London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 22, 2026

Inside the $70 billion industry designed to help you sleep

Including weighted blankets, hoodie pillows, and sleep trackers for your finger
This article, Inside the $70 billion industry designed to help you sleep, originally appeared on CBSNews.com

Over the past few years, humans have been waking up to the fact that to our well-being and productivity. The resulting has created a $70 billion industry, full of products aimed at helping you.

Elizabeth Segran has taken full advantage of the burgeoning industry, filling her bedroom with a variety of gadgets that help her get the 8 ½ hours of sleep she said she desperately needs each night to function. "Sleep is hard," she said.

Segran, who reports on the sleep industry for Fast Company magazine, said that "we've begun to realize that enough sleep is key to being optimal, to being productive."

"It's your health. It's your weight. It's your productivity at work, all of those things," said "CBS This Morning: Saturday" co-host Dana Jacobson.

"So you get a little test kit they give you, and they give what're called little flights," Segran explained. "And then you try it out and then you see what works for you before you order the amount that you need."

Once she's asleep, a sleep tracker under her mattress tells her the length and quality of her slumber. "And then it also offers you advice," Segran said. "So it coaches you."

The company Sleep Number started embedding sleep trackers in all of their mattresses, calculating what it calls your "SleepIQ." The company's beds also adjust firmness throughout the night and even offer a layer that fits under your sheets that controls the temperature of the bed. Dr. Thanuja Hamilton said sleep is priceless – but that getting it doesn't have to be expensive. "I suggest setting an alarm at night, about half an hour before bed," she said. "That's when that trigger goes off, you start winding down. If you want to meditate, if you want to write a little bit, set that ritual for bedtime and don't be late to bed."

Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith started their company, "Calm," as a meditation app. But it quickly evolved into something more.

"About 2 ½ years ago … we noticed there was a big spike every night, just before 11:00 p.m., all around the world, of people who were listening to the meditations to help them fall asleep," said Acton Smith.

Their high-tech solution? Bedtime stories. "We thought, 'What if we could create bedtime tales that were designed to help people drift off to sleep?' And we used to love, when we were kids, to have stories read to us," Acton Smith said. There are now 144 stories available in the calm app, including tennis legend John McEnroe reading "The Rules of Tennis."

"Wonder," narrated by Matthew McConaughey, has been listened to 4.3 million times. Tew said he and his wife have listened to astronaut Terry Virts' story around 500 times. "It still works because it's almost become a signal to us," he said. "As soon as it comes on, it's time to sleep." Calm has broadened its reach to include physical products, too, including a partnership with weighted blanket company Gravity and a branded mist pillow spray with essential oils.

Tew and Acton Smith test out a weighted blanket and essential oil spray on Dana Jacobson CBS News

With so many products, it's easy to get wrapped up in the excitement. But as someone who's tested all of these products, Elizabeth Segran offered a tip for overwhelmed buyers. "I think it's really important to diagnose why you're not sleeping," she said. "So is it that you're extremely anxious? If so, then you need to think about the things that you can do to relieve that anxiety … if the problem is that, you know, you're sleeping hot … perhaps what you need is bed sheets that are climate-specific"

But unfortunately, there's one problem brands haven't figured out: adding more hours in the day.

"I think [that's] one thing that the companies can't really help us with," Segran said with a laugh.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Expands Alcohol Ban Enforcement Using Tagging Technology Ahead of World Cup
UK Invests £50 Million in Critical Minerals Supply Chain Security
UK Appoints Special Envoy on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
UK Introduces Fines for Landlords of Unsafe Rental Properties
Reform UK Leads Opinion Polls as Immigration Debate Reshapes UK Politics
Police Investigate Edinburgh Attacks as Potential Hate Crimes
King Charles to Publish Personal Tax and Royal Household Financial Records
Nottingham University Hospitals Maternity Inquiry Report Set for Publication
Heat-Health Alerts Issued Across London and Southern England Amid Rising Temperatures
UK Economy Shows Pressure From Middle East Conflict Despite Modest Growth
Brexit Anniversary Reignites Debate Over UK Economic and Political Direction
UK Parliament Continues Legislative Work Amid Leadership Transition
Financial Markets Hold Steady After UK Leadership Shake-Up
Andy Burnham Enters Labour Leadership Race With Strong Parliamentary Backing
Keir Starmer Resigns as UK Prime Minister After Two Years in Office
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson to Raise Pension Concerns Over British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme
UK Parliament to Debate Newborn Screening for Spinal Muscular Atrophy Following Public Petition
Met Office Warns of Water Safety Risks During Heatwave as Temperatures Peak in England
Treasury Increases Mileage Allowance Payments for 2026–27 Tax Year to 55 Pence Per Mile
UK Government Raises Electricity Generator Levy to 55 Percent in New Revenue Measure
House of Lords Moves Financial Services and Markets Bill to Committee Stage Amid Regulatory Scrutiny
Westminster Hall to Debate Petition on Pro-Israel Influence in UK Politics
UK Parliament Prepares for Estimates Days Debates as Backbench Business Schedule Approved
Armed Forces Bill Nears Final Stages in UK House of Commons With Military Justice Reforms
Donald Trump Comments on UK Political Situation, Citing Immigration and Energy Policy Concerns
Andy Burnham By-Election Victory Fuels Speculation Over Potential Labour Leadership Contest
UK Economy Shows Resilience but Faces Headwinds from Middle East Tensions, UK Finance Says
UK Parliament Opens Week of Debates on Net Zero, Security and Armed Forces Reform
Met Office Issues Amber Extreme Heat Warning as Temperatures Expected to Reach 35C Across England and Wales
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Faces Mounting Leadership Pressure After Makerfield By-Election Defeat
London Hotel Wins World’s Best Afternoon Tea Award at International Hospitality Guide La Liste
Court of Appeal Rules in Favour of Competition and Markets Authority in Phenytoin Drug Case
Chichester Waste Site Suspended After Environment Agency Finds Serious Fire and Pollution Risks
UK Appoints Chris Elmore as Special Envoy on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
Environment Agency Fines Yorkshire Firms Nearly £470,000 for Environmental Permit Breaches
British Chambers of Commerce Says Post-Brexit Trade Deals Have Limited Economic Impact
Resident Doctors to Vote on Government Pay Offer in Ongoing NHS Dispute
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £46.3 Billion in Early Fiscal Year, Driven by Debt Interest Costs
UK Government Unveils £100 Million Package to Strengthen Fire and Rescue Response Capacity
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75 Percent Despite Easing Inflation
Met Office Extends Amber Heat Warning as Temperatures Forecast to Reach 38C Across Southern England
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Expected to Resign Amid Mounting Labour Party Pressure
UK Government Tightens Procurement Rules to Prioritise National Security and Supply Chain Resilience
National Drought Group Reviews Water Supply Risks After Dry Spring and Ongoing Heatwave
Andy Burnham Faces Leadership Speculation After Weak Local Election Results for Labour
Charity Commission Appoints Interim Managers to Barnabas Aid Amid Financial Investigation
Government Awards £27 Million Leonardo UK Contract to Maintain Military Aircraft Fleet
Environment Agency Suspends Chichester Waste Site Permit Over Fire and Pollution Risks
Border Force Seizes Record Cannabis Shipment in Major UK Criminal Network Disruption
Lloyds Banking Group to Hire 300 Artificial Intelligence Specialists in Digital Expansion Push
×