As an account executive for WT Burnett Nonwovens, Sabrina G. Kilmer says she loves thinking outside the box. “My favorite thing about working in the sleep industry is working on new innovations with natural materials,” she says. Outside of work, though, life’s all about the cozy factor: hosting family functions, enjoying community events, and sharing her talent of singing. Then there’s her trusty weighted blanket: “Along with a cool environment, that’s what I absolutely need for a good night’s sleep!”
BedTimes: What’s your ideal bedtime (even if you don’t always hit it)?
Sabrina Kilmer: My ideal bedtime is 10 to 11 p.m.—and it’s pretty much always the same!
BT: Pets in the bed—yea or nay?
SK: Nay! We have one dog, a beagle named Sophie, but she sleeps on the floor at the foot of the bed. We also have a cat, Penelope, but we don’t trust her to be in the room. She jumps on my husband first thing in the morning and freaks us out.
BT: Barefoot or socks at bedtime?
SK: Barefoot—too many hot flashes, LOL.
BT: What’s on your nightstand right now?
SK: A bottle of water, leg cramp cream (for restless legs at night), vapor rub, a phone charger, and my late-night candy. No books—I play word games on my phone to fall asleep.
BT: What’s the best sleep product you own and why?
SK: My body pillow—it helps me get comfortable.
BT: What’s one thing you always pack to help you sleep away from home?
SK: Vapor rub for any congestion or lavender spray for the pillow and sheets.
BT: What’s the strangest or best place you’ve ever fallen asleep?
SK: The best sleep I have is in a movie theater with a blanket and reclining heated chairs.
BT: Do you break any traditional sleep “rules”? If so, which ones?
SK: I break the rule about eating right before bed and the eight-hour sleep rule all the time. I hardly ever get up to or over seven hours.
BT: What do you do if you can’t fall asleep?
SK: I turn down the temperature, snuggle under my weighted blanket, and scroll on my phone.
BT: Sleep mask or sound machine?
SK: Sound machine—like white noise or the sound of a fan.
BT: Cozy or cool?
SK: Both, actually. I like it to be cool in the room, but I must have my weighted blanket, too.
BT: Physical book or Kindle?
SK: Kindle. Right now, I’m reading The Risk Worth Taking by Teri Ijeoma.
BT: Before bed: read a book, watch a show, or listen to a podcast?
SK: For me, it’s watch a show—something on the Hallmark Channel or a funny, “feel-good” show that is not challenging to watch.
BT: Can you share a final thought about why you love working in the sleep industry?
SK: Because I work in nonwoven sales, I cover a variety of industries where innovative, forward-thinking ideas are a must. But the sleep industry is the only industry that I have come across that strives to be on top of what the family or community needs from infancy to old age. Comfort is always different depending on your stage in life, but as you change, the sleep products change with you.
