Tech Companies Take Aim at Sleep Problems
Getting a good night’s sleep is a big problem for a lot of folks. An estimated 164 million Americans struggle with sleep at least once per week, according to a Consumer Reports survey. Tech companies say they have some solutions.
At CES 2017, for the first time, the world’s largest tech show hosted a pavilion dedicated exclusively to sleep technology. It’s not the first year sleep tech has appeared, but the trend seems to be evolving, according to Brian Blau, research vice president at Gartner Associates, an information technology firm.
“That first year, it was a bit hit or miss,” Blau says. “Most of the products were giving people information about how they were sleeping. That was feedback. But I did see a few things at this show that were bordering on remedy.”
A Smart Bed
The prime example Blau cited was the new 360 Smart Bed from Sleep Number. The company says the bed’s air chambers adjust automatically during the night in response to certain activity—or inactivity, as the case may be. If you don’t move at all, your body heat can boost the air pressure, making the mattress firmer than you’d prefer. “With the Sleep Number bed, I’m not convinced that it will actually solve the sleep issues, but it certainly seems like they’re trying,” Blau says. “And maybe it will help some people.”
If past performance is any measure, it might indeed. Sleep Number beds have fared extremely well in Consumer Reports’ mattress testing, and our surveys show they’re especially popular with people who experience neck pain, back pain, and other health conditions. The company expects to make the 360 Smart Bed available this summer, but the price is not yet set. Ballpark estimates are on the high side: $2,500 for a queen-sized mattress and motorized base at the entry level, and several times more for more high-end models.
Soothing Sleep Solutions
Another product, from the lighting manufacturer Soraa, aims to head off sleep problems before you hit the sack. The new Helia LED smart bulb syncs with the sunrise and sunset in your location and gradually removes blue light from the bulb’s spectrum throughout the day.
The idea is to reduce your exposure to blue light before bedtime, which, as we’ve written, is a good thing to promote sleep. (Whereas exposing yourself to blue light from the LCD screen of an iPad immediately before turning in is not.) The bulbs, available this spring, cost $50 apiece plus a $30 Bluetooth module and sensor for each room of the house.
A company called Sensorwake introduced the Oria, a diffuser for your nightstand that it claims promotes restful sleep by way of the olfactory senses. The company worked with the Swiss fragrance manufacturer Givaudan to develop the aromas, which to the untrained nose smell essentially like lavender-laden potpourri. The company says the device will be available this summer and cost $149.
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