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The "Sleep Market" - An Overview Dubbed “sleeponomics”, companies across America are trying to sell us a perfect night’s sleep with pills, pillows, white noise machines, aromatherapy, massage, acupuncture and more. And it’s fast becoming a $20 billion a year industry. Some say that "sleep is the new sex--we want it, we need it, and we can't get enough of it." The roots of the problems – of disordered sleep – typically fall under one of six categories:
The Problem I n the U.S. alone, there are approximately 40 million adults in the U.S. who suffer from sleep disordered breathing.There are 85 recognized sleep disorders, the most recognizable of which may be insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless legs syndrome.
According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2005 “Sleep In America” poll…
The Opportunity for Sleep Service Providers Sleepweb analysts have defined the “sleep aids market” to be comprised of the following sub-segments:
The Treatments Sleeping Pills/Drugs
Sleep drugs could be the next antidepressants - moderately useful
drugs turned into blockbusters by aggressive marketing.
There's almost no public funding for for studying sleeping pills, - which means that information about these drugs comes almost solely form company- sponsored research. There's a huge financial incentive for drug companies to turn the volume up full blast. With few breakthroughs in the pipeline and several blockbusters- the cholesterol medication Zocor and the antidepressant Paxil, for instance - about to lose their patent protection, big pharmaceutical companies are desperate for new revenue streams. Compared with the $11 billion spent yearly on antidepressants, according to the pharmaceutical consulting firm IMS Health, the $1.7 billion sleeping pill market is virtual virgin territory. Psychiatrists and gerontologists are most likely to write prescriptions for sleep aids. Specialty Mattresses A number of forces and messages are converging on the consumer to reduce the time of the replacement cycle and to increase the price of the replacement. Innerspring mattresses have been the standard, but the industry is turning toward new materials and technologies such as foam, gel, and air chambers. These new mattress technologies are important, but what's also new is how companies have begun marketing - promoting the benefits of sleep rather than the mattress components. Noting that people spend one-third of their lives in bed, mattress company messages are using research on sleep, sleep deprivation, and consumer attitudes to incorporate mattresses into the refuge and sanctuary that consumers' bedrooms have become. Since 2000, the market value of the wholesale mattress industry has increased nearly 40%, climbing to $6.4 billion in 2005, according to the International Sleep Products Association. However, it’s the luxury market that’s behind much of the trend. Premium priced mattresses (those priced more than $1,000) accounted for 21% of sales in 2005, the latest data available, up from 14% in 2000. Furniture Today says the figure may be even higher. According to the magazine’s survey of shoppers, about 56% of the dollars spent on bedding went for products that cost more than $1,000. That’s up from 37% in 2000, according to the magazine’s survey.
Sleep Labs/Centers Studies P olysomnograms are performed at special sleep laboratories with academic or hospital affiliation, or in independently located and operated facilities. Sleep labs are often set up to resemble a bedroom, in order to help participants feel at ease. A sleep technician hooks patients up to the monitoring and recording devices, and then monitors the patient throughout the study. If a problem is noted, a second sleep study will be schedule to determine the best method of delivery.A t the sleep lab, you'll be fitted with various sensors, then attempt to go to sleep as you would on any other night. The sensors then transmit information such as oxygen levels and air movement to recording equipment. The whole process usually takes 7 to 12 hours.If the sleep technician confirms that you have sleep apnea in the early part of the night you may have what is called a ‘split-night study' (half diagnosis, half titration). After about 4 hours of observing how you sleep, the technician will wake you up to initiate CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). While on CPAP, the technician will continue to monitor you and measure the effectiveness of this treatment. This process can be done over two full nights in some cases. After your night in the sleep lab, a qualified sleep specialist will analyze your sleep study. This involves isolating any irregularities in your sleep patterns or your breathing. Often they will be trying to determine if you stopped breathing while you were sleeping and if you did they will count how many times this occurred.
Source: Sleepweb.com, Marketdata Enterprises, Inc.
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