#Periodsomnia

New research conducted by Libresse, known as Bodyform in the UK and launching as Saba in the US, reveals that on average, women+ lose 5 months of sleep over their lifetime due to the discomfort, anxiety and fear of nights on their period[1}. This research on the period sleep gap has informed the brand’s latest taboo-busting campaign, #Periodsomnia, and the launch of its new Goodnight Towels with MaxCour-V™ adaptive technology.

The survey, gathered from over 10,000 women+ across 11 markets also revealed that:

62% have poorer sleep on their periods
33% struggle to sleep because of the anxiety around their sanitary product leaking and staining their bed sheets and pyjamas, evidence of the entrenched stigma that still exists around period blood
62% don’t enjoy staying over at others’ homes or going on holiday during their period and a fifth (18%) would rather miss out on a date than face someone seeing a stain on their pyjamas or bed sheets

Bodyform, owned by Essity, has a history of category-defining work that aims to eradicate taboos and shame around women+'s intimate experiences in order to create a more understanding, equitable world. The brand were the first to show period blood in advertising with #Bloodnormal and celebrated vulvas in all shapes and sizes in Viva La Vulva. Most recently in #wombstories, they dynamited the dangerously simplistic story that’s propagated in culture about what it means to be a woman+.

This time, the brand is diving into the darkness to reveal the truth of periods at night. From children’s books to Hollywood, there’s a universal myth of the Sleeping beauty. Perfect, neat and still, waking up feeling fresh and rested. Bodyform wants to dive beyond the cliches to show the bleeding, the dreaming, the bloating, the tossing, turning, tiptoeing, the farting and the struggle to sleep soundly. Again, they’re finding distinctive and novel ways to represent period blood. This time, we see beautifully arresting medusa-like blood, detaching from the uterus and flowing through the body.

The brand has coined a new term ‘periodsomnia’ to put a name to the experience that millions go through at night. Many believe they’re alone in this, so the hope is that by tackling the invisibility of the issue with beauty and empathy, the work will provide comfort and community.