Focusing on the so-called ROI of sleep, last month’s Fortune Small Business (FSB) magazine laid out the economic case for better sleep. The multi-pronged feature detailed the value of naps, the productivity benefits of improved slumber, and the business-wrecking effects of sleep apnea. In one example, writer Anne Fisher outlines the case of public relations firm owner Lou Hoffman who lost a major account due to his perpetual exhaustion. After a tip told him about his troubled breathing, Hoffman was diagnosed with acute sleep apnear and eventually got the treatment he needed.  

The Fortune piece comes as yet another ripple in a massive storm of consumer media articles touting the positive benefits of sleep. The article comes on the heels of USA Today story that calls CPAP one of Medicare’s fastest growing medical equipment expenses, with a sales increase of 96% since 2004. “The malady has been linked to serious harm, such as strokes and heart disease,” writes Fish in FSB. “It can also wreck your business.”

Unlike some consumer articles, FSB specifically mentions CPAP as the main reason for Hoffman’s turnaround. “Hoffman’s savior was CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure), which requires the sleeper to wear a plastic facemask connected to a machine that pumps air into his nose and throat, keeping the airways open,” writes Fish. “With CPAP, Hoffman breathes normally and sleeps all night. CPAP may have saved Hoffman's life, and it surely saved his business.”