EXHIBIT 10.5

                                PLEDGE AGREEMENT


     This  Agreement is made as of the 6th day of June,  2001 by Select  Comfort
Corporation,  a  Minnesota  corporation  (the  "Debtor"),  in favor of St.  Paul
Venture Capital VI, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company,  as agent for the
holders of the Notes referred to below (the "Secured Party").

     WHEREAS,  the Debtor  and the  Purchasers  named in  Schedule 1 to the Note
Purchase  Agreement  referred to below,  as such Schedule 1 is amended or deemed
amended  from time to time in  accordance  with the  terms of the Note  Purchase
Agreement (the "Purchasers"),  have entered into a Note Purchase Agreement dated
the date hereof (as amended,  modified or  supplemented  from time to time,  the
"Note Purchase  Agreement")  pursuant to which the Purchasers  have purchased or
will purchase from the Debtor those certain Senior Secured  Convertible Notes of
the Debtor  payable  to the  Purchasers,  or their  registered  assigns,  in the
aggregate original principal amount of up to $12,000,000 (together with any note
or  notes  issued  in  exchange  or  substitution  therefor,  collectively,  the
"Notes").

     WHEREAS,  pursuant to the terms of the Note Purchase Agreement,  the Debtor
is required to pledge to the Secured  Party,  as security for the Notes,  all of
the capital stock of each Subsidiary (as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement)
by executing and delivering to the Secured Party this Agreement.

     ACCORDINGLY, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained in the Note
Purchase Agreement and herein, the parties hereby agree as follows:

     1. DEFINITIONS.  All terms defined in the Note Purchase  Agreement that are
not  otherwise  defined  herein shall have the  meanings  given them in the Note
Purchase Agreement. In addition, the following terms have the meanings set forth
below:

          "Collateral"  means the  Stock,  all  dividends  and  other  rights to
     payment on account of the Stock,  whether such payments  represent profits,
     capital gains, returns of contributed capital, or otherwise,  and all other
     money and property  distributed  to the Debtor from a  Subsidiary,  however
     characterized, together with all proceeds thereof.

          "Event of Default" has the meaning specified in Section 5.

          "Obligations"  means (i) the  principal  of and interest on the Notes,
     and (ii) each and every other debt,  liability and obligation of every type
     and  description  which the Debtor may now or at any time  hereafter owe to
     the holders of the Notes, or any of them,  under this  Agreement,  the Note
     Purchase Agreement or any of the other Transaction Documents,  whether such
     debt,  liability  or  obligation  now  exists or is  hereafter  created  or
     incurred and whether it is or may be direct or  indirect,  due or to



     become due,  absolute or  contingent,  primary or secondary,  liquidated or
     unliquidated, or sole, joint, several or joint and several.

          "Security Interest" has the meaning specified in Section 2.

          "Specified  Shares"  means the shares of capital  stock  identified in
     Exhibit A hereto, said shares being presently evidenced by the certificates
     listed therein.

          "Stock"  means any share of  capital  stock of any  Subsidiary  now or
     hereafter  owned by the Debtor,  including but not limited to the Specified
     Shares,  together with all stock or other securities  issued in exchange or
     substitution therefor or otherwise in respect thereof.

     2. SECURITY INTEREST. The Debtor hereby grants the Secured Party a security
interest (the  "Security  Interest") in the  Collateral to secure payment of the
Obligations.

     3.   REPRESENTATIONS,   WARRANTIES  AND   AGREEMENTS.   The  Debtor  hereby
represents, warrants and agrees as follows:

          (a)  TITLE.  The  Debtor  (i)  has  absolute  title  to  each  item of
     Collateral  in existence on the date hereof,  including  but not limited to
     the Specified Shares, free and clear of all security  interests,  liens and
     encumbrances,  except the Security  Interest and Permitted Liens, (ii) will
     have, at the time the Debtor  acquires any rights in  Collateral  hereafter
     arising,  absolute title to each such item of Collateral  free and clear of
     all  security  interests,  liens  and  encumbrances,  except  the  Security
     Interest and Permitted Liens, (iii) will keep all Collateral free and clear
     of all  security  interests,  liens and  encumbrances,  except the Security
     Interest and Permitted Liens,  and (iv) will defend the Collateral  against
     all claims or demands of all persons  other than the Secured  Party and any
     holders of Permitted Liens.  The Debtor will not sell or otherwise  dispose
     of the Collateral or any interest therein, except as otherwise permitted by
     the Note  Purchase  Agreement,  without  the prior  written  consent of the
     Secured Party.

          (b) CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICE;  IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. The Debtor's chief
     executive  office is located at the  address set forth on Exhibit A hereto.
     The Debtor's federal employer  identification number is correctly set forth
     on Exhibit A hereto.

          (c) CHANGES IN NAME OR  LOCATION.  The Debtor will not change its name
     or the  location of its chief  place of business  without at least 30 days'
     prior written notice to the Secured Party.

          (d) STOCK. The Specified  Shares are duly  authorized,  validly issued
     and  outstanding,  fully  paid  and  nonassessable.  The  Specified  Shares
     constitute  all of the issued and  outstanding  shares of capital  stock of
     each of the  Subsidiaries.  There are no outstanding  options,  warrants or
     other  rights to acquire  capital  stock of any


                                      -2-


     Subsidiary or securities  convertible into capital stock of any Subsidiary.
     The Debtor  agrees that it will not permit any  Subsidiary  to issue any of
     its  capital  stock to any  person  other  than the  Debtor or to issue any
     options,  warrants  or  other  rights  to  acquire  its  capital  stock  or
     securities convertible into its capital stock.

          (e) MISCELLANEOUS COVENANTS. The Debtor will:

          (i)  promptly pay all taxes and other  governmental  charges levied or
               assessed  upon or against  any  Collateral  (unless  the  amount,
               applicability  or  validity  thereof is being  contested  in good
               faith  by   appropriate   proceedings   promptly   initiated  and
               diligently  conducted and adequate reserves have been established
               therefor  in  accordance  with  generally   accepted   accounting
               principles)  or upon  or  against  the  creation,  perfection  or
               continuance of the Security Interest;

          (ii) promptly   deliver  to  the  Secured  Party  any  certificate  or
               instrument  constituting or evidencing Collateral,  duly endorsed
               or assigned in blank by the Debtor;

          (iii)from  time to  time  execute  such  financing  statements  as the
               Secured  Party may  reasonably  require in order to  perfect  the
               Security  Interest  and, if  Collateral  consists  of  investment
               property  not  constituting  certified  securities,  execute  any
               control  agreements,   and  take  such  commercially   reasonable
               measures   to  cause   any   applicable   securities   issuer  or
               intermediary to execute such control  agreements,  as the Secured
               Party  may  reasonably   require  to  obtain  control  over  such
               investment   property   (or,  in  the  absence  of  such  control
               agreements,  transfer  such  investment  property  to the Secured
               Party);

          (iv) pay when due or  reimburse  the  Secured  Party on demand for all
               costs  of  collection  of any of the  Obligations  and all  other
               expenses  (including in each case all reasonable  attorneys' fees
               and  disbursements)  incurred by the Secured  Party in connection
               with the creation, perfection, satisfaction,  protection, defense
               or  enforcement  of  the  Security   Interest  or  the  creation,
               continuance, protection, defense or enforcement of this Agreement
               or any or all of the Obligations; and

          (v)  execute,  deliver or endorse any and all instruments,  documents,
               assignments,  security  agreements,  proxies and other agreements
               and writings  which the Secured Party may at any time  reasonably
               request in order to  secure,  protect,  perfect  or  enforce  the
               Security  Interest  and the  Secured  Party's  rights  under this
               Agreement  (including  without  limitation  all  voting and other
               rights with respect to the Collateral  that the Secured Party may
               be entitled to exercise under clause (b) of Section 6).



                                      -3-


          (f) SECURED  PARTY'S  RIGHT TO TAKE ACTION.  If the Debtor at any time
     fails to perform or observe  any  agreement  contained  in Section  3(a) or
     3(e), and if such failure continues for a period of ten calendar days after
     Secured Party gives the Debtor  written  notice thereof (or, in the case of
     the agreements contained in clause (iii) of Section 3(e),  immediately upon
     the occurrence of such failure,  without notice or lapse of time),  Secured
     Party may (but need not) perform or observe such agreement on behalf and in
     the name, place and stead of the Debtor (or, at Secured Party's option,  in
     Secured  Party's  own  name)  and may (but need not) take any and all other
     actions  which  Secured  Party may  reasonably  deem  necessary  to cure or
     correct such failure  (including  without  limitation the payment of taxes,
     the  satisfaction  of  security  interests,  liens,  or  encumbrances,  the
     execution of financing  statements  and the  execution  or  endorsement  of
     instruments);  and,  except to the extent  that the effect of such  payment
     would be to render any loan or  forbearance  of money usurious or otherwise
     illegal  under any  applicable  law,  the Debtor  shall  thereupon  pay the
     Secured Party on demand the amount of all moneys expended and all costs and
     expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and disbursements)  incurred
     by Secured  Party in  connection  with or as a result of its  performing or
     observing  such  agreements or taking such actions,  together with interest
     thereon from the date  expended or incurred by Secured Party at the highest
     rate  then  applicable  to any  of the  Obligations  or  the  highest  rate
     permitted by law,  whichever is less.  To  facilitate  the  performance  or
     observance by the Secured Party of the  agreements of the Debtor  contained
     in this Section 3 or in Section 4, the Debtor hereby  irrevocably  appoints
     (which  appointment  is coupled with an  interest)  Secured  Party,  or its
     delegate, as the attorney-in-fact of the Debtor with the right (but not the
     duty) from time to time to create,  prepare,  complete,  execute,  deliver,
     endorse  or file,  in the name and on  behalf  of the  Debtor,  any and all
     instruments,  documents,  financing  statements,  and other  agreements and
     writings  required to be obtained,  executed,  delivered or endorsed by the
     Debtor under this Section 3 or under Section 4 to the extent  Secured Party
     has the right to perform or observe  such  agreements  as  provided in this
     Section 3 or in Section 4.

     4. RIGHTS OF SECURED PARTY. At any time after the occurrence and during the
continuance of an Event of Default,  the Secured Party may (a) notify the issuer
of any Stock to make payments and other  distributions  thereon  directly to the
Secured Party,  (b) receive all proceeds of the Stock, and (c) hold any increase
or profits  received from the Stock as additional  security for the  Obligations
(except that any money  received from the  Collateral  may, at the option of the
Secured  Party,  be applied to  reduction  of the  Obligations  in such order of
application  as the Secured  Party may  determine or be remitted to the Debtor).
The Debtor hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs each issuer of any Stock to
remit any and all money,  distributions  and other  property  described  in this
Section 4 directly to the Secured Party in the Secured Party's name alone.  Such
remittances  shall  continue to be made to the  Secured  Party until the Secured
Party otherwise  notifies the applicable  issuer in writing.  To the extent that
such  remittances are made directly to the Secured Party,  the remitting  issuer
shall have no further liability to the Debtor for the same.



                                      -4-


     5. EVENTS OF DEFAULT. Each of the following occurrences shall constitute an
event of default under this Agreement (herein called an "Event of Default"): (a)
default  shall be made in the  performance  or  observance  of any of the terms,
covenants or conditions of this  Agreement and such default shall continue for a
period of 15 days after written  notice thereof shall have been given by Secured
Party to the Debtor;  or (b) any  representation  or warranty  contained in this
Agreement  proves  to be  false in any  material  respect  as of the  time  this
Agreement  was made;  or (c) there shall occur any other Event of Default  under
and as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement.

     6.  REMEDIES  UPON EVENT OF  DEFAULT.  Upon the  occurrence  of an Event of
Default and at any time during the continuance  thereof,  the Secured Party may,
at its option,  exercise any one or more of the  following  rights and remedies:
(a) exercise all voting and other  rights with  respect to the  Collateral;  (b)
exercise and enforce any or all rights and remedies  available upon default to a
secured party under the Uniform  Commercial  Code,  including but not limited to
the right to take  possession of any  Collateral,  proceeding  without  judicial
process or by judicial process (without a prior hearing or notice thereof, which
the Debtor hereby expressly  waives),  and the right to sell, lease or otherwise
dispose  of any or all of the  Collateral,  and if notice  to the  Debtor of any
intended  disposition of Collateral or any other intended  action is required by
law  in  a  particular  instance,  such  notice  shall  be  deemed  commercially
reasonable if given (in the manner specified in Section 8) at least ten calendar
days prior to the date of intended disposition or other action; and (c) exercise
or enforce any or all other rights or remedies available to the Secured Party by
law or agreement against the Collateral, against the Debtor or against any other
person or property.

     7.  WAIVER OF CERTAIN  CLAIMS.  The  Debtor  acknowledges  that  because of
present or future  circumstances,  a question may arise under the Securities Act
with respect to any  disposition  of the  Collateral  permitted  hereunder.  The
Debtor  understands  that  compliance  with the Securities Act may very strictly
limit the course of conduct of the  Secured  Party if the  Secured  Party was to
attempt to dispose of all or any  portion of the  Collateral  and may also limit
the  extent to which or the  manner in which any  subsequent  transferee  of the
Collateral  or any portion  thereof may dispose of the same.  There may be other
legal restrictions or limitations  affecting the Secured Party in any attempt to
dispose of all or any portion of the  Collateral  under  applicable  Blue Sky or
other  securities  laws or similar  laws  analogous  in  purpose or effect.  The
Secured  Party may be  compelled  to resort  to one or more  private  sales to a
restricted group of purchasers who will be obliged to agree, among other things,
to acquire such  Collateral for their own account for investment only and not to
engage in a distribution  or resale thereof in violation of the Securities  Act.
The Debtor agrees that the Secured Party shall not incur any liability,  and any
liability of the Debtor for any deficiency shall not be impaired, as a result of
the sale of the Collateral or any portion  thereof at any such private sale in a
manner that is  commercially  reasonable.  The Debtor  hereby  waives any claims
against the Secured  Party arising by reason of the fact that the price at which
the  Collateral  may have been  sold at such  sale was less than the price  that
might have been obtained at a public sale or was less than the aggregate  amount
of the  Obligations,  even if the  Secured  Party  shall  accept the first offer
received  and does not  offer any  portion  of the  Collateral  to more than one
possible  purchaser.  The Debtor  further  agrees


                                      -5-


that the Secured Party has no obligation to delay sale of any Collateral for the
period of time  necessary to permit the issuer of such  Collateral to qualify or
register such Collateral for public sale under the Securities Act and applicable
Blue Sky laws,  even if said issuer would agree to do so.  Without  limiting the
generality of the  foregoing,  the  provisions of this Section 7 would apply if,
for example, the Secured Party was to place all or any portion of the Collateral
for private  placement by an  investment  banking  firm,  or if such  investment
banking firm purchased all or any portion of the Collateral for its own account,
or if the Secured  Party placed all or any portion of the  Collateral  privately
with a purchaser or purchasers.

     8.  NOTICE.  All notices  and other  communications  hereunder  shall be in
writing  and shall be given in the manner and with the  effect  provided  in the
Note Purchase Agreement.

     9.  MISCELLANEOUS.  This Agreement does not contemplate a sale of accounts,
contract  rights or  chattel  paper,  and,  as  provided  by law,  the Debtor is
entitled  to any  surplus  and shall  remain  liable  for any  deficiency.  This
Agreement can be waived, modified,  amended,  terminated or discharged,  and the
Security  Interest can be released,  only  explicitly in a writing signed by the
Secured  Party.  A waiver signed by the Secured Party shall be effective only in
the specific  instance and for the specific purpose given. Mere delay or failure
to act shall not  preclude  the  exercise or  enforcement  of any of the Secured
Party's  rights or remedies.  All rights and remedies of the Secured Party shall
be cumulative and may be exercised  singularly or  concurrently,  at the Secured
Party's option,  and the exercise or enforcement of any one such right or remedy
shall  neither be a  condition  to nor bar the  exercise or  enforcement  of any
other.  The  Secured  Party's  duty of care with  respect to  Collateral  in its
possession  (as imposed by law) shall be deemed  fulfilled if the Secured  Party
exercises  reasonable care in physically  safekeeping such Collateral or, in the
case of  Collateral  in the  custody or  possession  of a bailee or other  third
person,  exercises reasonable care in the selection of the bailee or other third
person, and the Secured Party need not otherwise  preserve,  protect,  insure or
care for any  Collateral.  The Secured  Party shall not be obligated to preserve
any rights the Debtor may have against prior  parties,  to exercise at all or in
any  particular  manner any voting or other rights  which may be available  with
respect  to  any  Collateral,  to  realize  on the  Collateral  at all or in any
particular  manner or order,  or to apply any cash proceeds of Collateral in any
particular order of application.  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure
to the  benefit  of the  Debtor  and the  Secured  Party  and  their  respective
successors and assigns (including  without  limitation any successor  Collateral
Agent under and as defined in the Note Purchase Agreement) and shall take effect
when signed by the Debtor and  delivered  to the Secured  Party,  and the Debtor
waives notice of the Secured  Party's  acceptance  hereof.  Except to the extent
otherwise  required by law, this Agreement shall be governed by the internal law
of the State of Minnesota and, unless the context otherwise requires,  all terms
used herein  which are  defined in Articles 1, 8 or 9 of the Uniform  Commercial
Code, as in effect in said state,  shall have the meanings  therein stated.  The
Secured  Party may execute  this  Agreement  if  appropriate  for the purpose of
filing, but the failure of the Secured Party to execute this Agreement shall not
affect or impair the  validity or  effectiveness  of this  Agreement.  A carbon,
photographic  or  other  reproduction  of


                                      -6-


this Agreement or of any financing statement signed by the Debtor shall have the
same force and effect as the original for all purposes of a financing statement.
If  any  provision  or  application  of  this  Agreement  is  held  unlawful  or
unenforceable  in any respect,  such  illegality or  unenforceability  shall not
affect  other  provisions  or  applications  which can be given  effect and this
Agreement  shall be construed as if the unlawful or  unenforceable  provision or
application  had  never  been  contained  herein  or  prescribed   hereby.   All
representations  and warranties  contained in this  Agreement  shall survive the
execution,  delivery  and  performance  of this  Agreement  and the creation and
payment of the Obligations.

     IN WITNESS  WHEREOF,  the Debtor has executed this Agreement as of the date
and year first above written.

                                     SELECT COMFORT CORPORATION


                                     By:  /s/ MARK A. KIMBALL
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Name:  Mark A. Kimball
                                        Title:  Senior Vice President


                                      -7-


                                                                       EXHIBIT A

SPECIFIED SHARES:

               CORPORATION               NUMBER OF SHARES     CERTIFICATE NUMBER

Select Comfort Retail Corporation            100,000                   2
Select Comfort Direct Corporation            100,000                   1
Select Comfort SC Corporation                  1,000                   1
Direct Call Centers, Inc.                      1,000                   1
selectcomfort.com corporation                  1,000                   1


DEBTOR'S CHIEF PLACE OF BUSINESS:

        6105 Trenton Lane North
        Suite 100
        Minneapolis, Minnesota  55442


DEBTOR'S FEDERAL EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER:

        41-1597886