2017 looks set to be a landmark year for sleep tech. For the first time, CES, the world’s biggest consumer electronic show is hosting the Sleep Tech Marketplace, dedicated exclusively to consumer sleep technology.
In collaboration with the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), CES is showcasing the latest hi-tech sleep gadgets, including a bed that stops you snoring, an app-controlled cooling mattress topper and plenty more. CEO of the NSF, David Cloud said in a quote to Sleep Junkies:
“This was a truly breakout year for sleep technology at CES. We are thrilled with the level of innovation that we’re seeing and are excited about what the future holds for this category of technology.
NSF’s goal is to improve health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. That’s why we’re happy to support the the growth and proliferation of innovations that help consumers understand and improve their sleep.”
Sleep technology is one of the biggest trends at CES, and this is evident in the number and diversity of the products on show. Industry forecasters predict that the global sleep aids market, which, as well as sleep tech includes solutions for insomnia will be an $80 billion dollar industry by 2020.
Amongst the hype, some cautionary words
But alongside the hype and the buzz, some experts are cautious of fanfaring too loudly about all of the latest sleep tech innovations.
The concern is, whilst consumers can now choose from a plethora of sleep tracking devices, mostly all these devices do is passively collect your sleep data. Stat News had this to say about the new trend in sleep tech at CES 2017
“There are smart alarm clocks designed to make it as pleasant as possible to drag yourself out of bed on a Monday morning. There’s even an app that can record your snoring — and everything you say in your sleep.
All of this is supposed to make you sleep better. But it’s not clear what you’re supposed to do with all the data these products generate.
“There’s an inherent problem because the consumer world has come up with all these ways to monitor your body signals, but the clinical world didn’t come up with a way to answer all the questions it brings about,” said Michael Breus, a psychologist who specializes in sleep disorders.
But these concerns are unlikely to deter the manufacturers and technology firms eager to be a part of the huge growth potential in sleep tech over the coming years. Here’s a full roundup of some of the most popular exhibitors showcasing sleep technology at CES 2017.
Sleep Number
Winner of a CES 2017 Innovation Award, the Sleep Number 360 is the latest offering from the leading manufacturer of smart beds. Powered by SleepIQ technology, the bed provides biometric sleep tracking which can respond in various different ways to provide a better night’s sleep.
Two air chambers provide continuous real time adjustment for optimal comfort. Automatic snore detection can raise the user’s head by 7 degrees to relieve the symptoms. It’s even got an feet warming function to keep your toes nice and toasty.
https://www.sleepnumber.com/360
Kryo Sleep Performance System
Kryo is a ‘water-based, app-controlled bed cooling system‘ that’s designed to keep your bed at the optimum temperature for sleep, which according to research is between 60 and 68 degrees F.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kryo-sleep-performance-system
2Breathe
2breathe is a smart device that combined with a smartphone app helps you get to sleep by detecting your breathing rate. Designed by a father and son team 2breathe is a sensor worn around your waist which sends the data via Bluetooth to your phone which plays soothing tones that synchronise with your breaths.
Nightingale Smart Home Sleep System
Developed by scientists and acoustic engineers, Nightingale is a unique product that creates a ‘sound blanket’ to mask unwanted noise disturbances (including traffic, conversation, snoring, noisy neighbours) and create a better, quieter sleep environment.
Providing similar benefits to a white noise machine, Nightingale ups the ante and consists of two units placed on each side of your bedroom walls. The device intelligently analyses the sound in your room and creates a tailored noise cancelling effect.
The product has a rich pedigree. It’s manufactured by Cambridge Sound Management who are world leaders in providing similar solutions for office environments to reduce distracting noises and enable speech privacy.
Smart Sleep Glasses – Pegasi
At first glance, Pegasi’s Smart Sleep Glasses come across as… let’s just say a little whacky and eccentric. But the glasses are a product of 10 years research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a collaboration with China’s largest medical equipment manufacturer Mindray and consumer electronics giant Huawei.
Providing the same benefits of other types of light therapy products, Pegasi is designed to combat the common problems of insomnia, morning grogginess (sleep inertia), daytime drowsiness, seasonal affective disorder and jet lag.
>> Read our full Pegasi Glasses II Review here
We’re not convinced about the styling, but Pegasi looks like an interesting new development in the light-therapy solutions.
https://m.pegasiglass.com/
NuCalm
Nucalm is a patented brainwave entrainment system that ‘creates deep relaxation without using narcotics or controlled substances’. Currently being used in a range of clinical situations including dentistry, oncology and physiotherapy, it can also be used to recover from poor sleep and resolve jet lag.
NuCalm uses four components:
- a topical cream/dietary supplement to counteract adrenaline
- micro-current stimulation patches placed behind each ear
- noise dampening headphones to deliver ‘proprietary neuroacoustic software’
- light blocking eyemasks
https://www.nucalm.com/
Tailor Smart Pillow
Tailor is a Smart Pillow that uses an array of sensors to achieve advanced sleep tracking. It uses a technique called PhotoPlethysmoGraphy with detects data from the carotid artery in the neck to provide an accurate measurement of your heart and respiratory rate.
Also exhibiting at the 2017 Sleep Tech Market Place are:
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- CityZen Services, a ‘platform for collecting, storing and creating value from sensor data’
- Beddit – one of the established players in the sleep tracking world (read our full Beddit Smart review here),
- Mooring – a smart mattress pad that uses predictive learning to optimize your sleep
- Bedphones – lightweight sleeping headphones that can be worn in bed
- Snail Sleep – another smart pillow that offers bone conduction speakers and advanced sleep tracking
Although it’s unlikely that all of these products will succeed in the marketplace, what’s evident is the breadth of innovation in the consumer sleep tech space.
And just as technology has touched almost every area of our daily lives, from the cars we drive, to the way we listen to music, it’s inevitable that more technology will be making its way into the bedroom over the coming years.
And as with all technologies there may be some downsides, encouraging people to be more aware of the importance of sleep can only be a good thing.
