Technology is set to revolutionize the way we sleep.

BEDS that can stop you from snoring, change temperature and sing you to slumber? Welcome to the future of sleep technology

Walk into your bedroom in a decade or two and you’ll be entering the ultimate tech zone. Tucked away in your pyjamas, sheets, mattress, lamp, curtains and walls will be technology that’s working constantly to ensure you get the best possible night’s sleep.

That’s the theory of Australian futurist Morris Miselowski, who says: “As we move towards becoming a ‘wellness society’, where we’ll be living longer with the help of technology, our beds and sleeping habits will evolve, too.”

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR OUR SLEEP

Miselowski is the author of The Future of Sleep, a research paper written in conjunction with bed manufacturer Sealy, in which he predicts that beds are about to undergo a fundamental change from passive to dynamic.

“Beds will know from a concert of information what’s going on inside us, and will change accordingly,” he explains. “They will become softer or firmer, provide ambient noise, adjust the temperature, they’ll even nudge us into a different position if we’re snoring.”

In a few decades this technology will all be invisible, hidden in clothing, furniture and the home itself, Miselowski believes. “There will be no blinking lights, it will be a pure space.”

This scenario is much closer than you might think. The increasing popularity of wearable tech devices, and particularly sleep gadgets, are a sign of how willing we are to let technology “orchestrate” the bedroom, Miselowski says.

Meanwhile, the technology for a dynamic bed is already here. In the US, brands of tech-beds boast mattresses with adjustable firmness and elevation, in-built massage functions and the ability to monitor your breathing, movement and heart rate. However, these features come at a big cost, with some designs retailing at about $8500.

We’re also moving closer to a centralised storage system for our personal health data, with Apple and Google announcing that their next-gen software will have a platform – HealthKit and Google Fit, respectively – at which health information can be stored and apps can share data.

reprinted from Herald Sun’s Body + Soul and Courier Mail