• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, January 15, 2025

To better understand what’s keeping people up at night, Ikea teamed up with the National Sleep Foundation. While it’s certainly no news that people are chronically sleep-deprived, the researchers discovered that people are constantly uncomfortable, and aren’t all that good at managing sleep hygiene basics like light, noise and comfort. Tania Moreira, bedroom business manager of Ikea U.S., tells Retail Insider what surprised her most and how the findings are changing Ikea’s approach to bedtime. 

Interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Retail Insider: Everyone I know complains about not getting enough sleep! Some of your findings explain it -- including the news that almost two-thirds of people don’t have consistent bedtime routines and that 86% aren’t satisfied with their sleep life. Did anything surprise you?

Tania Moreira: Yes! It was super-interesting that 86% are willing to miss out on other things they enjoy, like sporting events, dinners, and time with family or friends, to get a good night's sleep. Our last TV campaign focused on that “Joy of missing out” idea, but – 86%? Also, people spend over 30 minutes a day thinking about sleep – almost eight full days a year. And only 2% gave themselves an A for sleep satisfaction.

Retail Insider: Because people have paid so much attention to wellness since the pandemic, I thought they had focused more on barriers to sleep. Ikea has been marketing bedrooms as true sleep sanctuaries for the last few years. Why commission this research now?

Moreira: We’ve been focused on sleep and bedrooms for 80 years. It’s hard to get this “Better everyday life” brand promise we talk about if you’re not sleeping well. But customers’ lives are constantly evolving, and we wanted to better understand the specifics of sleep. What are the frustrations? And, of course, we want to be closer to experts, so we teamed up with the National Sleep Foundation.

It’s not just that people perceive sleep as integral to health. They also see it as part of happiness, with 67% saying a good night’s sleep makes them more creative.

We’re also glad that 80% of those in the survey say they’re willing to try new behaviors, and 70% said they are eager to try new products to improve their sleep. We can help with that.

Retail Insider: Ikea has long been about creating multipurpose homes, and that intensified during the pandemic, when people’s homes were suddenly also offices and schools. Has all that multitasking invaded bedrooms?

Moreira: To a degree. But sleep satisfaction come down to six bedroom essentials: Mattress comfort, temperature, clutter, air quality, sound and light. Of those, cool temperatures, mattress comfort and dark rooms were rated most important, at 23%, 20% and 18%.

But it’s different for everybody. Decluttering is important to some people. It’s hard to sleep when your room is a mess, and the proper storage solutions -- so everything has its place -- make people feel peaceful.

It’s all so personal, and as much about how people like to wake up as the way they fall asleep. Some people want light streaming in. Others like it dark. The right window solutions are so important.

Retail Insider: Are these findings changing how you market bedroom furniture?

Moreira: It’s influencing our range development. We’re always innovating. We launched a new range of mattresses last April. This month, we’re launching a new range of mattress toppers. And we are constantly introducing new pillows.

It’s also changing how we market bedroom solutions, as we continue with the “joy of missing out” messaging we started using last summer. We want to let consumers know they are on the right sleep journey.

Our website has a section called “The Good Night Club,” and we help people walk through all six areas so they can address where they need the most help.