Up all night? If you’ve been able to rule out sleep apnea or other sleeping disorders, think twice about reaching for sleeping pills – the culprit might actually be your mattress. Replacing it won’t be cheap, but it may be worth it.

 

The right mattress really does make a difference. A study by the nonprofit research organization RTI International found that a mattress’ firmness has “statistically significant effects on both sleep and daytime functioning.” Sleep doctor and neurologist Christopher Winter of Charlottesville, Va., says that mattresses come up as an issue frequently among the problem sleepers he treats.   

 

Related: The Power of Positive Sleep Persuasion

 

Sleep products are getting more attention than ever because of a growing body of research that points to the physical and mental importance of a good night’s sleep. Tired drivers cause almost 20 percent of all serious car crash injuries, and people who don’t get enough sleep have lower productivity and more health problems, according to research by the National Academy of Sciences. Sleep deprivation costs the economy $63 billion a year in lost productivity.

 

In many parts of the sleep products industry, profits have zoomed. Sleep disorder clinics saw their revenues grow 12 percent per year from 2008 to 2013. Between 1999 and 2010, the use of prescription sleep medications almost doubled in the U.S. Yet, in the mattress industry, revenue has been flat for the past five years, IBIS World, a business research firm, reports.   

 

That doesn’t mean mattresses themselves have gotten cheaper. Innerspring beds run $1,600 on average, according to data collected by independent consumer site Sleeplikethedead.com, and mattress prices have risen about 2 percent a year since 2008. The price tag reflects a labor-intensive manufacturing process, pricey materials, and huge markups by wholesalers and retailers