Dream On!

Sleep awareness is everywhere these days. From studiesdocumenting how we don't get enough sleep, to new luxuryamenities designed to help us sleep better, to the multitude ofbooks and other products dealing with the dynamics of sleep,it's clear sleep is on a lot of people'sminds--entrepreneurs included. What's going on? "We areseeing a lot of movement in sleep products and services," saysReinier Evers, founder of Trendwatching.com, an industry-trendforecaster. It all fits into the trend of"massclusivity," says Evers--that is, more people wantingmore luxury products and more exclusive products in general."Category by category . . . room by room, it's allsuccumbing to consumers' insatiable appetite for the best ofthe best. Next: the bedroom," he says.

Evers also cites the growing number of aging boomers who havecash in their wallets and a desire for a good night's sleep.They're looking for comfortable, health-conscious andprofessional-grade beds, and are often willing to pay the heftyprice tag. According to the International Sleep ProductsAssociation, U.S. mattress and foundation wholesale shipments grewfrom $4.76 billion in 2002 to $5.04 billion in 2003, a 5.8 percentincrease.