Functional Foods Are Failing at the One Thing Shoppers Want: Sleep

Protein bars, adaptogen sodas, magnesium mocktails — the functional foods aisle has never been more crowded. But according to new research released on September 29, 2026, the wellness industry is missing the one thing shoppers actually want: sleep.

The study, from the AI-native research agency Knit, surveyed 509 US consumers who had recently purchased supplements or foods and beverages with added health benefits. Its headline finding is a mismatch: the wellness goals consumers rate as most important are not the ones where brands have the most room to innovate. The clearest gaps are the ones that keep people up at night — literally.

Sleep is the hardest need to meet

Sleep emerged as both the most difficult need to address, cited by 33.5 percent of respondents, and the one consumers were most eager to improve, at 45 percent. Everyday stress came next, with 32 percent struggling to manage it and 38 percent seeking a better solution. Jitter-free energy also remains elusive: 27.3 percent found it difficult to achieve, and 30 percent wanted more effective options.

Contrast that with hydration, which topped the list of priorities — 91 percent of participants called it important — yet only 14.5 percent struggled to meet that need. The message for brands: the hydration shelf is already full of products people trust, while sleep and stress remain wide open.

"Functional foods are everywhere, but that does not mean every consumer need is being met," said Dana Bishop, research director at Knit, in the announcement. She added that no product or brand has fully earned shoppers' confidence on sleep and stress yet.

The demand is very real

The frustration is not just a feeling. Nearly a third of US adults sleep fewer than the recommended seven hours per night on average, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report covered by Scientific American. Only a little more than half of adults said they wake up feeling well-rested on most days.

The numbers are worse for younger people. Just 52 percent of adults ages 18 to 34 reported feeling well-rested, compared with 64 percent of those 65 and older, the CDC data show. Women were more likely than men to say they struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep. In other words, the exact demographic buying functional foods is also the one sleeping the worst.

Related: Pope Leo XIV Is Not Panicking About AI — and He Sleeps Fine

Why brands keep missing the mark

Part of the problem is that sleep is a harder promise to keep than hydration. A drink can credibly deliver electrolytes; delivering genuinely better rest through a gummy or a tea is a taller claim, and the evidence behind many sleep supplements is thin or mixed. Consumers seem to sense this: they are eager for better options, but they do not yet trust any of them.

There is also a structural reason to read the study carefully. Knit describes itself as an AI-native research agency delivering consumer insights to brands — in other words, its business is telling companies where the white space is. A survey of 509 self-reported shoppers is useful market intelligence, but it is not a clinical trial, and it measures what people say they want, not what products actually work.

The release itself hints at where the money is going: it notes the category is well-stocked with hydration and immunity products but still falling short on sleep, stress, and energy without jitters. Expect a wave of sleep-positioned launches — bedtime beverages, calming snacks, "wind-down" formats — aimed squarely at the gap this study identified.

What to watch as a shopper

For readers, the takeaway is practical, not just commercial. If better sleep is the goal, the basics still beat the branding: consistent bedtimes, less late-night screen time, and cutting caffeine in the afternoon do more than most products on the shelf. Functional foods can be a pleasant ritual, but no gummy replaces a sleep schedule.

When the coming wave of sleep products arrives, the smart filter is evidence. Look for specific ingredients at studied doses rather than proprietary "rest blends," and be skeptical of anything promising pharmaceutical-grade results from a snack. The Knit data show that shoppers are already skeptical — 45 percent want better sleep solutions, but confidence in existing products is low. Brands that earn trust will do it with proof, not packaging.

The broader lesson applies beyond the wellness aisle. Markets tend to over-serve the easy problems — hydration is a solved problem with a hundred solutions — while the hard ones, like sleep and everyday stress, stay unsolved. The companies that figure out rest will not just fill a shelf; they will meet a need that a third of the country feels every single morning. See more Mind & Body coverage.