Why refreshing your pillows will increase productivity

We all have visions of entrepreneurs, lawyers, bankers and office workers burning the midnight oil at their desks, but the most important element in their productivity mix might be their bed. This is where Luff Sleep, and ‘Sleep Guru’ Stephen Goknel come in.

As a Founder and co-Founder of many businesses, what was the moment you realised that people’s health and the environment must be the centre of any brand?

For years now I have worked with C-suite employees and high performance retailers to offer products and solutions that will make their lives easier. One of the first things I noticed when I was starting my first company was my sleep – my work suffered when it was bad, and concentration and productivity went through the roof when I slept well and my brain and body felt recharged. It was a no brainer to focus on this, and try to solve the sleep gap for those working hard who needed it desperately, and everyone else too. I started preaching the importance of sleep quality to the teams I was managing when I was an employee. Ultimately, I am passionate about creating high-end brands that deliver value and quality to my customers, which is why I have sourced environmentally friendly materials to make bedding solutions that make the most of people’s time in bed. Time spent in bed is important, but the quality of sleep is also key. In a world where people’s health, sleep quality, and the environment are under threat, I’m on a mission to transform this sleepy industry into a force for good!

Sustainability and Quality are important. How did you position these at the heart of Luff Sleep?

When building the Luff Sleep brand I was conscious that it had to provide truly Luxury sleep products with a focus on sustainability, health benefits and ultimate comfort. These aren’t just buzzwords in the news agenda, but are important for the retail industry to understand, and use as pivot points for change. In order to build our loyal customer base (which we now have!) our pillows, sheets, bedding, mattress toppers and now mattress too, also had to be the best; made with the best materials for the body, as well as the most comfortable solutions and as affordable as possible. It was quite a challenge finding materials that would allow us to do that – then Bamboo was suggested. It’s a vegan-friendly textile that’s as breathable and luxurious as ‘standard’ mulberry silk. As well as that, it’s also an ultra-fast growing, low land and water use plant, which requires no fertilisers or pesticides, being a great solution for allergy sufferers, as it’s 100% organic.

What sets your brand apart from the competition?

I ensured, within the first year of starting Luff Sleep, that we developed unique and patented technologies for weaving Bamboo and creating CloudTec® Memory Foam that we had worked so hard on. These are what allows our products to stand out as the best; using recycling methods, quality materials and Memory foam to create the best environment for the body when it’s resting overnight. The Nanoweave® Bamboo is also Oeko-Tex 100 certified, is a sure-fire way to display our commitment to the environment to new customers.

We designed all of our pillows, mattress toppers and mattress with the expertise of doctors and sleep experts, so users get the best spinal alignment and support to literally take the pressure off.

What are the bestsellers for Luff Sleep, all year round?

Bestsellers vary depending on the ‘customer category’ – men and women generally shop for different things on our website, which is interesting!

Men generally love the 100% Organic Bamboo Silk Sheets, pillowcases and duvet covers. The quality is tangible and great value for money, as well as the set being fantastic for temperature control. As men generally prefer sleeping ‘cooler’ at night, feedback has been that they are the perfect match for couples, summertime, hay fever or asthma sufferers (as the Nanoweave® Bamboo Silk is also antibacterial and anti allergy).

Women shop for pillows, as generally they are more conscious of finding the correct back support to fit their daily lifestyle. The Mayfair Cooling Gel Pillow is one of our firmer solutions, and is popular because of the inbuilt cooling gel later which helps women suffering from midlife perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms and hot flashes at night. Disturbed sleep is one of the most frustrating symptoms of this change of life, so having a ‘hack’ like this available is priceless for many.

What’s the ‘something extra’ that Luff Sleep does, that is central to your ‘quality sleep’ philosophy?

My team at Luff Sleep believe that everyone deserves a good night’s sleep, and to feel safe where they lay their head down. Unfortunately, this is not the reality for a huge number of people who are currently homeless and sleeping where they can. As we are based in London, and see this first hand each day, we have committed to giving 10% of all our profits to homeless charities across the UK. We feel strongly that everyone deserves a future and that sometimes all they need is a little help to get them on their way. That’s why we donate pillows, bedding and profits to the homeless charities, in a bid to help.

Where can shoppers buy Luff Sleep’s products

We supply run events in some Costco shops and have limited edition runs in TK Maxx plus over 50 independent retail stores across the UK, as well as being available on Amazon, and at our store in the Metrocentre, Newcastle. Have a look at the full range on our website, www.luffsleep.com

Why refreshing your pillows will increase productivity

Why refreshing your pillows will increase productivity

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