New smart bed positions itself to silence habitual snorers

A new bed uses biometric sensors to monitor sleep patterns, measuring things like heart rate, breathing and position and adjusting to keep sleepers comfortable.

Sleeping patterns are strongly linked to health and wellbeing, but studies show that as many as 35% of people have some symptoms of insomnia. Looking at this from a purely economic perspective, in the US alone the impact on the economy is an estimated USD 63 billion in lost work performance due to poor sleep each year. It’s perhaps not surprising then that an increasing number of innovation is focusing on healthy sleep, from this wearable ring that trains people to sleep better to this wifi-connected smart crib, that detects when babies cry and safely rocks them back to sleep. Now, US Bedmaking company, Sleep Number, have created a new smart bed integrated with technology that adjusts during the night according to the needs of the sleeper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78wF74Ddcpg&feature=youtu.be

The bed, called Sleep Number 360, uses an array of biometric sensors to monitor heart rate, breathing and movements throughout the night, making small adjustments to improve sleep and presenting an overall picture of sleep quality through a companion app. The mattress contains a pair of air chambers inside which move independently for each person. The air chambers will gently contour to each partner’s side, back or stomach as they turn over for better comfort. An evolution of a previous product, the 360 has a number of interesting features. It detects snoring and will automatically raise the user’s head seven degrees, a feature designed to relieve the symptoms of common, mild snoring. The bed also features a function that learns the user’s bedtime routine and warms the foot of the bed when they are preparing to hit the hay. Another feature detects when the user is in a light sleep and wakes them gently, within a designated window of time.

The beds will become available in its stores across the US and online in the first half of 2017. Will this kind of technology ever be prescribed to insomniacs?