Photo by Amy Treasure on Unsplash
Guest post by Lucy Wyndham
Studies show that at least 70% of adolescents sleep with at least two electronic items in their bedroom, which is associated with short weekday sleep duration and wake lag on the weekend. The use of screens before bed keeps the mind active by stimulating electrical activity in the brain. Performing physical tasks such as sending texts also tightens the muscles and releases the hormone cortisol, which further prevents sleep. Finally, exposure to the light from screens inhibits the production of melatonin, which is required to regulate sleep-wake cycles.
However, there’s no need to write off tech completely. Electronics are now being created to actually improve sleep cycles. 2017 was regarded as the year sleep technology began to become viable, but the next few years could see them go mainstream. Below are some of the main new sleep aids on the tech market, set to change your life in the near future.
Apps For Better Rest
Apps can’t control your brain chemistry (yet), but they can help you to monitor your sleep patterns and gently nudge you towards healthier habits. Rather than falling asleep with your favorite rock music or Netflix show in the background, these apps will play calming sounds and wavelengths that relax your neurons, rather than stimulating them.
They will then gently and gradually bring you out of sleep at the perfect time according to your sleep cycle. On average, these last 90 minutes and the aim is to wake up as it ends, rather than halfway through. This will leave you feeling the most refreshed as you awaken.
Sleep Monitoring T-Shirts
If your schedule makes sleep difficult, then you may want to go beyond a simple app. One of the best tech solutions on the market is the sleep monitoring T-shirt. Since this is directly attached to your body, it can accurately monitor breathing, heart rate and sleep patterns. This allows you to determine when the right time for you to wake is so that you can adjust when you go to sleep.
By monitoring your sleep each night, you can pinpoint what it is that is causing your fatigue. Is it a lack of hours, awaking at the wrong time or a body which is too active before sleep? This then lets you make little changes, so that you can watch your sleep become gradually improved over time.
Tech-Enabled Beds
The bed is where you’ll spend most of your sleeping hours, so it seems like the obvious choice to build tech into. Ergonomic beds are designed to put minimal strain on the body, so that it doesn’t become tense and release cortisol. They make it feel like you’re floating, so that you can easily drift off regardless of what position you sleep in. The technology in these beds will then regulate your body’s temperature and monitor sleep cycles, helping you to have the best night’s rest possible.
Technology has had many benefits for humanity, but it’s not without its drawbacks. One of the most researched impacts is the effect that tech in the bedroom has on sleep. Now scientists are flipping this on its head, designing apps, tech T-shirts and beds which can help to optimize your sleep.