The Sleep Geek, aka James Wilson, talks about how hot weather can be a hot opportunity – if it isn’t messed up.
I’m writing this in July and praying it’s still roasting when you read it in August, not because I love the heat, but because hot weather is a golden opportunity for sleep retailers… if we actually get it right.
Let’s be honest: summer sleep is hard. As nights get warmer, poor sleepers get even poorer sleep. And while we can dish out basic advice (close blinds when the bedroom has direct sunlight on it, crack windows open for airflow, have a lukewarm bath, don’t shove frozen peas in your pillowcase), what really matters is what people are sleeping on and under.
That’s where we as an industry come in.
Bedding basics: Natural materials like wool, alpaca, silk and bamboo are brilliant at helping regulate body temperature. But only if they’re used in meaningful amounts, too many products chuck in a whiff of natural fibre, slap on a label and expect consumers not to notice. We can do better.
The mattress minefield: This is where things often go off the rails. I regularly run menopause sleep sessions, and one product comes up again and again, and not in a good way. “Gel” mattresses.
Let’s call it what it is. It’s foam. With added bits. Foam is an insulator, which means it keeps heat in. No matter what Gillian Anderson says, “gel” mattresses don’t keep you cool all night. At best, they stay slightly less warm for a couple of hours. For hot sleepers, especially menopausal women, that’s not good enough.
And yet they buy them, because we’ve sold them the dream. That’s where we go wrong. The reality is that springs and natural fillings give better airflow. They wick moisture. They help regulate temperature properly. If someone loves the feel of foam? Fine, we can work with that. But let’s help them build a sleep environment that genuinely supports cooler sleep.
So, what now?
Consumers are getting wise. A recent McKinsey report on the wellness industry said people want more credibility, more transparency. In sleep retail, we’re not always great at that. We hide behind buzzwords instead of real benefits.
That’s why I created my Sleep Geek Certified training. I recently delivered it to the team at Fishpools, giving them the insights to match products to actual sleep problems, not just sell what’s trending. The result? Happier customers, fewer returns, and better reputations.
The heat is on – literally and figuratively. Let’s stop selling fluff, start talking truth, and turn hot nights into hot business (without burning our credibility in the process).
About the Sleep Geek
James Wilson (AKA The Sleep Geek) is a Sleep Educator & Practitioner and founder of kipmate. He is currently the sleep expert on ITV’s This Morning and has worked with the likes of Zurich, Next, Under Armour and West Ham United helping their people kip better. He offers training and certification for retailers, and a certification scheme for sleep products.
