Written by Jack Dell'Accio, Certified Sleep Coach and Founder & CEO of Essentia.
As Essentia hits 21 years, I’m looking back at what really matters in sleep, and what I’ve learned leading this charge. Sleep isn’t just rest; it’s the game changer for health, recovery, and performance. The mattress you choose, the environment you create... it all counts. Here are 21 straight-up lessons from two decades of sleep science and innovation.
21 Things I’ve Learned in 21 Years of Leading Sleep Research at Essentia
- Chemical and synthetic materials in mattresses have a profound impact on the body’s immune response. What you sleep on matters more than most people realize.
- Sleep is the most critical component of recovery. Training, nutrition, and supplements cannot compensate for poor sleep.
- Time in bed does not guarantee quality sleep. Eight hours means nothing if physiology isn’t supported.
- Stimulants are the silent saboteurs of sleep. Chemicals, EMFs, heat, pain, and stress compound more than people understand.
- Coils do not belong in a mattress. They break down quickly, provide inconsistent support, fail at pressure redistribution, and compromise longevity.
- Your mattress is the key contributor to your sleep environment. It impacts air quality, temperature, and electromagnetic.
- What you don’t see can hurt you. Off-gassing, chemical residues, and EMFs quietly disrupt sleep and recovery.
- True comfort is determined by posture and biomechanics, not perceived preference. The body knows alignment better than the mind.
- The mattress industry is not the sleep industry. That’s why it still relies on coils instead of physiology-driven design.
- Thermoregulation is not about sleeping cold, it’s about self-regulation. Quality sleep improves when the body can manage its own temperature, not when it’s refrigerated.
- Removing one stimulant helps. Removing the entire stack is life-changing. Sleep transforms when interference is fully eliminated.
- For years, elite athletes had the pyramid upside down. Training came first, then nutrition, then sleep. Today, the best know sleep comes first.
- The difference between the top athletes and those just behind them is usually recovery—not effort or talent.
- Quality sleep has a direct, positive impact on mental health. It improves resilience, emotional regulation, and cognitive clarity.
- Sleep is the foundation of healthy relationships. Better sleep reduces irritability, increases patience, and projects happiness.
- Wool is often touted as naturally flame resistant, but many companies pull the wool over your eyes... literally. Most wool used in mattresses is chemically treated to meet fire standards. Not to mention wool is actually a nesting ground for dust mites!
- The mattress industry borrows wellness headlines, but rarely delivers wellness outcomes.
- It’s essential to know the brand and manufacturer behind the influencer. Without substance, influence is not credibility.
- Building a business that genuinely helps people is the best business there is.
- What you “lose” by sleeping one-third of your life, you gain back in years of longevity, vitality, and performance.
- Everything is connected—sleep, hormones, cellular recovery, detoxification, and mental clarity. And after 21 years, I’m still leading, and I’m still learning.
After 21 years of research and real-world experience, one thing is clear: sleep is the foundation of everything we do and everything we want to be. My mission has always been to help you unlock that power, because better sleep means better health, better recovery, and better life. Here’s to many more years of leading the way in sleep innovation together.
Be Well,
Jack
