So it turns out that what women really want is a better night’s sleep. Who knew it was so simple!
The National Sleep Foundation recently reported that well over half of American women (60%) say they only get a good night’s sleep a few nights per week, with 67% saying they frequently experience a sleep problem. And 43% of women say that daytime sleepiness interferes with their daily activities.
Those are some of the results from NSF’s 2007 Sleep in America poll, released in March. These annual polls are closely watched by marketers in a number of industries addressing the sleep market.
Two leading bedding producers quickly followed the release of the latest NSF poll findings with their own releases addressing women’s sleep issues.
Simmons said it has published two mattress shopping guides for women on the Helpful Hints to Mattress Shopping section of its Beautyrest.com site. It said it published those shopping guides in response to the latest NSF findings. One of the guides is "A Girl’s Guide to Mattress Shopping." The other is "A Woman’s Guide to Mattress Buying."
And visco-elastic bedding leader Tempur-Pedic issued sleep tips for women in response to the NSF poll.
"Over 70 million people are affected by sleep problems, and the majority of them are women,"
said Terra Wellington, a health and wellness expert on Tempur-Pedic’s Wellness Advisory Board. "Quality sleep is a key element to a healthy lifestyle, and with life as we know it getting more and more hectic, women should make the most of the sleep they are getting."
Tempur-Pedic said it offers "a simple solution" to the sleep problems women face: Find the perfect mattress. "Why settle for a mattress that doesn’t provide the best night’s sleep?" the company asked.
It offered five tips on how women can evaluate their mattress and choose a new sleep system. They are: Demand the best back support possible, consider allergen-resistant bedding, look for a mattress that promotes air circulation, involve your bed partner in the shopping process, and include a pillow when shopping for a new bed.
Tempur-Pedic was the lead supporter of the National Sleep Foundation’s 2007 Great American Sleep Challenge, which was designed to help Americans determine if they are satisfied with their current level of sleep and, if not, to get the tools they need to set goals for healthy sleep.
It was smart of Simmons and Tempur-Pedic to capitalize on the NSF poll results. It’s axiomatic that women are the key decision-makers in mattress purchasing. Tailoring marketing messages to women is a wise move.
You guys got that?
