Sleep is no longer just for the weak. It’s for the strong, too. The conversation around sleep has slowly shifted in the past decade, with numerous studies demonstrating the importance of a good snooze to better living.
National swimmer Teong Tzen Wei wasn’t just looking for a better life, but stronger performances, too. The hyper-competitive athlete had reached a plateau in his swimming journey and was getting frustrated.
He exploded onto the scene with a bang in 2017 when he won a South-east Asian (SEA) Games gold medal in the 50m freestyle, toppling several heavy favourites along the way. It was an incredible performance—and he was only 18. After that showing, Teong became more serious about the sport.
He scored more medals in the following years at other competitions, culminating in a second SEA Games gold medal in the 50m butterfly in the 2019 edition that saw him beat swim darling and compatriot Joseph Schooling.
After that, the podiums stopped. No matter what he did, his swim times didn’t improve. “I looked for ways to improve my recovery so that I could get faster in the pool,” says Teong. Realising that his sleep quality was a major impediment, he researched several options on the market and landed on Tempur for comfort and sleep quality.
The investment paid off. In 2022, he returned as top dog in the 50m freestyle for the SEA Games when he clocked a time of 21.93 seconds. It was a national and Games record, and Teong became the first South-east Asian man to go under 22 seconds in the format. Teong also reached the finals of the 50m butterfly at the 2022 World Championships, competing against the likes of Olympic gold medallists Caleb Dressel and Michael Andrew. A month later, he finished second to English champion Ben Proud in the same event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Teong had arrived and his Tempur mattress had played a critical role. “With Singapore’s warm environment, the Tempur mattress allowed me to get into deeper sleep faster, thanks to its cooling properties. It also helped me be well-prepared for every training session,” says Teong.
This relationship deepened in March 2023 when Teong officially became Tempur Singapore’s ambassador. The swimmer was naturally delighted. After all, he had spent several years sleeping on one.
Today, Teong rests on a Tempur Pro Medium Firm SmartCool Mattress (pictured, above). He likes the pressure relief, which is perfect for spinal alignment—a critical factor in swimming. Teong also opted to pair the mattress with Tempur’s Zero G Lifestyle Adjustable Bed Base. He loves the head-up and foot-up adjustability, which allows him to lounge in bed between training sessions and catch up on his Netflix shows or read when he’s not sleeping.
His goal is simple: becoming just a bit better every day and achieving personal bests when he races. “If I’m lucky, I’ll bring more medals home for Team Singapore.”
