People had already been having a hard time sleeping at night. Back in 2014, the CDC found that nearly 35% of all adults in the United States were getting less than optimal sleep at night, and ever since COVID-19, it has only gotten worse. Luckily, according to a recent study, it seems many products in the category of sleep technology, from wearables to beds, are helping people combat that.
The research, conducted by PlushBeds, polled 1,000 people to explore their sleep habits. In it, the company found that 46.7% of those respondents reported using some form of sleep tech, and that those using were over 22% more likely to be satisfied with their sleep. Not only that, those using sleep tech were found to be 50% more likely to have a better sleep experience than those who weren’t.
It was also found that younger generations were far more eager to employ sleep tech in their lives, with nearly 60% of those using it being aged 25 or under. Additionally, 70% of those who spent more than $300 on sleep tech reported having better quality sleep.
Sleep product users (where sleep products include weighted blankets, adjustable mattresses, cooling mattresses) on average spent $660 trying to improve their sleep, 15% more than sleep technology users.
What Types of Sleep Tech are People Using?
Diving deeper into the matter, PlushBeds also surveyed respondents on what products they were using and what the most associated benefits were. The products were broken down into three categories: apps, wearables and sleep technology.
Overall, sleep apps tended to help respondents reduce anxiety and create a better atmosphere for more refreshing sleep, with the most popular being Sleep Cycle (50.5%)—one of the first sleep apps ever created.
Wearables, on the other hand, often helped relax users while also making it easier to get out of bed in the morning. Here, Apple Watch (57.6%), Fitbit (47.1%) and the Biostrap band (38.6%) were the most popular.
Finally, sleep technologies—which include sound machines, specialty lamps, smart beds, smart pillows and more—helped make it easier for people to fall asleep and allowed them to wake up feeling more refreshed. The most popular physical sleep technologies were the Dodow sleep machine (49.7%), the Homni lamp by Terraillon (40.9%), and the Cove device (40.3%).
Users were also shown to greatly value products that have some level of regulatory approval as they grew more aware of the regulations that were place surrounding sleep technology as a medical tool. For instance, FDA approved sleep technologies are able provide clinically significant benefits to participants in company trial reports and be able to present that full data.