A quick query on google trends tells us that sleep is continuing to show growth as a subject of interest. This chart shows what has happened to “sleep” as a search since April of 2012 and there is a steady climb up. More information reveals that the United States leads the world when it comes to a thirst for more knowledge on the subject.

I am bringing this up after reading an article published on April 8th, 2017 by the New York Times titled; Sleep Is The New Status Symbol.  It talks about how David Rose from M.I.T’s Media Lab is investigating weighted blankets, nap pods and listening to specific types of content to induce better sleep. Matthew P. Walker at the University of California, a professor of neuroscience and psychology and the director of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Laboratory, is working on direct current stimulation as a cure for sleeplessness in the aging brain.  In Paris, Hugo Mercier, a computer science engineer, has raised over $10 million to create a headband that uses sound waves to induce sleep with a product they call Dreem. Consider that your “deep sleep” cycle helps to flush those bad toxins in your brain and store your memories throughout the day. What if you could achieve a better quality of deep sleep? Dreem thinks they can help you accomplish that. My friend Rick Feingold has a system called Kugona that is clinically proven to improve sleep for kids with Autism. These are just a few of the projects that people are working on throughout the world.

More than ever, humankind is focused on sleep and how to get more of it. We are investing time, energy and talent into something that we all know is one of the key pillars of health, right along side of diet and exercise. Intuitively, people understand that sleep is something to be pursued, cherished, appreciated, and anticipated. “Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” Thomas Dekker. If we don’t sleep we will die. If we get great sleep, we feel as if we can tackle a problem that as recent as yesterday, seemed impossible to overcome. Here’s the kicker; are you ready? We sell products that help you do sleep better.

What do you sell? If it is a mattress, a pillow, a new set of sheets, an adjustable bed, a mattress protector, or even a box spring you are in the wrong business. If on the other hand, you are in the business of helping people discover a better kind of sleep, then you have my attention and will be rewarded with a bigger slice of my disposable income. Don’t just tell me you sell better sleep, show me the evidence of that. I want to see it on your websites, in your ads, and hear it when I listen to someone from your company speak about the products that you offer.

Don’t just do it because it could deliver more sales and profits to your business. Do it because you might just help someone focus on something that is important to them living a better quality of life. Make it part of your purpose. What if we all did?

I sell mattresses but I am NOT in the mattress business. What you make shouldn’t define what you’re about.