Mattress Company and Mayo Clinic to Pair Up For $10M Sleep Study

Rochester, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) –Getting adequate sleep is key to prevention and recovering from injuries. Now, the company Sleep Number has announced a $10M partnership with the Mayo Clinic for sleep study research focusing on cardiovascular health. The partnership includes a donation not only for research, but also a development fund that aims to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. 

The director of the Mayo Clinic’s Cardiovascular Facility and Sleep Facility, Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., believes the study will be key to having a better grasp on sleep health. “While we know that sleep plays an incredibly important role in our overall health and wellness, we need evidence-based solutions to advance the science and clinical practice of sleep medicine,” he said. “This novel and important investigative opportunity will provide a robust foundation upon which to further our understanding of sleep and sleep disorders, and their interactions with health and disease.” 

Mayo Clinic and Sleep Number will be creating an advisory team consisting of Somers, Sleep Number’s Chief Product Officer Annie Bloomquist, researchers, and physicians.

Sleep Number President and CEO, Shelly Ibach is confident that the study will make an even bigger difference in the “12 million sleepers” that the company says it has already impacted through what they call their innovative sleep technology.

“Collaborating with Mayo Clinic will amplify our impact on improving society’s overall sleep and wellness,” Ibach stated in a press release. “By uniting our unparalleled sleep knowledge and technology with world-class clinicians and researchers, we’re poised to make meaningful advancements to the science of sleep, with goals to materially foster better sleep – and health – for society.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, failing to get at least 7 hours of quality sleep is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and obesity. A 2016 CDC report showed that 65.2 percent of adults do not get the recommended 7 hours of sleep per night.

In addition to increasing health risks, studies indicate that poor sleep quality reduces productivity, and increases the potential for workplace injuries. Workers with poor sleep quality are 1.62 times more likely to experience a workplace injury than those with better quality sleep, according to a 2014 Swiss Study published in Science Direct.

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