Kelly Robertson
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than one-quarter of the U.S. population report occasionally not getting enough sleep, while nearly 10% experiencing chronic insomnia. The CDC even called insufficient sleep a public health epidemic.
Modern smart/connected devices can help you get a better night sleep. Beyond pure monitoring of your sleep, some these devices — together with a companion app — also provide actionable advice on how to get some well-needed rest.
Here are some of these devices we believe could help you out. Some are not that affordable, but it is our belief that your rest is more valuable than anything money could buy…
1. Beddit Sleep Monitor
Beddit Sleep Monitor is an ultra-thin film sensor that is designed to be placed under the bed sheet. The built-in sensor measures the user’s resting heart rate, respiratory rate and movement during sleep, without attaching sensors or touching the body. The device then sends the sleep data over Bluetooth to a companion app on a smartphone or tablet where the input is analyzed using algorithms based on ballistocardiography (BCG).
“While helping out stressed and restless people to sleep and feel better, we’re looking at improving the understanding of the key factors affecting a good night’s sleep,” said Lasse Leppakorpi, CEO, Beddit.
Beyond monitoring, Beddit also features the Smart Alarm clock feature that will wake you up at an optimal hour of your sleep cycle. Also, the companion app offers coaching tips on how to improve your sleep and wellness. And if that’s not enough, you can check your “sleep progress” on the Apple Watch. Sweet.
2. Emfit QS
Emfit QS is a non-contact sleep monitoring system which is also installed under your mattress. The device works with a companion web app that provides comprehensive reports about physical recovery, stress levels, and sleep quality. In addition, it will track one’s Heart Rate Variability (HRV) to detect potential health or lifestyle related problems.
Long term HRV monitoring can tell if one’s cardiovascular fitness is increasing, as baseline HRV increases along with it. In short term, HRV gives valuable information about stress and recovery, as both tend to decrease HRV from the baseline. Emfit QS measures HRV all night long, guaranteeing maximal consistency in measurements. This in turn enabled the device to also show RMSSD (Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences) and LF/HF ratio, indicating the status of nervous system, recovery status, and readiness for next exercise and how hard it can be. With this data — if you happen to exercise regularly — you can optimize the training intensity every day and avoid overtraining.
Emfit QS is made for both regular users and serious athletes. The latter group will get to benefit from knowing when to let their body recharge, regenerate and heal to improve their physical fitness. And unsurprisingly, this feature has helped Emfit gain Olympic level customers…
3. BedJet
Touted as the world’s first ultra-rapid cooling, heating and climate control system made just for beds, BedJet uses patented JetConvect air technology to cool users down in 10 seconds or warm a bed to the “feeling of a hot sauna” in just 180 seconds. It is also the only product of its kind which does not require electricity, tubes, wires or mattress pads on the bed that change the comfort of the mattress. The device is controlled via tablets and smartphones using BedJet’s mobile app.
BedJet was originally unveiled at the Shark Tank show where it hasn’t caught attention of millionaire judges. Nevertheless, the company decided to pursue the invention and move forward with production on its own. As a result, the first BedJet was released in February 2015, winning a few accolades along the way. These would include the No. 1 customer-rated product for staying cool in bed on all of Amazon, the No. 1 customer-rated cooling and heating device for a bed and the No. 1 customer-rated product of any kind in the entire mattress category on all of Amazon. BedJet has also found widespread therapeutic use in the menopausal community for those suffering from evening hot flashes and night sweats.
BedJet v2 has been upgraded with biorhythm temperature technology to improve user’s sleep. It uses hour-by-hour climate control adjustments to “hack the body’s natural pre-programmed circadian biorhythms” and help users get to sleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up more refreshed. While doing so, the device obsoletes noisy alarm clocks by activating the sleeper’s natural biorhythm, waking him/her up gently and “incredibly refreshed.” Said technology is based off sleep temperature medical research sponsored by the National Institute of Health and Dutch Institute of Neuroscience, as well as the company’s collaboration with sleep doctors.
4. Eight Cover
San Francisco-based Eight, formerly known as Luna, makes an innovative smart mattress cover that transforms any bed into a smart bed.
The device (if we can call it as such) can learn one’s sleeping patterns, analyze sleep data, and provide useful feedback in return, as well as communicate key information with other smart devices in the house such as those used to regulate bed temperature, lighting, door locks, and more. Thanks to this capability, users are, for instance, able to program Eight Cover to trigger actions like turn on a coffee brewer once awake, or activate a smart door lock when in bed. To make this an even easier process, the company has partnered with few companies from the smart home space, including Lockitron, Beep, and Emberlight, and Nest.
“Everything around us is getting smarter, except our bed,” says Matteo Franceschetti, co-founder of Eight. “Since the beginning, we’ve been set on building Eight to integrate seamlessly into your life, as something you don’t have to activate, but that’s always there with you to promote a healthier, more productive lifestyle.”
The machine-washable cover contains an accelerometer to track sleep patterns, a microphone that detects snoring, and sensors that measure a person’s breathing frequency and heart rate. Eight Cover, which comes in queen and king sizes, also has a Wi-Fi connectivity module, heating capabilities, temperature and light sensors. It works in tandem with a mobile app — available on iOS and Android — that is used to control Eight and get useful information.
5. Goodnite Anti-Snore Pillow
At some estimates, there are more than 100 million snorers in North America many of whom have tried to tackle the problem both with non-invasive and invasive methods, like dentures or chin straps. Goodnite Anti-Snore Pillow fits the former group, promising to once and for all solve the snoring issue using modern technology.
The Goodnite Anti-Snore Pillow listens all night, and is ready to “act” when it hears the sound of snoring. That “act” part involves gently moving a sleeper’s head position to stimulate the relaxed throat muscles, allowing the airway to assume its natural position (hence stop the snoring).
As for the companion mobile app, Goodnite provides users with insight into their snoring and sleep patterns.
6. Health o meter Nuyu Sleep System with Temperature Cycle Technology
Touted as a “first-of-its-kind temperature regulating device” and monitoring application, the nuyu Sleep System can apparently make users feel “a little hotter between the sheets” — with the option to cool down when needed.
Unlike other apps and devices that simply monitor and report on user’s sleep, Health o meter’s product works with the body’s natural circadian rhythm to help users go to sleep faster, stay asleep and wake more refreshed. Using patented temperature cycle technology, the device automatically heats and cools the bed to the ideal sleep temperature, which is based on a proprietary algorithm that factors in multiple aspects like age, height, weight and ambient room temperature. The adjustments are then communicated via Bluetooth to the nuyu app, helping to monitor, track and adjust the temperature.
“Proper body temperature regulation can help people sleep better, helping them to maintain a healthier lifestyle,” said Mike Fretwell, vice president of marketing for Health o meter nuyu.
The system includes a torso sized mattress pad that is placed on the mattress, underneath the fitted sheet. Hot or cold temperature, ranging from 69 to 105 degrees, is circulated throughout the pad and controlled by the whisper-quiet unit placed at the base of the bed.
Health o meter also offers accompanying Coaching Plans that provide step-by-step guidance in four key health areas – weight, diet, stress and sleep.
7. RestOn by Sleepace
Sleepace’s RestOn is a non-wearable device that works in a similar fashion to the Beddit Sleep Monitor and Emfit QS. It is designed to be placed under the sheet, while the magnetic lid fixes it to the bed, and turns it on automatically.
RestOn’s structure embeds a 2-foot long medical-grade sensor into a less than 2 mm thin belt, and can be placed right under your chest area during sleep. Its accuracy is reportedly reinforced by the sensor’s advanced sensitivity, extra-large impact area and close proximity to your vitals.
The device also utilizes various algorithms to ensure that each set of data is clearly distinguished and analyzed. These data sets include heart rate, respiratory rate and how restless users were during the night.
The companion app rewards users with points based on how well they slept, while also providing advice on how to sleep better, for instance, making the room darker and cooler.
8. Sleepace Sleep Dot Mini Sleep Tracker
Sleepace’s more affordable option, Sleep Dot Mini Sleep Tracker, is a non-wearable device that monitors and analyzes sleep quality. It is designed to be attached to the upper corner of a pillow from where it can measure one’s sleep cycles and body movements.
Also with its patented sleep aid music, Sleep Dot helps users fall asleep more easily while improving the sleep quality.
Once collected, the data is synced via Bluetooth to a connected tablet or smartphone running the Sleepace app. From there, users get to access a comprehensive sleep analysis along with expert sleep guidance to help them identify their sleep habits and ultimately improve sleep quality.
The companion app lets users set sleep reminders, and share their account with others, allowing them to learn about the sleep status of their family members and friends.
9. S+ by ResMed
Touted as a “personalized sleep solution,” S+ by ResMed is a non-contact sleep system that uses patented bio-motion sensors to measure an individual’s sleep stages and environment, and deliver feedback that helps improve sleep from the very first night.
The S+ monitors breathing patterns and body movements without requiring wristbands, mattress strips or electrodes. The system also captures the light, noise and temperature levels in the room and allows users to log factors such as caffeine and alcohol intake, as well as exercise, to deliver personalized sleep strategies through the accompanying mobile app (for iOS and Android).
ResMed’s connected system will send real-time data to users’ smartphone and tablets, and provide them with sleep scores and charts. The company claims the S+ goes beyond today’s fitness devices, featuring personalized suggestions informed by more than two million nights of proprietary sleep data.
“Using our patented SleepSensor technology that connects direct to your smartphone, the S+ allows for more accurate in-home monitoring, and represents a quantum leap forward in sleep science to achieve better sleep,” said Don Darkin, president of ResMed’s sleep-disordered breathing business unit.
10. Sense by Hello
The Sense is a sleep improvement solution that can track one’s sleep behavior, monitor the environment of a bedroom, as well as provide a new twist to the alarm clock.
The San Francisco-based Hello debuted at Kickstarter, where it managed to easily surpass the original funding goal of $100,000. In fact, the campaign attracted almost 20,000 backers who collectively committed around $2.4 million. After that it was fairly easy for the company to raise additional money to scale its operations; a total of $10.5 million was secured from a circle of well-connected angel investors.
The system consists of the Sense ball that sits on a nightstand to monitor the conditions in bedroom and disturbances at night; the Sleep Pill sleep tracking sensor that clips invisibly to a pillow; and a mobile app that brings it all together.
The ball has Ambient Light, Temperature and Humidity, and Particulate Sensors which will monitor the conditions in the bedroom, and suggest changes via the mobile app. The Sleep Pill, on the other hand, is incredibly sensitive to moves, adding its calculations to the final Sleep Score number, which is presented to the user after waking up.
Speaking of waking up, the Smart Alarm feature will use the data gathered by the Sense ball and Sleep Pill to make sure users are refreshed for the day ahead, waking them up at just the right time.
11. Sleep Shepherd
The Sleep Shepherd is a smart beanie that works with brain’s natural structure to slow brain down and guide it to asleep. The beanie incorporates patent-pending Virtual Hammock Technology developed by Dr. Michael Larson (Ph.D. from MIT) who also happens to be the inventor of The Sleep Shepherd.
High fidelity speakers integrated into the beanie emit custom, auditory tones into each ear individually. Through proprietary brainwave filtering algorithm, these tones are customized based upon current level of brain activity; the technology induces a rhythmic sensation of side-to-side swaying by utilizing the natural workings of the brain’s auditory center.
Once a person falls asleep, the Sleep Shepherd will deactivate the sound, but will continue to monitor brainwaves to resume its “sound activity” if needed.
Creating a biofeedback system that automatically responds to brainwaves and works with brain’s natural structure to help person fall asleep is very challenging task. To accomplish this, the company incorporated high quality sensors and monitoring components in combination with a customized algorithm that automatically adjusts to each person individual brainwave patterns.
Unlike the sleeping drugs, the Sleep Shepherd helps wearer to fall asleep naturally without any side effects or habit-forming consequences. That’s why the beanie can be worn as often as needed without the negative side effects of pharmaceutical approach.
12. Withings Aura
Withings Aura is an active system designed to both monitor and improve sleep quality. The technology combines a contact-free sleep sensor tucked under the mattress, an active light and sound Bedside Device, as well as a smartphone app.
The system features sleep and wake-up programs that make the most of a proven correlation between light wavelengths and the secretion of Melatonin, the hormone responsible for the sleep-wake cycle. For instance, the Aura uses a narrow blue light spectrum during the night — with Melatonin-inhibiting wavelengths that raise alertness — and a narrow red light spectrum during the morning, to keep users awake.
The so called Smart WakeUP function will adapt the timing of users’ wake-up program to their personal body clock, using the data recorded during the night by the Sleep Sensor. Through its light and sound program, Aura will gently bring users to their light sleep phase, which is the best moment to wake up.
The Bedside Device will analyze sound, temperature and light levels throughout the night, all while noting any degradation of the quality of sleep due to bedroom’s environment, and helping users understand what impacts their sleep negatively.
Upon sunrise, the night’s data is synced with a mobile app, analyzed and turned into a graph showcasing the different stages of sleep — light, deep and REM — and key sleep quality indicators.
Finally, the Aura system also offers dedicated programs for napping, designed to help users doze off, and recharge their body and mind, whenever they feel like it.
13. Sevenhugs hugOne Sleep Tracking System
Sevenhugs hugOne is a multi-part Sleep Tracking System that consists from the hugOne base and up to 8 miniHug Sleep Sensors. The former is designed to sit on your night table to pick up cues from the environment in the bedroom and serve as a smart alarm clock, while the latter are meant to be placed in one corner of the bed under the mattress cover.
Together, the package will monitor indoor air quality, temperature and humidity in the bedroom — helping you maintain the “perfect home environment” — along with any movements you make in the sleep.
Beyond sleep monitoring, and thanks to the built-in integration with Alexa and Amazon Echo, hugOne can control a connected thermostat (Nest) and smart light bulbs (Philips Hue). It automatically adjusts to your preferred night-time temperature when it senses that everyone is in bed, and returns to your preferred daytime temperature as soon as everyone is awake. Smart light bulb control kicks in when it is time to fall asleep with sunset light, and wake up with sunrise light.
Finally, the companion app brings it all together, offering personalized sleep advice that changes over time — as it learns your routines, hugOne only gets better…
14. SleepCompanion Sleep Enhancing Light
SleepCompanion is a sensor-laden smart light bulb that helps you sleep better. It does its magic by understanding the factors that may disrupt the quality of your nights such as the temperature or the noise level in your bedroom, while its companion app gives you personalized and actionable advice to get the best of your nights.
SleepCompanion adjusts its light according to the time of the day; it combines different types of LEDs to act on the level of melatonin in the body, including reddish — free of melatonin inhibiting wavelengths — when it’s time to sleep; and blue to quickly decrease the level of melatonin for a smooth wake-up. The smart bulb also includes a relaxation program, guided by light, to help forget about the worries of the day and ease into sleep.
As for the companion app, it is envisioned as your daily partner in the quest of perfectly regenerative nights. The app measures the factors that are known to disrupt sleep (temperature, noise, brightness), and analyzes your sleep patterns. With this data, it is able to offer actionable insights to improve both the quantity and the quality of your sleep.
Like that’s not enough, SleepCompanion can sing along other smart devices you may use, such as a Netatmo weather station, a Nest thermostat or an activity tracker made by Withings, Jawbone or Fitbit.
15. Any Activity Tracker or Smartwatch
Pretty much any activity tracker or smartwatch will track your sleep. Dedicated devices may be better, but an activity tracker is more affordable and you may want a smartwatch anyway. When selecting any such device for, among other things, monitoring your sleep, you should go for a device that is small — hence you’ll wear it even in your bed — and has a battery life longer than 12 hours. The latter requirement will kill many smartwatch options.
Personally, I prefer the Misfit Shine 2 as I don’t feel it on my wrist. It’s that small, and has a battery life of few months. Other similar options include some of the basic Garmin and Fitbit wearables… It is up to you to find the tracker/watch that works best for you…
Conclusion
Although nascent, the market for smart sleep products is booming. We’re seeing startups coming up with novel ideas, making our beds and sheets smarter. Moreover, some of the products are able to monitor our surroundings and suggest things like increasing/decreasing room temperature or when it’s the time to vent the room.
As you have already decided to improve your sleep, whichever product you choose – you won’t regret. All of them promise to get you to sleep more, and if they don’t work for you — you can always return them. That’s the beauty of a modern economy. 😉
