1 in 10 babies co-created with IKEA…and other surprising bedroom facts

A 10% birth rate 

Have you heard the urban legend about so many millions of babies being conceived on an IKEA bed? The latest IKEA Sleep Report has reconstructed the myth as a credible piece of data, identifying IKEA as one of the world’s most popular reproductive assistants. Using an approximate calculation based on the number of children in a certain age group combined with the timings of relevant IKEA purchases, the report estimates that 6% of babies globally – and up to 10% in Middle Eastern countries – were produced on an IKEA bed or mattress. IKEA deliveries taken to the next level, you might say. 

80 years of wacky designs 

What makes a bed, a bed? Ever since the mid-1900s, IKEA designers have been fascinated with pushing the boundaries of sleep furniture. Take the INGALILL bed cabinet, for example: perfect for small spaces, you could pack away the whole bed, including the bedding, into the cabinet during the day. Or what about the AVENY CORNER corner bed, which offered a compact solution for two, not to mention some intriguing sleep configuration options: top-to-toe, toe-to-toe, or top-to-top? Other interesting shapes and set-ups like round beds and nestling beds have also popped up in the IKEA range through the years – most sadly laid to rest now, though. 

1,700 m2 of sweet dreams 

Here’s a fact for anyone who was ever in doubt that sleep matters at IKEA. Did you know that in a standard-size IKEA store, the Bedroom department takes up 26% of the entire Showroom? That’s a total of 1,200 m2 devoted entirely to beds, mattresses and bedroom storage. Not forgetting the additional 500m2 dedicated to bed textiles in a standard Market hall area, of course. Successful sleep is all about making room for the bedroom – and for IKEA, it’s clearly a serious business. 

2,000+ pyjama people 

In August 2024, IKEA broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest gathering of people wearing two-piece pyjamas (single venue). The achievement took place in Älmhult, Sweden, the heart of IKEA, and marked the beginning of a year-long initiative focused on improving sleep for the many people. The event saw a total of 2,051 co-workers come together, decked out in plant ball-themed pyjamas and colourful sleep masks. Rumour has it there were a record number of afternoon naps taken at work that day, too. 

One guarantee – 3,650 days of good sleep 

How long do you expect your mattress to last? Five years, seven maybe? How about ten, guaranteed? Yes, you heard right. IKEA mattresses and bed bases are covered by a 10-year guarantee against defects in materials and workmanship. Not enough to seal the deal? What about a 90-day “Sleep on it” mattress exchange, or another 10-year guarantee on PAX/KOMPLEMENT wardrobes and SKYTTA sliding doors?​ Not a guarantee of great sleep, perhaps, but one step closer to a greater peace of mind at least. 

2.5 million recycled mattresses 

So, your 10-year guarantee is up and you’re ready for a fresh new mattress. What do you do with the old one, just throw it away? Think again. When it comes to mattress recycling, IKEA dreams are big dreams – with investments in a company that helps to save 2.5 million mattresses instead of becoming waste each year. The RetourMatras method ensures that mattresses aren’t burned in the incinerator, but recycled – recovering up to 85% of the valuable materials that can be used for new products like sofas or, of course, mattresses. That’s one thought that can help us all sleep better at night. 

20+ million affordable sleeps 

Looking for proof of IKEA’s mission to serve the many people around the world with affordable solutions for better sleep? Try this. A pile of all the IKEA mattresses sold last year would reach as high as 6,831 Eiffel Towers, 2,673 Burj Khalifas or 250 Mount Everests, one on top of the other. In the same 12-month period, customers also bought enough IKEA pillows to serve every inhabitant of Beijing, or the population of Sweden twice over. Who knew simple bedding products could stretch so far? 

A day-bed containing… nothing! 

Great IKEA mistakes have always been celebrated, and the IKEA a.i.r range was one of the greatest. Launched with great enthusiasm in the 2000 IKEA catalogue under the headline “Content: Nothing!”, this innovative set of products was essentially just that: empty soft plastic shells that became full-size furniture with the help of a hairdryer and a fabric cover. A great idea in theory. Sadly though, the furniture would deflate when filled with hot air and the valve had a tendency to leak. So, a plump, cosy day-bed on Monday could be a shapeless, dusty pile of fabric by the weekend – emitting an unglamorous ‘pffft’ sound when you sat down. In the end, the whole idea just fell flat.

Anything else you’d like to know? 

At IKEA, we have so many stories to tell. But many of them stay right here, within IKEA. That’s where our “IKEA – Who knew?” series comes in. Is there anything you’ve always wondered about IKEA but never had the chance to ask? Contact us at [email protected] and we’ll get digging.