By the time you read this, I will be at the IMM show in Cologne, Germany. I love Cologne and this is a great show to attend if you are in the mattress industry, but traveling those long distances really gets to me. I am type A and don’t like sitting still for nine hours. I have a very hard time sleeping on planes, and I have a boney butt so I am usually in pain by the time the plane lands. Can anyone relate?

So let’s talk about the sleep we try to get when we are traveling. You can lean your head against the window of a plane, train, or automobile but chances are you won’t come close to getting the same quality of sleep you would at home. For many like me, sleep during travel is elusive. I might be able to catch 20 minutes or so, but I can’t ever get comfortable enough to really go much longer. I know I am not alone because whenever I do travel overseas it is always the same scene. Everybody gets on the plane and starts to consume cocktails. Then they eat a meal, pop a sleeping pill, and try to get some shuteye.

People are trying to force sleep in an environment that is not conducive to good rest. Are WE in the mattress industry addressing those travel sleep problems effectively? Do you sell any of the travel sleep accessories that people use? Consider that Americans spend more than $41 billion a year on air travel, and that was back in 2009. People are getting on planes every day and dragging with them pillows, seat cushions, masks, and even sound machines. Maybe you are not going to get rich on a neck pillow, but this stuff adds up. Are you or are you NOT the place your customers should go for solid sleep solutions?

At least consider that around the holidays maybe you can bring in some items that people might want to buy for air travel sleep (people travel around the holidays, right?). Could they make a good stocking stuffer? How about bringing something like this in as an incentive to buy? Could you create a section on your website that educates your consumers on how to sleep better while traveling? Would they stay on your site longer and thank you for it since you taught them something they didn’t know?

I am just saying that sleeping while on the road is tough for many of us, and even if it isn’t we are all looking for ways to find additional comfort. So decide if there is an opportunity in this for you and jump on it.

This is my favorite travel pillow because it keeps my fat head from falling forward, or laying on the shoulder of the lady next to me. (Awkward.) Yes, I look like a dork but it helps me catch a few zzz’s.

So what are your travel tips on getting sleep? Tell me in the comments section.