Sleep and corporate strategy meet. Welcome to the era when sleep becomes the starting point for innovative ideas.
Why it matters: Sleep is a growing trend in companies, universities, and the media – and there's a growing billion-dollar sleep economy as new devices, mattresses, trackers, and alarm clocks flood the market.
- Venture capital funding for sleep technology has been steadily increasing, from about $400 million in 2017 to about $800 million in 2021, according to Crunchbase.
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What's happening: Sleep is a goldmine. "We're seeing a lot of companies entering this market and claiming to improve sleep," says Els van der Helm, a sleep neuroscientist. "A lot of it is marketing, but there's more money being invested in science-based products than ever before."
- There's a rise in wearables. More than a third of Americans have used an electronic sleep tracker, and most of them found the tracker's data useful and changed their behavior because of it, according to a 2023 survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine .
- Luxury bedding – mattresses with sensors, weighted blankets and adjustable pillows in various shapes – are designed for individual support. The mattress industry in the US doubled in value from 2015 to 2020, swelling from $8 billion to $16 billion, Time reports.
- Timer lights, eye masks , and smart thermostats are popular, while sleep headbands promise higher quality sleep, and there are shelves full of supplements and teas that claim to help.
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The big picture: Sleep is a key factor in our health and longevity—but it was among the last to be introduced into the global wellness conversation, says van der Helm, who advises workforces around the world. “We’ve been talking about diet and exercise for much longer.”
- There is a cultural shift from a national “bragging” about being too busy to sleep, to people’s “acceptance and real privatization of sleep,” says Seema Khosla, the medical director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep.
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Reality check: It's important to keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet for good sleep hygiene. Expensive devices aren't necessary.
- It's crucial to expose yourself to bright light immediately after waking up to let your body know it's daytime, says van der Helm, but you can do this by standing by a window or going outside instead of buying an alarm clock with a light timer.
- And while sleep devices can be helpful in some cases, they can also “induce insomnia by creating a sense of anxiety,” says Karin Johnson, a sleep specialist and professor of neurology. The “cheap way” to improve your sleep quality, Johnson says: Keep a journal and record the number of times you get up and whether there are factors that lead to better or worse sleep.
Source of information: axios.com
