A new article from RoveLab presents a data-driven exploration of home-life habits in the United States, examining how much time Americans spend at home and how that changes across each state. Drawing on data from the American Time Use Survey and the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series, the study constructs a ranking of states based on how much time residents spend at home. This data combined at-home activity levels with remote work prevalence.

RoveLab situates its analysis within broader behavioral shifts in the American lifestyle. On average, Americans spend around 18 hours per day at home (including sleep), which reflects a gradual decline in time spent outside the home over the past two decades. This trend pre-dates the COVID-19 pandemic, which spiked time spent at home and prompted the rise of remote work.

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Other important facts on time spent at home add more context:

• 80% of Americans engage in daily household activities like cleaning, cooking, and home maintenance.
• 94% of Americans participate in leisure activities at home, including gaming, socializing, and exercise.
• Most Americans watch about 3.57 hours of television daily, which is more than the average amount of daily time spent on household tasks.

These statistics show that a home is the central site of both productivity and leisure, underscoring the growing connection between work and private life.

To determine which state residents are the most homelife-centric, the researchers developed a scoring system that incorporated:

• Average percentage of the day spent at home
• Average daily minutes spent at home
• Percentage of residents working remotely
• Weighted ranking emphasizing time-use data slightly more than remote work numbers

This multi-factor approach shows the team’s effort to balance behavioral statistics with labor trends, offering a comprehensive view of domestic time use.

The team found that residents in these states spend the most time at home:

• New Jersey: 5% of the day is spent at home (1,1495 minutes) and 27.1% of residents work remotely.
• Oregon: 79% of the day is spent at home and 29.3% of residents work remotely.
• Maine: 79% of the day is spent at home and 23.5% of residents work remotely.

New Jersey’s lead position is due to several structural factors, such as its proximity to major employment centers and a highly educated workforce, with over 40% of residents holding a bachelor’s degree. These factors create a population ideal for telecommuting. It shows us that socioeconomic factors can shape our daily routines.

At the low end of the scoring, Wyoming ranks as the state where people spend the least amount of time at home. This reflects a low rate of remote work. Montana relies on industries like agriculture, mining, and tourism, which all require in-person workers. The team also speculates that Wyoming’s emphasis on outdoor recreation leads residents to both work and play outside their homes.

By combining time-use data with employment patterns, the study provides valuable insight into how regional differences, evolving job requirements, and leisure habits shape modern American life.

While aging can bring positive life changes, such as retirement and the freedom to spend more time on hobbies, travel, and visiting family, it also presents unique challenges. Ooma presents a safety guide for seniors, highlighting 30 tips to help them age safely, stay connected, and maintain independence. Instead of a simple list of helpful gadgets, the team created a roadmap to help seniors navigate a rapidly changing world with confidence.

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One of the most crucial sections focuses on digital safety and online scam protection. Seniors can use the Internet to learn new things and connect with others, but it’s also full of risks and schemes where criminals prey on uninformed elders. The article explains how to avoid scams with password managers and multi-factor authentication. These tips on strong password creation and extra protection can drastically lower the risk of identity theft and financial loss due to scams.

The following section focuses on physical safety and emergency response. While most of us know to call “911” in an emergency, many of us are unaware of Enhanced 911 (E911), which automatically sends a senior’s address to responders. This is critical if the senior who placed the emergency call cannot speak. A medical ID displayed on a smartphone lock screen can help EMS workers begin treatment instantly and save more lives. Fall detection devices make good use of these services by automatically sharing location and calling for help. These affordable, simple tools can save a senior’s life.

Next, the chart moves on to home security. Smart security cameras and motion-activated systems don’t have to be complicated. They can help seniors reduce stress and increase their peace of mind. Smart doorbells and two-way audio allow them to communicate with visitors without having to go to the door. Environmental monitoring devices are essential for detecting poor air quality and dangerous temperature conditions. Practical advice and the article’s compassionate tone remind readers that safety offers seniors independence.

In that same spirit of independence, the article turns to accessibility. These include visual/hearing alerts, simpler phone interfaces, and medication reminder apps. These tools address health issues that affect all seniors, like hearing loss, vision changes, and memory challenges. These apps and aids will help seniors develop healthy daily routines, reduce frustration, navigate the world, and make the most of their lives.

Lastly, the guide addresses phone safety and scam calls. Seniors can use caller ID authentication and call blocking to reduce fraudulent calls. Unfortunately, seniors are often victims of these scams. While education is also essential for helping seniors navigate these calls, modern VoIP technology and other features make the process much easier. A caller’s sense of urgency can sway them, so these tools can help them avoid the calls altogether.

The team’s tips empower seniors and their loved ones, helping them prepare for the future. This list is a conversation starter to help families plan for independent seniors to live safely and healthily.

When you visit a mattress store or browse through mattress options online, there are a lot of choices that make us feel like we’re choosing from dozens of options from a wide variety of companies. But this choice is an illusion, as a handful of corporations actually own these brands and control large portions of the mattress and bedding industries. The team at NapLab breaks down ownership of the most recognizable mattress companies. Their work shows us that brand diversity is often a mask for a limited corporate structure.

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One of the biggest shareholders of the mattress industry is Somnigroup International. They used be called Tempur Sealy International, a name you probably recognize. What you might not realize is that this company owns brands like Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, Sherwood Bedding, and Sleepy’s. They also own the entire extensive Mattress Firm retail store network. This makes Somnigroup International a powerful driving force in mattress sales and distribution.

Another big player in the industry is Serta Simmons Bedding LLC (SSB). They own classic brand names like Simmons, Serta, Beautyrest, and Tuft & Needle. SSB has had its share of financial challenges, including filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023, but it still continues to own a significant share of the American mattress market.

Not all these owners are giant manufacturers. Ashley Global Retail is best known for furniture, but it entered the mattress market when it acquired the Resident Home family of brands, which includes Nectar, Awara, Siena, DreamCloud, and Ashley Sleep. These options encompass both luxury and budget-friendly mattress brands.

3Z Brands is a key player in the direct-to-consumer mattress sales space. They own the brands Helix Sleep, Bear, Brooklyn Bedding, Leesa, and Nolah. These brands represent the share of shoppers who prefer buying a mattress online rather than dealing with retailers and sales representatives.

Saatva Inc. used to focus solely on selling luxury mattresses online, but in 2023, it merged with Bedding Industries of America. The merger added other brands to their roster, including Eclipse, Millbrook, Ernest Hemingway, and Eastman House, in addition to Saatva’s name brand of products.

We also see some international companies represented here. GoodMorning.com, formerly known as Novosbed, is a Canadian company that primarily sells to the U.S. market, encompassing the brands Octave, Juno, Douglas, and Logan & Cove.

The Flex Bedding Group is Spanish-owned and sells luxury and niche products to Americans, including the high-end brands Marshall Mattress, E.S. Kluft & Co., Kluft, Aireloom, and Vispring.

Understanding which companies own these mattress brands helps consumers make informed choices. It also helps us understand that brands might appear vastly different, but in reality, they’re under the same corporate umbrella, which influences everything from pricing to marketing to manufacturing.

This brand consolidation isn’t any different from many other industries, like beer and skincare, but it does raise consumer concerns about true choice and industry competition.