Sleep Technology Innovation With Futuristic Connected Sleep Module

At CES 2017, Sleep Technology was recognized as a new innovative science worthy of its own category. The area of Sleep Tech has been developing over the last decade, but is only now becoming more accessible to us as we become more connected in our daily lives.

The ultimate goal, is that everyone wants to sleep better and wake up more refreshed and energized in the morning! We look into some of the experts research and then explore the latest technology for more fulfilling, longer lasting and deeper sleep.

Arianna Huffington has written one of the most widely acclaimed books on the subject. The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time ($10.87 paperback / $17.68 hardcover)

At the other end of the writing spectrum is a text and work-book endorsed by the American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST). Fundamentals of Sleep Technology ($154) and companion text Fundamentals of Sleep Technology Workbook ($40) provide a thorough understanding of the use of polysomnography and other technologies in the evaluation and management of sleep disorders. Coverage includes in-depth reviews of the neurophysiology and cardiopulmonary aspects of sleep, along with the pathophysiology of sleep disorders. Detailed sections on polysomnography include recording procedures, identifying and scoring sleep stages and sleep-related events, and report generation. Chapters discuss therapeutic interventions including positive airway pressure, supplemental oxygen, surgical and pharmacologic treatments, and patient education. A section focuses on pediatric sleep disorders and polysomnography. Also included are chapters on establishing and managing a sleep center and accrediting a sleep program.

Looking into the electronics that can help with sleep, here are some of the most common gadgets and apps.

Sleep Machine / White Noise Technology

These help with getting to sleep and having more restful sleep by provide acoustical ambiance to your bedroom. For some, the sleep machines mask out the other sounds around you. For others, these provide a comforting background against the too quiet night. One of our favorites is the Sound+Sleep MINI High Fidelity Sleep Sound Machine with Real Nature Sounds, Fan Sounds, White Noise and Adaptive Sound Technology ($67.99 – Amazon). A less expensive ($19.99) option with fewer features is the SONEic – Sleep, Relax and Focus Sound Machine. 10 Soothing White Noise and Natural Sound Tracks.

Sleep Masks With Lighting

A simple sleep mask, like the one you take on the airplane or in a hotel room, is for blocking out the light so that your eyes are in darkness. The ALASKA BEAR® Natural silk sleep mask & blindfold ($9.99) does this really well. The tech version of this uses integrated light sources to mimic sunsets and sunrises, along with using soothing color to help with initially getting to sleep. Illumy – The NASA Technology Night Mask is a little pricey at about $150, but a good nights (or a weeks or months) sleep is well worth the investment if this is what you need.

Sleep Pods / Modules

An internet connected, self contained module (this isn’t the prior generation pod) can bring everything you need and more. The only real drawback is that one you have one of these, you may not want to go to sleep!

Italian design company, HiCan-Interiors, decided to develop a sleeping system that’s packed with enough tech to make you think you’re on the ‘Starship Enterprise!’

More information, and if you would like to participate in the IndieGoGo campaign at:  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hican-the-world-s-most-revolutionary-smart-bed-design-technology#/

The HiCan smartbed is a perfect blend of design and technology. It wraps you in an ultra-comfortable cocoon where you’ll find a home theater system, WiFi hotspot, AppleTV capability, Xbox/PlayStation inputs, LED ambient lighting and much more. Plus it can even take control of other iOT smart devices connected throughout your home. The HiCan smartbed is currently funding on IndiGoGo and will be offered for an in-home trial to potential backers.

HiCan wants to do with furniture what Tesla is doing with cars and Apple did with phones. With HiCan design meets technology to define a new category of bed, crossing the traditional boundaries of furniture. It suggests a new interpretation of the classic canopy, creating an intimate cocoon to connect and communicate. Imagined to inspire extraordinary people who see things differently. Designed to bring in our most personal space the emotion of driving our life through our dreams and passions.

HiCan is a contemporary and technological cocoon, a private sanctuary where you can enjoy a new concept of lifestyle and comfort. A perfect blend of design and technology to make life experience more authentic.

Here is how these inventors describe the futuristic sleep module:

However the high price has made it accessible only to a few customers around the world. That is the real reason why we are here, because we really want to focus on consumer technology for everyone. Any meaningful innovation is going to be an every-person’s technology.

To do this we need the support of all who believe in our mission. We believe that crowd-funding is a powerful democratic tool capable of pushing forward innovation from the bottom, so the best way to promote our project aimed to change the furniture industry.

There are actually two things required in order for a new technology to be affordable to the mass market: first of all you must have economies of scale; secondly you have to iterate on the design, you must go through a few versions. Tesla business case is a clear evidence of this. When we created the first HiCan almost a decade ago our ambition was the same as it is today: to accelerate the advent of smart furniture for everyday living as soon as possible. When the Iphone arrived in 2007, it changed everything. Smartphones were revolutionary because of the ways they allowed hardware, software and services to work in unison. We envisioned at that time a future in which furniture could interact with users . However our first product was going to be expensive no matter how it looked like, so we decided to invest in design and make it the best we could, as we thought it had the best chance of being successful and finance the development of further products made gradually available for the mass market.

Electronics are now good and cheap, while software is more reliable and sophisticated. Their interplay is resulting in science-fiction-worthy ideas – we were promised long ago – becoming a reality. Keeping this in mind we have been working incredibly hard over a prototype for the past year to make a new HiCan that is much better in every way. The new HiCan has an improved design, uses innovative materials that guarantee a better engineering, allow for a greater flexibility in terms of hardware and deliver an even better experience. Still our main focus while approached the re-design of HiCan was having a tremendous focus on cost reduction, taking full advantage of technological advances. We were able to significantly reduce the cost compared to the first version, despite having greatly improved this version of the product.

But we know we have a long road ahead of us to achieve our mission. For this reason the success of this campaign is essential and everyone’s contribution who share the same vision is extremely important.

That’s why we decided to offer to those backers who can not afford buying the current version of HiCan the possibility of testing it for one or more nights, buying an experience, still contributing like this to reach our funding goal and having also the opportunity to contribute with comments, leaving ideas and/or questions, because we are always listening.