May is for mattresses! That’s one slogan that bedding marketers could use as our industry seeks to create greater awareness of the role that a good bed plays in getting a good night’s sleep.

I’ll share a few more with you below, but first let’s set the stage for this week’s topic: Why don’t mattresses get more love?

A while back, I lamented the fact that national media are a lot more interested in talking about trendy sleep cures, expensive sleeping pills, etc., than something as fundamental as the mattress. Several of you thanked me for those comments and agreed that we’ve got to get a stronger mattress message out to the media.

Now that we are in the middle of Better Sleep Month, it’s a good time to reflect on a basic dilemma facing our industry: We make the tools that lead to better sleep, but we don’t get the credit we deserve.

The 2006 Better Sleep Month survey found that a whopping 66% of respondents are not likely to evaluate their mattress for comfort and support and, if needed, consider buying a new one. Yet only 25% of the respondents rate the quality and quantity of their sleep as excellent.

Analysis: Most Americans need to take action to improve their sleep, but don’t think the mattress is part of the cure. What’s wrong with these people?

This Mattress Ignorance Problem is severe, perhaps because the mattress is out of sight and, as a result, out of mind. We must elevate the mattress in consumers’ minds.

Here are some marketing ideas:

*  Introducing an eight-letter word for better sleep: Mattress. If you aren’t sleeping like a baby, maybe it’s because your mattress is in old age. Get rid of that old-timer today.

* It’s the mattress, stupid. OK, this is edgy, but it might be catchy. Hey, you, want to sleep better? Before you spend all that money on sleep labs and sleeping pills, why don’t you check your mattress? It may be letting you down.

* First things first: It may be your mattress. An industry friend suggested this approach. A good night’s sleep starts with a good mattress. Is yours past its prime? Make sure it’s still comfortable and supportive before you start taking drastic steps to improve your sleep.

* We’re looking for the oldest mattress. A bedding retailer ran this promotion a while back. It puts a fun spotlight on the problem of old bedding. Retailers can give the winners a certificate for a new mattress. And the contest encourages consumers to think about the age of their mattress.

Those are just a few ideas to get you started. What suggestions do you have on how we can create more mattress awareness?