Sleep Technology and Wearables

How Can Tech Improve Sleep?

In recent years, there has been a rapid shift in how technology can be leveraged to improve sleep, and the sheer volume of options available is unprecedented. From wearables that help track your sleep patterns to the actual mattresses you retire on, there are a multitude of ways current technology can help people achieve a good night’s rest.

Common Types of Sleep Technology

According to the CDC, over one-third of Americans don’t feel like they are getting enough sleep.

With so many people reporting problems with adequate sleep, it’s no surprise that there is a wealth of offerings to address better rest. Finding the best sleep tracking devices for your needs starts with exploring the options.

Wearable Sleep Trackers

Wearable sleep trackers capture biometric data that can be used to analyze sleep patterns and make recommendations for better rest. Wearables for better sleep are worn against the skin, and these smart sleep trackers can provide important insights into your body’s systems during periods of rest.

Sleep Rings (Oura, RingConn)

These sleep-monitoring wearable devices can track metrics such as sleep stages, heart rate, blood oxygen, and temperature. Uploading this data to a device or the cloud enables it to be analyzed against standards and personal history.

Smart Watches (Apple, Fitbit, Google Pixel)

Like rings, watches can also track heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep stages based on movement. Watches come with a variety of other functions, which could be a better fit for someone who likes a multi-function device.

Sleep Masks (Bia Smart, Manta, Therabody)

Sleep masks also track certain biometrics but have the added functionality of light therapy, integrated speakers for soundscapes or meditation, and gentle vibrations to assist with sleep. Because they are worn on the head, some can also track and adjust certain brainwaves via EEG.

Sleep Earbuds (SOND Dreambuds, Ozlo Sleepbuds)

Sleep earbuds are built for comfortable, overnight wear and include features like biometric sensing, sleep-stage tracking, and adaptive sound delivery. Advanced models can use physiological data, including respiration, heart rate, and body position, to deliver tailored audio interventions, like soundscapes, guided breathing exercises, or sleep stories.

Headbands (Elemind, Dreem)

Like sleep masks, headbands provide additional data capture of brainwave activity in addition to typical biometrics. They can provide EEG feedback or soothing sounds to assist with sleep and improve sleep cycles without covering the eyes.

Nearable Sleep Trackers

Unlike wearables, “nearable” sleep devices aren’t worn against the skin as an accessory but are in proximity to you when you lie down for the night.

Room Sensors (Google Nest Hub, Amazon Halo Rise)

These devices measure environmental conditions like temperature and lighting during sleep. They can use low-energy radar to track chest and body movements, breathing sounds, and air conditions to better help gauge the quality of a night’s sleep and what in-room factors might be contributing to it.

Sleep Mats (Beddit, Eight Sleep)

Placed over or under your mattress, these integrated mats can measure movement, heart rate, breath rate, and some environmental conditions. Some can even adjust for firmness and temperature to aid in sleep.

Smart Pillows (Nitetronic, Motion Pillow, TESLA Smart Pillow)

These advanced head cushions contain sensors and other hardware that can integrate with AI to make slight adjustments, such as inflating or deflating the pillow to alter head position or temperature based on a real-time analysis of data captured by the pillow and fed to integrated devices.

Smart Mattresses

The mattress you sleep on can also include technologies designed for better rest. They can measure many of the metrics that other devices capture and make physical adjustments to help ensure a more restful night’s sleep.

Auto Adjusting Firmness (Sleep Number, Saatva Solaire)

This feature allows the mattress to evaluate the optimum level of firmness for an individual’s best rest and adjust as needed without manual intervention. Data is collected over time to determine the best settings for maximum comfort during sleep.

Climate Control (Tempur-Pedic, Eight Sleep)

Mattresses featuring climate control technology can adjust the surface temperature based on calculations derived from continuous measurements throughout the night to provide optimal comfort.

Smart Alarms (Bryte, Eight Sleep)

This additional functionality can combine features of firmness and temperature along with integrated sleep tracking to provide a gentle, tactile wake-up during phases of sleep where the person is most receptive to a gentle nudge through vibration or temperature change (or both).

Sleep Tracking Apps

Applications installed on your phone, tablet, or laptop drive much of the functionality available to these different devices. Whether they are device-specific apps that help track biometrics or larger platforms that can incorporate multiple devices, these applications are where data is gathered, analyzed in the cloud, and presented to the end user.

Sleep apps can offer a variety of functions to aggregate and present accumulated data and help someone make sense of what’s going on when they are trying to sleep. These apps are also where settings can be maintained and adjusted, especially those controlling environmental adjustments, such as soothing tones, vibrations, temperature changes, or adjustments to the firmness of sleeping surfaces.

Pros and Cons of Sleep Tech

The benefits and potential drawbacks of utilizing sleep technologies depend on the type of technology used. Sleep technology gadgets come in all shapes, sizes, and applications, so it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each.

Wearables

• Provide a steady stream of critical data that can provide personal recommendations.
• Must be worn consistently to be effective, which some might find intrusive or unwieldy.
• Power supplies vary, but all will need to be removed and recharged at some point.

Nearables

• Can be less conspicuous while still providing a wealth of biometrics and recommendations.
• Since they aren’t constantly connected to the user, they can only collect a limited amount of data.
• Can capture much of what happens during the night while also making environmental adjustments to support better sleep.

Smart mattresses

• Limited in the data they can collect.
• Physical adjustments can be made to your sleeping surface, maximizing comfort.

There is a wide variety of software applications that either support or otherwise integrate with the various sleep aids and trackers available on the market, and their pros and cons vary just as widely. The trick is to find the one with all the features you need, without overloading you with options you don’t.

How to Choose the Right Sleep Tech

As with all personal technologies, nothing should replace your doctor’s advice. If lack of sleep is contributing to major health concerns, a conversation on improved sleep should start with a trusted healthcare professional.

Many devices can provide valuable insight into your nightly sleep patterns. The results of this analysis should inform the measures needed to help get your sleep back on track. Ultimately, better sleep equates to better health, and the technology available now can help you start your morning in the best way possible—well rested.