Sleep, Rollover, and Don't Play Dead- The Mattress Industry

If the US mattress industry had a patron saint it would probably be Arianna Huffington.

In 2007 she fainted from exhaustion, hit her head on a desk, broke her cheekbone and needed five stitches on her right eye. Ever since, the founder of the Huffington Post has championed the need for more sleep - and sales of mattresses have soared.

Of course there is no scientific proof that Huffington's catch phrase "sleep your way to the top" has done anything more than raise a laugh. But it certainly hasn't harmed businesses whose profits rely on Americans spending more time with their eyes closed.

"She's done wonders for our industry," says Mary Helen Rogers, spokeswoman for the International Sleep Products Association. "For years she's been talking about the importance of sleep, and I think the trend is changing and people are starting to take better care of themselves."

Figures from ISPA show that the number of mattresses and bed foundations sold in 2015 rose by 4.5%. Revenue was also up by 6.8%. Queen beds were the most popular.

"For a long time people were taking a quick fix or a short cut to a better night's sleep. Today a lot more people are thinking about what they're sleeping on, investing in better mattresses and spending time to get a mattress that's right for them," says Rogers.