The Sleep Gap: Diving Deeper Into the Inequality Surrounding Sleep

Now that you have an understanding of the issue of sleep inequality, you have the power to act on that knowledge and make a difference in your community. Here at Mattress Nerd we believe in the importance of volunteering to help local families with this issue. Our team supports non-profit organizations in our area that are working to bridge this sleep gap. We work with organizations like The Green Chair Project and Beds for Kids, which both work to provide children with safe and comfortable places to sleep at night.

The Green Chair Project reuses essential furnishes donated by the community to help Wake County residents in need. Its bed donation program called Sweeter Dreams is specifically focused on providing Wake County children with a mattress and a safe place to sleep.

“Over 6,000 school-age children in our community lack a bed of their own to sleep in on a regular basis. Ninety-six percent of those children are sleeping on the floor, couch or with someone else,” says Jackie Craig, executive director of The Green Chair Project.

That translates to about one out of every 30 students in the Wake County Public School system, according to a spring 2019 needs assessment conducted by The Green Chair Project.

“The need continues to grow as Wake County’s population continues to grow at a rate of 67 people per day,” Craig says. “Not only does our general population increase, but so does the amount of poverty and great need.”

Since The Green Chair Project launched its Sweeter Dreams children’s beds program in 2012, “over 5,000 children have received beds of their own that include a new mattress, bed frame along with sheets, comforter and pillow,” Craig adds.