Every night, all over the world, people settle down to sleep. In most cases, they are fortunate to find their way into Morpheus’ arms easily enough. But a rising number of people are affected by a lack of sleep, suffering from sleeping disorders due to a host of reasons.
For the past ten years, EBIA – the European Bedding Industries’ Association – has been focusing on the root cause of such disorders, given that a good bedding system is an absolute prerequisite for better sleep. To this end, it cooperates with the European Commission and other European associations in the field of consumer safety, renewal and recycling and product quality. EBIA’s primary goal is to make consumers understand that they need to start by buying a qualitative mattress, which has to be renewed within ten years, while emphasizing the importance of a good night’s sleep for one’s personal health. That is why the Association encourages research that can improve insights into sleep and sleeping disorders, while engaging in a variety of related study projects. Above all, EBIA’s aim is to provide the consumer with correct, relevant and useful information.
On the event of the tenth anniversary of EBIA, industry professionals will be meeting during the association’s annual general assembly, to be held in Brussels, the capital of Europe. Each year, the association presents its EBIA award to a expert, who has made a significant contribution to the field of sleep research. At the same time, this is an excellent opportunity to review recent developments as regards research into sleep disorders. This press kit comprises abstracts of new findings and research, carried out by some of the world’s most renowned sleep experts. We hope that the research community can keep up this incredible momentum, bringing us ever closer to the solution for a good night’s rest that everyone deserves.
Frank Verschuere
President
We spend one third of our lives asleep. But worldwide, every night, millions of people find themselves affected by a lack of sleep, making it one of the most frequent health problems of today’s society. Bedding, especially qualitative bedding, can have a huge impact on this phenomenon. The bedding business is not just about selling bed bases and mattresses. It is primarily about providing the consumer a good night’s rest. And that is a tremendous challenge, for the good health and wellbeing of any person is driven by sound sleep. People who suffer from sleep defi ciency will fi nd that this interferes with their life, whether physically (back pain, etc.) or mentally (higher stress, reduced work productivity, concentration issues, mood swings, etc.). Often the result is reduced work productivity, chronic absenteeism and, in a worst case scenario, even accidents.
It is clear that, next to a lot of other factors and circumstances that play a major role in ensuring the vital sleep, a good and high quality bedding system is an absolute prerequisite to achieving a wholesome and effective sleeping comfort. However, there is still a lot that even the bedding business needs to learn about the intriguing functioning of sleep. It is therefore that EBIA, the European Bedding Industries’ Association, sees it as one of its major tasks to encourage, sponsor and engage in various research and study projects that can improve our insights into the process of sleep. In a world where the consumer is being bombarded with too many incorrect, often too commercial and occasionally confl icting messages, EBIA honestly strives to provide the consumer with correct, relevant and useful information. To that extent, this press kit brings you extracts of major research studies and the recent findings and opinions of the world’s most renowned experts in this field. A small but contributory step to achieving this goal.
Frank Verschuere
President
