited his friends, the Munozes, to join him and Cherokee. The Huletts brought their 3-year-old daughter, Ionna, along, too.

The two families toured The Star and had lunch, compliments of the Cowboys. Then Cowboys star wide receiver Gallup made a surprise appearance and told them they were receiving Sleep Number 360^® smart beds.

“I was shocked, I had no expectation," Staff Sgt. Munoz told the Dallas Morning News.

In addition to the beds, the Cowboys also donated 300 Sleep Number^® pillows for the soldiers at nearby Fort Hood. Sleep Number packed the pillows, along with a slew of Cowboys gear, on one of the Cowboys' famous buses and sent them to the base.

"These military families sacrifice so much for us, for their families, and for our country, so we can all sleep soundly at night. This is something we [Sleep Number] can do to make sure they sleep well when their family is back together," said Sleep Number Chief Marketing Officer, Kevin Brown.

NFL Salute to Service

During the Cowboys' Salute to Service game in November against the Denver Broncos, Sleep Number asked fans to write thank-you notes for active military members at Fort Hood to show appreciation for their sacrifices.

The notes were delivered to Fort Hood soldiers, along with the pillows. It was a busload of sweet sleep, Cowboys shirts, and heartfelt thanks for a couple hundred of America's servicemen and women.

Gallup said he understands why the military matters because two of his older brothers were Marines.

“I appreciate them doing what they do, day in and day out, so I can do what I do," he said of the soldiers being honored.

Sleep Number Partners with Military Nonprofit Blue Star Families

For seven years, Sleep Number has teamed up with nonprofit Blue Star Families to give high-quality Sleep Number^® mattresses to military families. 

The organization offers programs and resources that have helped more than one million military families.

"Our mission is to help improve lives through individualized sleep experiences, and the military community is really important to us," said Sleep Number's Brown. "By pairing our partnerships with Blue Star Families and the NFL, we've been able to do a lot of these events to give the gift of quality sleep to many families across the country."

In 2021, Sleep Number has offered sleep education tips for Blue Star Families and ran a sweepstakes where one person had the chance to win a Sleep Number 360^® smart bed.

Sleep is a critical component of good health, and it is something many military families struggle with: 57% of military families reported that their child had experienced separation anxiety, worry, and/or sleeping problems as a result of the service member's deployment, according to Blue Star Families' 2018 Military Family Lifestyle Survey.

See how Sleep Number and the Minnesota Vikings helped this other military family get better sleep. READ NOW  

Like diet and exercise, quality sleep has a profound impact on your physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Because no two people sleep the same, Sleep Number 360^® smart beds, with SleepIQ^® technology, sense your movements and automatically adjust firmness, comfort and support to keep you both sleeping comfortably and provide proven quality sleep. Find your Sleep Number^® setting for your best possible night's sleep, and if you own a Sleep Number^® bed, log in to your InnerCircle℠ Rewards account to see your exclusive offers, refer friends and more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leanne Potts is an editor, content strategist and award-winning writer. Her work has appeared in HGTV.com, DIYNetwork.com, Travel Channel.com, Gardenista, AARP, Sunset magazine, Chicago Tribune and Slate.