Sleeping Beauty at Last

My Helix Midnight Elite mattress love story (Now with added Zzzzs)

Hello, Gorgeous!

I’m so excited to introduce you to a new Hello Gorgeous! partner, Helix Sleep. In the coming weeks, I’m hoping to be able to offer some fun giveaways from Helix exclusively for Hello Gorgeous! subscribers. And stick around to the end - I’ve got an exclusive discount for you that’s the biggest of the season. But first, let me tell you about how I fell in love with my new Helix Midnight Elite mattress.

Sleepless in Brooklyn

I am a lifelong insomniac. My mother still complains about the fact that I’d keep her up at night when she was pregnant with me, tossing, turning, and kicking...you get the idea. So, the pursuit of a peaceful night’s sleep isn’t something I take lightly. To that end:

• I keep my bedroom temperature cool.

• I have blackout curtains.

• I sleep with two air purifiers running simultaneously and a white noise machine creating soothing beach sounds.

• I don’t keep a TV in the bedroom and try to avoid using any screens in bed or in my bedroom.

• Since I’m currently unpartnered, I don’t have to deal with anyone’s snoring, cold (hobbit) feet, or tossing and turning.

In other words, I’m doing everything needed to pursue a perfect night’s sleep. And yet, up until a few weeks ago, I still couldn’t achieve it.

Why sleep matters (more than your serum)

Studies have shown that poor sleep increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, and early death - health consequences that are remarkably similar to the risks associated with prolonged sitting. But wait, there’s more. Both are linked to raised cortisol, inflammation, and your body’s inability to repair itself properly.

So, beauty sleep isn’t just a charming phrase - it’s actual science. A good night’s sleep might be the single most effective anti-aging tool you have. Better than any serum, more transformative than any treatment, and cheaper than Botox.

My mattress quest

I don’t even know just how long I’ve been on a mission to find the perfect mattress. I’ve written about my quest over the years, and I even joined the editorial team at sleepdoctor.com for a while just to see if there was some sort of magic solution I kept missing. There wasn’t. I was just looking in the wrong place.

If sleeping at home was complicated, trying to sleep well on the road came with its own challenges, so I tried to build better sleep into my travels.

I stayed at a hotel in New York where a sleep concierge walked me through 27 different pillow options. Twenty-seven! I’ve stayed at a hotel in Edinburgh where they adjust the temperature in your room and subtly shift the direction your bed faces for optimal sleep. I’ve tested mattresses across the country and around the world, and sadly, nothing quite made me feel all the (sleepy) feels. But I never gave up.

For the past few months, I kept running into raves about Helix and decided to take their sleep quiz. I’ll be honest - I was skeptical. The quiz asked specific questions about whether one or two people would be sleeping on my mattress (just me), my sleep position (side sleeper), my pain points (do I wake up with back pain?), do I sleep hot, and my firmness preferences. Please note that you’re also asked for your email, name, age, height, and weight. I mean I guess you could lie about it, but you won’t get the perfect mattress recommendation. I was also asked if I want the best of the best (Oh, yeah!) or if I wanted good quality, but it doesn’t have to be the fanciest. I wanted the best.

The algorithm recommended the Helix Midnight Elite. The algorithm is very wise indeed.

Delivery Day Adventures

When the mattress arrived, it came in two boxes weighing over 150 pounds total. Here’s one piece of constructive feedback for Helix: please label the boxes “Open First” and “Open Second.” Since I knew I’d be writing about this I didn’t ask any friends for help with the setup but rather hauled both boxes onto my bed myself and unpacked them without guidance, which created a bit of chaos.

If you’ve never ordered a mattress online, here’s what happens: it arrives vacuum-sealed, you unbox it, unwrap it slowly until your mattress is free and then it expands like bread dough rising. Sometimes in spurts (get out of the way after you cut through that last piece of plastic wrap). You then wait a couple of hours for it to fully reach its proper shape and size. It’s oddly mesmerizing to watch, and you may have to position and re-position your grow baby mattress to get it just right.

The first box was for the mattress itself.

The second box was for the insert.

Oh, wait. Did I not tell you that the Helix Midnight Elite mattress unzips? And in what vaguely reminded me of a toaster pastry, it has room for an insert. If it wasn’t luxe enough, the extra layer added height and extra comfort.

The Midnight Reveal

In case you missed it in the marketing, the Helix Midnight mattress is black with silvery stitching that gives it an almost luxurious, modern look. If your bedding is light or see-through, you’ll need a mattress cover.

When I was all settled in, I kept noticing that the mattress was significantly softer than what I was used to.

Night One: Panic Mode

I’m not exaggerating when I say I almost had a panic attack that first night. The softness felt completely foreign to my body. I like to lie on my back when I’m talking on the phone, and this new softness wasn’t what I expected at all. I went to bed convinced I’d made an expensive mistake. I tossed. I turned. I finally slept.

The Turning Point

But here’s what I didn’t account for: as a side sleeper, you put tremendous pressure on your hips, shoulders, and arms throughout the night. I’ve spent years waking up with some part of my body hurting - that specific shoulder ache that tells you you’ve been sleeping in an awkward position for hours.

Night two with the Helix Midnight Elite: no pain. Not even a twinge.

Night three: I slept through the entire night without waking up once. Not even to use the bathroom.

Three Weeks In

Helix also generously sent me two Dream Pillows to try. Again, they’re softer than I would typically choose. And I’m completely obsessed with them. The folks at Helix explained that the Dream Pillows have a microfiber exterior that promotes airflow and breathability, with a down alternative fill that gives you all the plush comfort of a feather pillow without the allergy risk. Ahhh. Now I get it!

Here’s what I’ve noticed after three weeks: I sleep more deeply than I ever have in my entire life. I don’t know if it’s the specific cushioning, the mattress’s engineering for side sleepers, or some combination of factors. What I do know is this: I’ve tried pretty bizarre things in my search for sleep. The Helix Midnight Elite mattress was the missing piece.

The Honest Assessment

Is my new mattress softer than I’d prefer when I’m lying on my back during phone calls? Yes. Would I have chosen something different if I wasn’t so focused on achieving optimal sleep? Possibly.

But the results speak for themselves. Good sleep changes everything - your skin, your mood, your ability to function, your face (literally). We invest thousands of dollars in skincare products promising to reverse aging, while one of the most effective anti-aging tools might simply be eight hours on the right mattress. And trust me, I found the right mattress.

For someone who has been chasing quality sleep her entire life, finding a mattress that delivers actual, restorative, deep sleep isn’t just a win. It’s proof that beauty sleep is measurable and transformative.

Incidentally, Helix brand reps tell me that the Helix Midnight mattress is their best-selling mattress, because it is best for people who are kind of ‘middle of the road’ sleepers - individuals who want a mattress that isn’t too soft or too firm. It is also built for side sleepers, which is how the majority of shoppers identify themselves. Who knew?

If you’re considering your own Helix Midnight Elite, I have something special for you. Hello Gorgeous! readers get an exclusive 27% discount - the biggest discount of the season, even better than Black Friday - at helixsleep.com/hellogorgeous

Now please excuse me. I think I deserve a nap!

If you’re traveling over Thanksgiving you may end up sleeping in a lumpy bumpy bed. Isn’t it time to treat yourself to the ultimate mattress? Let’s meet in the comments to discuss!

Rachel, Your beauty concierge 💋

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Quick note: I included some affiliate links which means I might earn a small commission, but I also throw in stuff I love just because. Prices are current at publish time.