Sleep – or lack of – is the nation’s latest obsession, and the wellness trend is proving a big opportunity for home interiors brands and their PR, marketing and sales.

The Sunday Times’ bestseller, Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, provided thousands of us with a new insight into just how important getting decent shut eye is. From boosting our immune system to reducing the risk of obesity and diabetes, there are loads of benefits of getting good sleep.

As well as a growing body of research showing us how important it is to get enough rest, health and wellbeing trends are moving away from the ‘always busy’ culture. We’re understanding the importance of taking time out, relaxing and looking after our mental and physical health.

Talking ourselves to sleep: Media and PR opportunities for sleep interior brands

Our new interest in sleep – why it’s important and how we can get better sleep – has created a whole host of PR, marketing and content opportunities for relevant brands, businesses and experts. Designer beds, memory foam mattresses, sleep-inducing scents, luxurious bed linen – whatever products you manufacture or supply to help people sleep, there are some great opportunities to talk about what you do and why you do it.

Some of the top articles on sleep from UK-based media publications over the last year include:

• As the clocks go forward, bosses urged to let workers take an afternoon nap to ‘make up for lost hour of sleep’, The Sun (19.9k social media interactions)
• 10 things to know about sleep as the clocks change, BBC (14.5k social media interactions)
• Why too much sleep could be bad for your health, Daily Mail (11.6k social media interactions)
• This ‘miracle’ spray could cure your insomnia and help you get a good night’s sleep, Mirror (9.8k social media interactions)
• Late night phone use is linked to poor sleep and moodiness, Daily Mail (9k social media interactions)
• Aldi releases Slumberdown anti-snore pillow to help you get a decent night’s sleep, Liverpool Echo (8.2k social media interactions)
• Sleep deprivation stops brain cells firing properly, changing how we see the world, Telegraph (7.6k social media interactions)
• Asda is selling a plant which could cure snoring and ensure a good night’s sleep – and it’s a bargain, Mirror (7.4k social media interactions)

It’s a topic we’ve covered ourselves a few times for Saint-Gobain’s Multi Comfort website, looking at how we can create the perfect environment at home to get a good night’s sleep.

We’ve also seen some of our favourite family and lifestyle bloggers and influencers team up with the likes of Eve mattresses, podcasts sponsored by Casper and charity partnerships with Tempur UK and the Mental Health Foundation.

Sleep PR and marketing is turning into sales for home accessories and interiors brands

The John Lewis & Partners Retail Report 2018 was released this week, and it highlights just how our new favourite hobby of sleeping has translated into sales.

At the very top end of luxury, the retailer is selling a John Lewis Ultimate Collection Cashmere Pocket Spring Zip Mattress at a hefty price tag of £16,500 – which it’s sold six of this year. But elsewhere, some of its more affordable sleep products have also been selling well.

The report showed sales were up for:

• Neon Organics sleep products +264%
• Hungarian Goose topper +292%
• Upholstered Grace bedstead +1288%
• Devon wool pillows +42%
• Duck down duvets +14%
• Premium bed linen +11%
• Silk pillowcases +13%
• Sleepwear +7%

According to the John Lewis report: “Rest has become our greatest luxury and, in the world of sleep, business is booming. It is estimated 20,000 working days a year are lost to absenteeism caused by a lack of sleep in the UK. We’ve seen customers taking sleep more seriously, investing in high quality mattresses, bed frames and other accessories that improve the quality of their slumber. Shoppers are also increasingly turning to tech to get the perfect night’s sleep, buying sleep-inducing lights, smart watches and even sleep trackers which go under the mattress to provide data about the patterns and quality of our shut eye. Sales of sleep sprays, creams and aromatherapy candles are also up.”

How can sleep inspired interiors brands boost their PR and marketing?

Homes and interiors PR and marketing is one of our key focuses, and we love getting brands in this sector known and talked about.

It’s a great time for brands in the business of sleep, rest and wellbeing to focus on their PR and marketing – whether designer mattresses, relaxing room scents or health and fitness tech. From talking about the science of sleep to product placements, tests and reviews to influencer marketing – there are loads of ways to boost your home interiors PR and marketing to tap into this growing trend. With growing competition in the ‘sleep sector’, digital PR campaigns can help boost SEO and drive traffic to websites. Integrated, creative PR campaigns that can help to achieve several objectives can also be explored as standalone projects.

Find out more about what a home interiors PR and marketing agency can do for you.