Smart Tech In the Bedroom Helps Us Sleep and Sets the Mood

Since we’ve become increasingly attached to our devices, laptops and cell phones have been creeping into the bedroom. We are now more likely to continue working from bed, lying awake behind the glow of a screen or awakening in the middle of the night to the alert of an incoming text or email. There have been a number of debates about whether this technological intrusion into our bedrooms is detrimental to our health. However, what if that technology improved our sleep quality or kept our bedrooms cleaner and safer?

Via dailymail.co.uk

A recent kickstarter campaign raised $2.5 million for a sleep quality sensor that analyzes all aspects of your sleep environment to determine which variables contribute to poor sleep quality. The success of the campaign is a testament to the desire amongst consumers for smart technology in the bedroom, especially if it can help our overworked brains achieve longer and better quality sleep cycles. This device’s small orb design will use an ambient light sensor to monitor light levels, a temperature and humidity sensor to measure temperature changes throughout the night, a particulate sensor to test for triggers (such as pollen), and a noise sensor that will register car alarms, barking dogs, or your partner’s loud snoring. After compiling all this data the device will produce a sleep score each night, delivering the results directly to your smartphone. Over time the orb can use the collected data to look for patterns in your sleep quality and determine what conditions contribute to an individual’s ideal sleep. The orb will also feature a speaker to play soothing sounds or white noise, and an alarm to wake you in the morning.

Via quirky.com

Quirky has also developed an alarm clock that focuses on the display of information rather than the quality of sleep. The Nimbus is a smart dashboard and clock with four customizable screens that can transmit important information to our bedside before we start the day. Place this gadget on your bedside table and measure your sleep duration, monitor morning traffic conditions, review your calendar, and check the weather without leaving bed! Each gauge connects to your mobile device to display and update information in real time. The gauge can also function as an alarm clock, monitors your social media activity (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), and syncs with the FitBit.

Via quirky.com

Quirky has also ventured into the realm of security with the Tripper. This sensor can be installed on any door or window and sends an alert whenever the hatchway is opened or closed. In the context of the bedroom, this can help prevent “personal-space invasion,” or in the case of unruly teenagers, “curfew evasion.” Parents of messy teenagers may also appreciate the self-making Ohea Smart Bed. If you’re often rushed in the morning or just have some family members that have a tough time getting out of bed, this self-making bed can help save time and keep the bedroom tidy. The smart bed is equipped with a mechanical arm that smooths out your duvet, and cords that straighten the pillows. Consumers can manually tell the bed to make itself, or to avoid the temptation to slip back into bed, you can set the bed to automatically make itself three seconds after you get out.

At the end of the day, after crawling back into bed, consumers can control the bedroom’s lighting with Insteon’s Remote Control Bulb. These LED lightbulbs both save energy and can be controlled from a smartphone app. The app allows consumers to remotely control and configure multiple bulbs, determining the dimness and brightness levels, and setting ramp rates. These ramp settings let you determine whether you’d like the room’s light to slowly fade out or instantly illuminate. The app also allows consumers to create and customize a series of settings and schedules; create the ideal lighting conditions for reading in bed, set the lights to slowly turn on to help you wake up on dark winter mornings, or simply set the mood.

For those still worried about invasive technology in the bedroom, Samuel Wilkinson’s Biome (feature image) provides “‘digital downtime’ by finding an alternative use for smartphones and encouraging their owners to consider a slower life.” The Biome is a flora terrarium whose climate, water levels, and nutrients can be controlled from an individual's smartphone. The terrarium was inspired by the desire to create a smart device that did not further entrench us in the immediacy demanded by smartphones and instant messaging. Instead, the Biome forces us to exercise patience and care while interacting with a real ecosystem. The terrarium is equipped with several environmental settings so users can choose from a tropical, desert, or herb garden ecosystem. This smart device is an ideal decor piece for individuals looking to make the bedroom a space of tranquility and restfulness.

With the onset of the Internet of Things, smart technology has been creeping into the home and evidently the bedroom is no exception. Perhaps instead of using this technology to prolong our office hours, the future of smart tech will help us improve our sleep quality and help us find and nurture moments of rest.