The Rise of the Sleep Economy: Why Quality Sleep Matters More Than Ever
Sleep is not a passive state of rest. It’s a dynamic process that enhances your brain and body. Learn how the sleep economy is poised to explode next year to help you sleep smarter, not harder.
Sleep is not only a necessity, but also an underappreciated aspect of overall health and wellness. In a world where we are constantly bombarded with stress, noise, and distractions, getting a good night's sleep can be a challenge. That's why I'm fascinated by the emerging "Sleep Economy", which is projected to grow significantly in 2024.
The Sleep Economy encompasses products, services, and applications that aim to enhance our sleep quality and quantity, such as mattresses, pillows, blankets, sleep trackers, sleep coaches, and more. These innovations are not only designed to make us more comfortable, but also to improve our health and wellness, as sleep is critical for our physical and mental well-being.
One of the products that I have personally experienced and loved is the Eight Sleep Pod 3, which is a smart mattress topper that adjusts the temperature (on each side of the bed independently) throughout your sleep cycle to get you better quality sleep, while measuring deep sleep metrics like stages of sleep, HRV (Heart Rate Variability), respiratory rate, and more. I have been using it for over 1 year now (including a season of the heat in Colorado summers and chill of winters), and I can say that it has transformed my sleep experience. I can fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and wake up refreshed, thanks to the Pod's ability to create the optimal sleeping environment for me and my wife. (I also can keep it significantly cooler on my side year-round.)
The Pod 3 is not only amazing, but also backed by science and evidence. A recent study revealed that sleeping on the Pod improved sleep and health metrics, such as increasing deep, light, and REM sleep, enhancing cardiovascular recovery, and improving perception of sleep quality. These results are impressive and show how this type of sleep technology as part of the Sleep Economy can benefit anyone who wants to sleep better and live healthier.
You are probably thinking I’m just an Eight Sleep fanboy…and you are correct. I couldn’t imagine not having something like this for the rest of my life. But unfortunately, this is one of the most luxurious options (and quite pricey) for this Sleep Economy. Like all technology waves before this, costs will continue to come down and eventually hit a mainstream level of adoption. However, there are also many other tech and non-tech products that can help sleep. Some of the other sleep monitoring products (like smart watches and smart rings) also allow you to become more aware of your sleep habits. Having that data surface daily through an app or alerts gives you insights and feedback to make a change in your habits. For instance, when you are alerted in the morning to a higher-than-normal overnight heart rate or changes to your heart rate variability, you are able to connect that alert to those two glasses of wine you had the night before. This type of feedback helps reinforce that negative sleep behavior that hopefully leads to behavior changes and results in better quality sleep overall.
NerdMD’s Take
Doctor’s orders: Sleep is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. And the Sleep Economy is here to help us achieve it. As a medical doctor and a sleep enthusiast, I am impressed by the Pod 3 and its ability to improve our sleep and health metrics. I think this is a great example of how sleep technology can enhance our lives and well-being, and I look forward to seeing more innovations in the Sleep Economy in the coming year.
What are your thoughts on the Sleep Economy and its impact on our lives? Let me know in the comments below and please share this with your networks and others.