SNOOZE NEWS
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Sleep loss is ‘turning us into zombies’
O
ver the past year, The Huffington Post has dedicated a lot of important coverage to the subject of sleep deprivation. It’s a personal campaign on the part of publisher Arianna Huffington, who said in a recent blog: “The scientific research is in: not getting enough sleep is bad for you in a million different ways. Lack of sleep leads to increased risk of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, weakened immune system, anxiety, depression and heart disease—the risk for which
goes up more for women than for men. Sleep deprivation is also involved in one of every six fatal car crashes. It is, literally, killing us. And when it’s not killing us, it’s merely turning us into zombies. It’s no coincidence, for example, that sleep deprivation is a key strategy of many cults. They force members to stay awake for extended periods because it degrades their decisionmaking ability and makes them more open to persuasion. And it’s not just decision-
OOPS!
A Las Vegas Market report in the September Sleep Savvy quoted an incorrect suggested retail price for Anatomic Global’s new adjustable base program. The correct suggested retail in queen for the new adjustable base is $1,450.
making that suffers, but also memory and creativity. Sleep deprivation severely affects relational memory, which is the brain’s ability to combine and synthesize distinct facts. It’s the sort of thinking that allows us to see the big picture and solve problems with creative and innovative breakthroughs. At the moment, the world is facing multiple crises. Many brilliant leaders with extremely high IQs have made terrible decisions, both in government and in business. What’s been missing is not IQ but wisdom—and sleep is our ticket to wisdom. Even more important than doing what’s best for ourselves and our careers, the world is in desperate need of big
ideas. And there are many, many of them locked inside of us. We just need to close our eyes to see them.” Applause to the Huff Post for championing the importance of sleep—and helping the industry alert people about the perils of Zombieitis (go to www. stopzombieitis.com).
JUST FOR LAUGHS
Less A choice
+ =
more quality “No, your dad didn’t turn into a flesh-eating zombie. He’s just not getting enough sleep, thanks to that old mattress we sleep on.”
8 SleepSavvy • October 2011
sales SALES
ccording to Barry Schwartz, author of The Paradox of Choice, offering high-quality products and fewer choices has a positive effect on sales. Consumers are more likely to buy if they’re reassured they’re making a good choice—a choice they won’t regret later. They’ll accept fewer choices if they trust that those few items will be exceptionally good.
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