Document and Entity Information	6 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information	Jun. 30, 2012	Jul. 27, 2012
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	TEMPUR PEDIC INTERNATIONAL INC
Entity Central Index Key	0001206264
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		59,545,817
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2012
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2012

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 329,461	$ 342,212	$ 713,854	$ 668,050
Cost of sales	162,578	161,194	340,985	316,722
Gross profit	166,883	181,018	372,869	351,328
Selling and marketing expenses	83,672	67,980	166,971	132,350
General administrative and other expenses	35,662	30,208	72,284	60,868
Operating income	47,549	82,830	133,614	158,110
Other expense, net:
Interest expense, net	(4,167)	(2,646)	(8,233)	(5,185)
Other income (expense), net	486	(118)	45	(721)
Total other expense	(3,681)	(2,764)	(8,188)	(5,906)
Income before income taxes	43,868	80,066	125,426	152,204
Income tax provision	14,745	26,982	40,085	50,860
Net income	$ 29,123	$ 53,084	$ 85,341	$ 101,344
Earnings per common share:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.46	$ 0.78	$ 1.35	$ 1.48
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.45	$ 0.76	$ 1.31	$ 1.44
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	62,851	67,959	63,366	68,257
Diluted (in shares)	64,337	70,018	65,019	70,469

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Unaudited) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Unaudited) [Abstract]
Net income	$ 29,123	$ 53,084	$ 85,341	$ 101,344
Other comprehensive (loss) income before tax:
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(10,138)	3,996	(4,547)	11,486
Derivative instruments accounted for as hedges, net of reclassification adjustments	(1,025)	582	(1,474)	1,430
Other comprehensive (loss) income, before tax	(11,163)	4,578	(6,021)	12,916
Income tax benefit (provision) related to other comprehensive income items	399	(227)	575	(558)
Other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax	(10,764)	4,351	(5,446)	12,358
Comprehensive income	$ 18,359	$ 57,435	$ 79,895	$ 113,702

The change in equity [net assets] of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources which are attributable to the economic entity, including both controlling (parent) and noncontrolling interests. It includes all changes in equity during a period except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners, including any and all transactions which are directly or indirectly attributable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent.

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 134,198	$ 111,367
Accounts receivable, net	131,192	142,412
Inventories	106,056	91,212
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	24,148	20,088
Deferred income taxes	17,161	14,391
Total Current Assets	412,755	379,470
Property, plant and equipment, net	166,310	160,502
Goodwill	213,150	213,273
Other intangible assets, net	64,959	66,491
Other non-current assets	8,366	8,904
Total Assets	865,540	828,640
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	69,179	69,936
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	76,009	76,636
Income taxes payable	8,632	20,506
Total Current Liabilities	153,820	167,078
Long-term debt	681,500	585,000
Deferred income taxes	19,568	24,227
Other non-current liabilities	22,792	21,544
Total Liabilities	877,680	797,849
Commitments and contingencies-see Note 10
Total Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity	(12,140)	30,791
Total Liabilities and Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity	$ 865,540	$ 828,640

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$ 85,341	$ 101,344
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	17,648	16,590
Amortization of stock-based compensation	7,410	7,719
Amortization of deferred financing costs	700	346
Bad debt expense	1,260	1,137
Deferred income taxes	(7,150)	(1,133)
Foreign currency adjustments and other	779	826
Changes in operating assets and liabilities	(19,447)	(22,879)
Net cash provided by operating activities	86,541	103,950
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(20,664)	(12,098)
Other	(1,669)	(1,970)
Net cash used by investing activities	(22,333)	(14,068)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from long-term revolving credit facility	245,500	572,500
Repayments of long-term revolving credit facility	(149,000)	(504,500)
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	10,077	22,386
Excess tax benefit from stock based compensation	9,678	14,133
Treasury shares repurchased	(152,565)	(160,010)
Payments of deferred finance costs	0	(6,109)
Other	(2,321)	0
Net cash used by financing activities	(38,631)	(61,600)
NET EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(2,746)	4,834
Increase in cash and cash equivalents	22,831	33,116
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	111,367	53,623
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	134,198	86,739
Cash paid during the period for [Abstract]
Interest	7,490	4,973
Income taxes, net of refunds	$ 48,052	$ 32,721

Acquisition	6 Months Ended
Acquisition	Jun. 30, 2012
Acquisition [Abstract]
Acquisition	(3) Acquisition On April 2, 2012, the Company acquired its third party distributor in Poland. The Company paid $1,669 in cash to acquire this entity, with future payments due to the former owners if certain operational targets are met. Assets acquired include certain Intangible assets, Inventories and Prepaids and other current assets.

Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity	6 Months Ended
Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity	Jun. 30, 2012
Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity [Abstract]
Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity	(7) Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity (a) Capital Stock. Tempur-Pedic International's authorized shares of capital stock are 300,000 shares of common stock and 10,000 shares of preferred stock. Subject to preferences that may be applicable to any outstanding preferred stock, holders of the common stock are entitled to receive ratably such dividends as may be declared from time to time by the Board of Directors out of funds legally available for that purpose. In the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of the common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after payment of liabilities, subject to prior distribution rights of preferred stock, if any, then outstanding. (b) Share Repurchase Programs. During the six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company purchased 5,023 shares of the Company's common stock for a total of $149,999 pursuant to the authorization approved by the Company's Board of Directors in January 2012. As of June 30, 2012, the Company has $100,001 remaining under the January 2012 authorization. Share repurchases under this authorization may be made through open market transactions, negotiated purchases or otherwise, at times and in such amounts as management and a committee of the Board deem appropriate; these repurchases may be funded by operating cash flows and/or borrowings under our credit facility.

Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
Income Taxes	Jun. 30, 2012
Income Taxes [Abstract]
Income Taxes	(11) Income Taxes The Company's effective tax rate for the three months ended June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2011 was 33.6% and 33.7%, respectively. The Company's effective tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and June 30, 2011 was 32.0% and 33.4 %, respectively. The Company's effective income tax rate for the three and six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 differed from the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35.0% principally because of certain foreign tax rate differentials, state and local income taxes, the release of valuation allowances against deferred tax assets of certain foreign entities, foreign income currently taxable in the U.S., the production activities deduction, and certain other permanent differences. The Company has not provided for U.S. federal and/or state income and foreign withholding taxes on $352,748 of undistributed earnings from non-U.S. operations as of June 30, 2012 because Tempur-Pedic International intends to reinvest such earnings indefinitely outside of the United States. If these earnings were to be distributed, foreign tax credits may become available under current law to reduce the resulting U.S. income tax liability. The Company has received income tax assessments from the Danish Tax Authority with respect to the 2001-2006 tax years, relating to the royalty paid by one of Tempur-Pedic International's U.S. subsidiaries to a Danish subsidiary and the position taken by the Danish Tax Authority could apply to subsequent years. The total tax assessment is approximately $139,086 including interest and penalties. The Company filed timely complaints with the Danish National Tax Tribunal denying the tax assessments. The National Tax Tribunal formally agreed to place the Danish tax litigation on hold pending the outcome of a Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreement (Bilateral APA) between the United States and the Danish Tax Authority. A Bilateral APA involves an agreement between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the taxpayer, as well as a negotiated agreement with one or more foreign competent authorities under applicable income tax treaties. During the third quarter of 2008, the Company filed the Bilateral APA with the IRS and the Danish Tax Authority. U.S. and Danish competent authorities have met to discuss the Company's Bilateral APA, and additional meetings are expected. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to the proposed adjustments and will oppose the assessments in the Danish courts, as necessary. It is reasonably possible the amount of unrecognized tax benefits may change in the next twelve months. An estimate of the amount of such change cannot be made at this time. The Company or one of its subsidiaries files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and various states and foreign jurisdictions. The Company is under examination in the U.S. by the Internal Revenue Service for the years 2008 and 2009. With few exceptions, the Company is no longer subject to tax examinations by tax authorities in the U.S. for periods prior to 2008, U.S. state and local municipalities for periods prior to 2006, and in non-U.S. jurisdictions for periods prior to 2001. Additionally, the Company is currently under examination by various tax authorities around the world. The Company anticipates it is reasonably possible an increase or decrease in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits could be made in the next twelve months as a result of the statute of limitations expiring and/or the examinations being concluded on these returns. However, the Company does not presently anticipate that any increase or decrease in unrecognized tax benefits will be material to the consolidated financial statements. During the six months ended June 30, 2012, there were no significant changes to the liability for unrecognized tax benefits.

Acquisition (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2012	Apr. 02, 2012
Acquisition [Abstract]
Business acquisition, cost of acquired entity, cash paid	$ 2,200	$ 1,669

Long-term Debt (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Long-term debt, revolving credit facility	$ 681,500	$ 585,000
Compliance with covenants	The Company was in compliance with all covenants
Senior Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Principal borrowing capacity, maximum	770,000
Remaining borrowing capacity	87,475
Line of credit facility, initiation date	2005-10-18
Line of credit facility, expiration date	2016-06-28
Interest rate description	The base rate of U.S. dollar-denominated loans is defined as the higher of the Bank of America prime rate or the Federal Funds rate plus .50%.
Credit facility commitment fee, minimum (in hundredths)	0.375%
Credit facility commitment fee, maximum (in hundredths)	50.00%
Interest rate swap period	4 years
Option to increase domestic		250,000
Domestic Line Of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Principal borrowing capacity, maximum	745,000
Remaining borrowing capacity	681,500
Index rate or LIBOR plus (in hundredths)	1.99%	2.05%
Revolving credit facility period	5 years
Interest rate description	interest at Base Rate or LIBOR plus applicable margin	interest at Base Rate or LIBOR plus applicable margin
Foreign Line of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Principal borrowing capacity, maximum	25,000	25,000
Revolving credit facility period		5 years
Interest rate description	interest at Base Rate or LIBOR plus applicable margin	interest at Base Rate or LIBOR plus applicable margin
Letter of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Letter of credit amount outstanding	$ 1,025

Fair Value Measurements (Details) (Recurring [Member], USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value [Member]
Liabilities:
Interest rate swap	$ 4,090	$ 2,616
Foreign exchange forward contracts	595	935
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) [Member]
Liabilities:
Interest rate swap	0	0
Foreign exchange forward contracts	0	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Liabilities:
Interest rate swap	4,090	2,616
Foreign exchange forward contracts	595	935
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Liabilities:
Interest rate swap	0	0
Foreign exchange forward contracts	$ 0	$ 0

Derivative Financial Instrument (Details)	6 Months Ended							3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
Derivative Financial Instrument (Details)	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 AUD	Jun. 30, 2012 JPY (¥)	Jun. 30, 2012 NOK	Jun. 30, 2012 NZD	Jun. 30, 2012 SEK	Jun. 30, 2012 SGD	Jun. 30, 2012 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2011 Interest Rate Swap [Member] Cash Flow Hedging [Member] Interest Expense [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Expense [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2011 Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Expense [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Expense [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2011 Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Expense [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Rate Swap [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Interest Rate Swap [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Expenses And Other Current Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Swap [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Expenses And Other Current Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Swap [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Swap [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Other Noncurrent Liabilities [Member] Interest Rate Swap [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Expenses And Other Current Liabilities [Member] Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] Accrued Expenses And Other Current Liabilities [Member] Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] USD ($)
Interest Rate Risk [Abstract]
Term of interest rate swap	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years	4 years
LIBOR-based interest rate	LIBOR-based interest rate to 1.25%	LIBOR-based interest rate to 1.25%	LIBOR-based interest rate to 1.25%	LIBOR-based interest rate to 1.25%	LIBOR-based interest rate to 1.25%	LIBOR-based interest rate to 1.25%	LIBOR-based interest rate to 1.25%
Senior credit facility balance covered under interest rate swap contracts	$ 250,000,000
Foreign currency denomination notional amount [Abstract]
Japanese Yen			459,000
Swedish Krona						30,369
Norwegian Krone				8,500
Australian Dollar		3,836
New Zealand Dollar					2,479
Singapore Dollar							295
United States Dollar	14,931
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative liability																4,090,000	2,616,000	1,882,000	1,471,000	2,208,000	1,145,000	4,685,000	3,551,000	595,000	935,000
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Amount of gain/(loss) recognized in AOCI on derivative (effective portion)								(1,025,000)	582,000	(1,474,000)	1,430,000
Amount of gain/(loss) reclassified from Accumulated AOCI into income (effective portion)								(790,000)	(582,000)	(1,580,000)	(1,446,000)
Amount of gain/(loss) recognized in income on derivative (ineffective portion)								$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 122,000	$ (211,000)	$ 730,000	$ 1,038,000

Stockholders' (Deficit) Equity (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012
Capital stock [Abstract]
Common stock shares authorized (in shares)	300,000
Preferred stock authorized shares (in shares)	10,000
Share Repurchase Programs [Abstract]
Shares of common stock purchased (in shares)	5,023
Value of common stock repurchased	$ 149,999
Value of common stock authorized for repurchase by board of directors	$ 100,001

Other Items (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Property plant and equipment net [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment	$ 380,535	$ 362,092
Accumulated depreciation	(214,225)	(201,590)
Net property, plant and equipment	166,310	160,502
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities components [Abstract]
Salary and related expenses	17,390	24,265
Advertising accrual	12,651	6,988
Accrued sales and value added taxes	8,693	8,497
Sales returns	5,356	5,285
Warranty accrual	4,661	4,280
Legal and professional Fees	4,547	3,259
Other	22,711	24,062
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities	76,009	76,636
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) [Abstract]
Derivative instruments accounted for as hedges, net of taxes of $1,595 and $1,020, respectively	(2,495)	(1,596)
Foreign currency adjustments	(17,637)	(13,090)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(20,132)	(14,686)
Derivative instruments accounted for as hedges, net of taxes	1,595	1,020
Land and Building [Member]
Property plant and equipment net [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment	121,317	121,794
Machinery and Equipment Furniture and Fixtures and Other [Member]
Property plant and equipment net [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment	234,563	225,521
Construction in Progress [Member]
Property plant and equipment net [Abstract]
Property, plant and equipment	$ 24,655	$ 14,777

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2012
Commitments and Contingencies [Abstract]
Future capital expenditure commitment, Corporate headquarters building	$ 13,000