Wake up to emerging opportunities in natural sleep products.

It’s no secret that a great day begins with a good night’s sleep. The quality and duration of sleep can have a drastic effect on both physical and emotional wellbeing.

Still, millions of Americans struggle to get enough sleep—and it’s more than just an annoyance. According to the CDC, it can contribute to serious health conditions like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. It’s a problem that will likely continue to grow as our lives grow increasingly complex and stressful.

That’s likely why sleep products have long been big business. Consumers have spent millions on everything from pills to pillows in search of a better night’s sleep.

Recently, many have begun seeking new, more natural alternatives to help improve their sleep, and the market has responded with an array of food and beverage products and wearable technology. Even big names like PepsiCo and Nestle have jumped into the category.

In light of these developments, we decided to take a closer look by conducting a survey about natural sleep products among our 360 Health & Wellness community.

50% of consumers surveyed said they’re not satisfied with their sleep—and most are willing to pay a premium for an effective solution.

Consumers cite many factors that keep them up at night, including family stress (42%), mental health or depression (26%), the pandemic (23%), and work or school-related stress (18%).

To address the problem, 72% say they are willing to spend more on products that can deliver improved sleep quality and help them wake feeling refreshed, while 70% would pay more for a sleep aid that helped reduced their feelings of stress.

Consumers appear to be seeking holistic, healthier solutions to enhance their quality of life—not just products that put them to sleep, but products that help them improve their overall health by helping them sleep better. Our survey found particular interest in products like supplements, foods and beverages that contain natural sleep ingredients, and wearable technology or apps.

Natural sleep-enhancing ingredients have begun to appear in products like Nestle’s Goodnight, a chocolate bar containing L-theanine and casein, and Driftwell from PepsiCo, a functional water containing 200mg of L-theanine. The trend has even made its way into ice cream in the form of Nightfood, which contains less sugar and caffeine while delivering sleep-enhancing ingredients.

What consumers say about natural sleep products:

“I trust natural sleep ingredients and would enjoy eating/drinking something relaxing.”

“I usually have a snack before bed and it would be good if it helped me go to sleep.”

“Food or beverages with the added benefit of helping me sleep would be convenient and healthier than taking medication.”

Explore more about the emerging new category of natural sleep products.

Consumer demand for natural ways to improve sleep will likely continue to grow in the future. After all, the world isn’t getting any less stressful, and good sleep will always be essential to maintaining health and wellness.

Our survey found rising interest in a surprising variety of sleep-enhancing foods, including many products not normally associated with bedtime snacking. That interest represents new opportunities for innovative manufacturers—and our research can help your business capitalize on the trend.

Get a closer look at all the new ingredients, foods, and beverages consumers say they might consider to help improve their sleep, and discover more potential opportunities that our survey uncovered. Download our findings about natural sleep-enhancing consumables and technology now.