What to know when it comes to sleep products
TAMPA, Fla. - Florida is known for its relaxing spots. So, it might make sense that the Sunshine State is also big for the bed business.
"Sleep industry in Florida is roughly about $1.1 billion. Most of that is due to the shift in population into the state of Florida.
There are major manufacturers that manufacture here in Tampa. A lot of the major manufacturers also have places in Orlando, West Palm Beach and areas like that," said Chris Podgorski, a District Manager with Bed Pros.
Buying a mattress in Florida means thinking about the weather.
"The big thing is it's hot here. So, you don't want a mattress that's going to retain heat. So, most of the mattresses that are sold here in Florida, most of them that we handle, have some sort of heat wicking ability," said Podgorski.
Besides picking the right mattress, consumers are using wearable tech to get information about the quality of their sleep.
READ: Neti pots, nasal-rinsing devices linked to potentially deadly amoeba
Dr. Lara Wittine, the Medical Director of the Sleep Lab at Adventhealth Tampa, has some thoughts about it.
"I try to tell people not to get caught up with any specific number that their watch is reporting back to them and regarding their sleep or anything like that, because a lot of these technologies do not measure sleep directly, they're indirect measurements," said Dr. Wittine.
And then there are the apps to help lull you to sleep.
"I think some of those apps that help people get into that kind of relaxed state where all of a sudden they don't have to, they're not thinking about the day as much. Their bodies aren't as tense. It really does help them to kind of make those transitions," said Dr. Wittine.
Supplements are popular too. One is magnesium.
"For the data for magnesium is really kind of in an older population, because when we hit 65 years and older, metabolism is not the same. So, drugs can linger longer in the system. They can have more potent effects than someone who is a middle-aged adult," said Dr. Wittine.
And then there's melatonin.
READ: VA-funded psychedelic therapy trials for PTSD could save lives, veteran organization says
"Melatonin is something that our own bodies produce. There's two receptors in the brain. One of those receptors helps to create a little bit of drowsiness. The second actually helps to shift the timing of our sleep. So, we actually time that melatonin, very low doses. We're talking one milligram, sometimes, six hours before their current sleep time to try to start prompting their brain to get sleepy earlier than what it is," said Dr. Wittine.
Here's a trick that doesn't cost money.
"It's kind of a deep breathing technique where you kind of breathe in for eight to 10 seconds. You kind of hold it for eight to 10 seconds, and then you try to breathe out for eight to 10 seconds. That helps to actually not only calm the body, but we think that it also like, helps kind of, change carbon dioxide, oxygen levels that actually help to kind of get that body into a more kind of relaxed state physiologically as well," said Dr. Wittine.
SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter
WATCH FOX 13 NEWS