South Korea is considered one of the most sleep-deprived countries in the world. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — The sleep industry is on the rise, which has even led to a new word, “sleeponomics,” a portmanteau of sleep and economics.
A market that was worth 500 billion won (US$414 million) in 2012 recently surpassed the 2 trillion won milestone. The sleep market is expected to surpass 3 trillion won this year.
South Korea is considered one of the most sleep-deprived countries in the world.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) statistics, the average daily sleep time of Koreans is seven hours and 41 minutes, the lowest among the member countries.
As a result, sleep aids are also becoming more diversified. Mattresses, pillows and other services for “sleep” are coming into the market.
The most basic item when we think of sleep is the mattress.
Mattresses are important for deep sleep as one can get a good night’s sleep when pressure is evenly distributed without any part of the body feeling ‘hotspots’.
Zinus’ Smart Tech Ultima Memory Form Mattresses, the best-selling mattresses on Amazon, is in harmony with its soft memory form and solid support form.
Pressure-absorbing pressure relief foam distributes pressure points in the waist and back according to body shape.
Because of this, the weight can be spread and the burden on bones and joints can be eased to improve the quality of sleep.
Meanwhile, the culture of siesta, common nap culture in Spain, Italy, Greece, and South America is spreading among South Koreans.
First opened in Seoul in 2015, Mr. Healing is a sleep cafe for those who need naps, including office workers and students. More than 100 franchises have opened just four years after its foundation.
Sleep Cafe is equipped with a sleeping space along with a massage chair for customers to take a nap.
While smartphones are commonly known to disturb deep sleep, there are applications to help deep and sound sleep.
The “Sleep Time” app analyzes users’ sleep patterns. When a user runs the app and goes to sleep, it detects the movement of his or her smartphone whenever he or she moves or turns over in bed.
The smartphone then records the changes to determine one’s sleep status. Users can check the graphs themselves and manage their sleep patterns.
D. M. Park (dmpark@koreabizwire.com)
Sleeping disorder is a common problem for almost all people. Over 80% of people all around the world are suffering from sleeping disorders. A few daily habits can improve one’s sleeping such as keep bedroom temperature comfortable, turn off all lights while sleeping, maintain a regular time routine for sleeping, go to the bed as early as possible, take light dinner, power off all the electronic device such as wifi router, TV, etc. use a comfortable bed/mattress, take a bath if possible, read enjoyable book before sleep, etc. Thank you for your important information about sleep.