From sleep raves to dream tech: why catching Z’s is now everyone’s fav hobby
Sleep is no longer just a fundamental human need anymore — it’s the path to peak self-actualization, with REM cycles the new wellness frontier. IKEA’s extensive global sleep study, IKEA Sleep uncovered, surveyed over 55,000 people across 57 markets, exposing how sleep deprivation, inequality and tech habits are fueling the sleep economy:
⏳ Sleep shortage: People globally sleep 1 hour and 20 minutes less than they aim for — that’s 20+ full days of lost 💤 per year.
🌍 Sleep inequality: Mainland China leads in sleep quality, while Norway snoozes at the bottom of countries surveyed. The US? Second to last — coinciding with its lowest-ever global happiness ranking.
😴 Hypersomnia rising? 28% rate their sleep quality as poor, 19% wake up more than twice a night and 18% wake up tired nearly every day.
🛌 Snooze over schmooze: 70% of people rank sleep as one of life’s greatest joys — climbing to 74% among 18-24-year-olds. Over half (58%) even prefer staying in and snoozing to going out.
😰 Stress and financial anxiety: Anxiety and overthinking rob 40% of people of shuteye. Among financially insecure people, 27% wake up multiple times per night — above the global average (19%).
📱 Bad screentime: 72% use their phones in bed — spiking to 86% for 18-24-year-olds, the group most worried about sleep. Laptops (24%) and TVs (39%) are also used in bed.
Coinciding with 2025’s sleep awareness month, IKEA is going full REM. Here’s the brand highlight:
🛋️ Design your sleep while you sleep: IKEA and MRM Madrid flip sleep tracking into shopping — analyzing your nighttime behavior to serve up personalized, shopable sleep solutions. Dive into more SENSESCAPING innovations to create a tech-driven sleep sanctuary.
🔦 Sleepless lamp: In Canada, IKEA’s emotional installation flickers to mimic the fragmented sleep patterns of nearly 500,000 sleep-deprived children. In 2025, every brand is a healthcare brand — how will you prove your BRANDCARE value?
📲 ‘u up?’ stunt: Late at night, IKEA Canada slid into loyalty members’ DMs, turning the iconic ‘u up?’ text into mattress discounts. With people spending almost 40 minutes on their phones before bed, how can you help late-night scrollers build better bedtime habits?
