Clyde Edwards-Helaire partnered with @SleepNumber to surprise a local military family with a new Sleep Number 360 Smart Bed! 👏 pic.twitter.com/5Ctc56dNQh

— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 19, 2021

Kansas City Chiefs star running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire got into the Christmas spirit early this year, donating a 360 Smart Bed to a military family in partnership with Sleep Number. Edwards-Helaire, who is himself a member of a military family, worked in conjunction with the brand to provide a much-needed luxury to the Henke family at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas ahead of the holidays at the end of December.

“Being able to partner with Sleep Number and give an awesome bed to a loving and giving family and being able to surprise Phil Henke’s family is always a great feeling,” Edwards-Helaire said in a video shared on the Chiefs’ social media channels.

“I’m super excited, I’m happy for you all,” He told the Henke’s, “I was happy, even to have the short day to make the trip, so coming from a military family, I’m all for it.”

Edwards-Helaire assured them that they were in good hands, saying that Sleep Number had also set up the smart bed he uses at home.

Mr. Henke had been deployed to Korea for five months per the video, and still had seven months overseas before his tour of duty concludes. In a message to his family made for the video, he wished one of his children a merry happy birthday, told them that he hoped they had a good time at the game, and let out a hearty, “Go Chiefs!”

While it may sometimes be overlooked, sleep plays a huge role in an athlete’s life, just the same as it does for a parent or any other adult. Edwards-Helaire commented on the benefit he got from having a high-tech bed when overcoming a knee injury from earlier this season, saying that rest and sleep were keys to his recovery.

“Rest and sleep in my NFL career has absolutely been the pivotal point in my career,” He said. “More recently I had a knee injury, and in that moment you don’t want to rest but, being able to get the sleep that I was able to get with my Sleep Number bed, was great for me, and I was able to play a lot sooner than I thought and I think a lot of that came with understanding sleep patterns and understanding the significance of using my Sleep Number bed to it’s fullest capabilities.”

The generous gesture is sure to make a huge impact for the Henke family, and if they see even a fraction of the benefit the running back seemed to get from his Sleep Number bed, it should improve their lives for years to come.