My Story

JD Velilla, Founder of Designing Sleep

I didn't begin as a sleep expert. I started as a product developer in the consumer electronics and smart home industry. I have always been into gadgets, solving problems, and reimagining how technology can improve our lives. In 2016, I joined the leading mattress manufacturer in America, using my electronics background to lead the company's transition from a mattress company to a sleep company.

I have to be honest with you, though. I knew nothing about mattresses and even less about sleep. In my mind, sleep was a nuisance, a nonessential activity. And going to bed at a decent hour was a punishment, like when I did something terrible as a child. Yet there I was, a product developer who loves to immerse themself in the products they build and the problems they help solve. So, I started the only way I knew how, research. Lots of it!

I've developed relationships and learned from leading sleep scientists, doctors, researchers, and industry experts. I have tested and experimented with hundreds of products designed to improve sleep. Smart home devices, wearables, meditation, and breathwork apps, to name a few. Not to mention experiencing countless mattresses, smart beds, pillows, and linen sets. I've even automated my entire home around sleep and built my bedroom into a personalized recovery room.

Dedicating these past years of my life to studying sleep wellness has provided me with a fresh new perspective on the power of sleep. I quickly learned sleep is not the end of the day. It's the beginning.