Selling Sleep: Sleep Environments

What keeps you awake?

David Perry -- Furniture Today, March 20, 2013

The Better Sleep Council only asked this question of consumers who don't sleep in separate bedrooms, which is the vast majority of consumers. You will recall that in a recent Selling Sleep report, we noted that 9% of consumers responding to this BSC survey said they sleep in separate bedrooms.
The results here are extremely significant, as they underscore the critical importance of the sleep environment. The mattress is an important part of that environment, of course, but it's not the only part. The best bed in the world won't provide a good night of sleep if the room is too hot, too bright, too noisy, etc. The good news here is that those other factors can usually be addressed.
The fact that women are more sensitive to the sleep environment than men underscores the importance of meeting her mattress needs when she begins the shopping experience.
Applying the findings
This is where retail sales associates position themselves as better sleep experts as opposed to just a mattress salesperson. It's important to tell consumers that, while a good mattress is a great start to a great night of sleep, it's not the only key to better sleep. The sleep environment is also important, and RSAs can help consumers sleep better by alerting them to the importance of unplugging and disconnecting for several minutes before going to sleep, so that the mind and body can prepare for sleep.
They can also help consumers by talking about the temperature issues that affect many consumers. That discussion might lead to consideration of a heating or cooling system for the mattress or an electric blanket.
And if the sleep partner is an issue, the RSA can talk about products designed to minimize partner disturbance. A larger mattress size might also be worth consideration.