Smart mattress encourages better night’s sleep

The startup uses sensors, AI and an integrated cooling system to help users get a better night’s sleep

Spotted: Both the mattress industry and the IoT (Internet of Things) industry have advanced by leaps and bounds. So, it was only a matter of time before someone had the idea to put the two together. Startup Eight Sleep has developed “smart mattresses” which the company claims will improve users’ “sleep fitness”.  

The smart mattress, known as “the Pod”, consists of six layers, designed to improve sleep through thermoregulation. In addition to the more usual foam layers, the Pod contains a flexible and contoured grid into which temperature-regulated water is pumped from a separate water tank. The tank, dubbed “the Hub”, sits by the side of the bed and cools the water using “thermo-electric cooling elements in conjunction with a Heat Sink and two premium cooling fans like those found in upscale gaming PCs.”

The temperature of the water is adjusted using sensors integrated into the mattress, along with an AI-powered algorithm, which collects physical data used to predict the optimum temperature for each sleeper and heat or cool the mattress autonomously. In the future, Eight Sleep hopes to integrate more physical products, such as ambient factors like lighting, and other diagnostics to deliver a better night’s sleep.  

Matteo Franceschetti, Eight Sleep’s CEO, came to the idea of improving sleep through his love of sport, explaining, “I was into the idea of sleep as recovery. That is how we came up with the idea of sleep fitness.” The company’s name references the widely accepted idea that optimum sleep duration amounts to 8 hours. Eight Sleep claims that using its beds will help people to fall asleep 40 per cent faster, and experience 30 per cent fewer midnight wakeups as well as up to 30 per cent fewer tosses and turns. 

The sleep market is estimated to be worth around €26 billion and Eight Sleep is not the only startup that sees the value in tracking and improving sleep wellness. Springwise has also covered a wearable that tracks key metrics while the user sleeps, and a smart bed designed to silence snorers. 

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