More than half of adults globally suffer from insufficient sleep, according to a study by Wakefield Research. This is bad news, because the lack of sleep can contribute to a number of major health issues like heart disease, and all of this places our society (and our healthcare systems) under a huge amount of financial strain. One 2016 study by RAND found that insufficient sleep costs the United States $411 billion per year due to lost productivity. Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, insufficient sleep was already a prevalent and global phenomenon.
For many individuals, recent events have caused stress and anxiety, which are exacerbating current sleep disorders or creating new issues. For instance, one study found that 34% of healthcare workers in China were experiencing insomnia related to the pandemic. Further, many studies state the importance of a proper night’s rest for the body to fight infection and recover from illness. Due to sleep issues caused by heightened stress, as well as a societal move towards prioritizing rest and achieving a healthier work/life balance, sleep technologies are likely to continue to gain attention in the years to come. Across the spectrum, consumers spending more time at home may see the need to upgrade their sleep routines to increase comfort, protect immune function or tackle sleep disorders.
AI promises to play a role in addressing this issue, with new technologies enabling us to better treat sleep disorders. Companies across a wide range of different specialisms are all coming together to try to push the sleep tech industry forward. Just as with nutrition and exercise, the technology-enabled management of sleep starts with sensors to collect data and then algorithms can make sense of that data to provide personalized feedback and guidance. The same is true for stress management. The initial steps are about using modern devices such as cell phones to remotely and passively evaluate people’s moods and stress levels. Once large enough datasets are built, AI will find patterns to diagnose and hopefully start recommending helpful and timely interventions.
Sleep tracking devices are gaining popularity as individuals look to measure a number of sleep-based data points (such as duration, sleep quality and the percentage of time spent in light/deep/REM sleep) so that they can turn them into therapeutic insights. These come in a variety of forms, such as wristbands (Whoop and Polar), rings (Oura and Motiv), headbands (Dreem and Muse), headphones (Kokoon), under-the-mattress sensors (EarlySense, Emfit and SleepScore Labs), and more. Headbands, headphones, and under-the-mattress devices generally only track sleep, while wristbands and rings tend to be multi-functional. Right now, these companies mostly collect data and make rudimentary assessments and recommendations.
There are also smart bed startups that adjust sleep conditions based on data. Companies like Eight, ReST and Sleepace use mattress-embedded biosensors to adjust factors such as mattress temperature and firmness. Somnox has developed a sleep robot that acts as a sleep companion that’s designed to improve breathing and help calm the mind.
Mattress giant Tempur Sealy partnered with Fullpower Technologies, a sleep tracker company, to enhance its product line. Together, the companies developed the Tempur-Ergo Smart Base, which features contactless sleep/snore-monitoring sensors and an adaptive base. Using that data, Fullpower’s AI platform generates automated snoring interventions and personalized coaching modules (displayed in an accompanying mobile app) to promote better sleep.
Meanwhile, companies are taking steps to integrate sleep wearables into the smart home. For example, Chinese sleep wearable manufacturer Sleepace has added smart bedrooms to its sleep suite of products. The sleep module features a connected sleeping routine with bedroom temperature monitoring, smart pillows, alarm and light activation upon waking up, and more.