IKEA Canada brings sleep poverty awareness through installation, donation

I saw a meme the other day that if you get less than six hours of sleep a day, it’s like coming to work drunk. I could totally relate to it since I suffer from insomnia and I feel like I’m always floating since I’m always sleepy during the day. But I know I still have the comfort of my own bed and the necessary “tools” to get a full night’s sleep. I just have some personal and medical issues I need to resolve. I can just imagine how hard it is for those who do not have the privilege of getting enough rest and sleep.

Designer: IKEA Canada

In their research, IKEA Canada found out that almost 500,000 children in the country suffer from sleep deprivation due to various reasons, specifically economic conditions. They experience “sleep poverty” since they lack the basic sleep resources like proper beds and mattresses as well as other things connected to financial insecurity. They have come up with the “Sleepless Lamp” installation to shed light on this issue and also bring awareness to the help that the company and the citizens can do to help alleviate this kind of problem.

The lamp looks like an owl, an animal which is normally associated with sleeping late at night. The device is designed to be a visual representation of the fragmented and erratic sleep patterns that the children experience because of their economic situation. The lamp flickers and then dims occasionally to mirror the disruptions that they experience during their sleep. But this is not just a random blinking lamp. They use real sleep data from doctors to create a powerful and visceral experience for the viewer and bring awareness to their situation.

But this doesn’t stop at just raising awareness about sleep poverty for children. IKEA Canada has partnered with Furniture Bank to provide “Sleep Well Kits” for those who are in need. The kit will include a bed, mattress, pillow, bedding, and even a soft toy for them to cuddle while they hopefully sleep better. They will also be refurbishing and redistributing gently used mattresses and sleep essentials. They are even calling on the government to establish a National Sleep Well Program to help address this issue. Ordinary citizens can also help by signing a pledge and also donating to Furniture Bank or even just visiting the Sleepless Lamp installation to further understand the issue.

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