The Most Exciting Sleep Technology Products This 2018

Lads, gone are the days when your bed was just a collection of springs and your pillow just a pile of feathers in a sack. Sleep, like everything else in this glorious world in which we live, has been teched the frick up!

Every company worth their salt now will use science-backed methods to develop their sleeping products, even if its something as straightforward as a mattress. And most tech shows, such as the CES in Los Angeles now have entire sections dedicated to the newest sleep gadgets

So, if you still think memory foam is as exciting as sleep gets then this is definitely the article for you. Read on below to find out exactly what’s happening in the world of sleep technology in 2018. Prepare to have your mind blown!

Sleep Tracking: The SleepScore Max

If you’re new to the world of sleep tech then let me start of by telling you this, when it comes to sleep gadgets the tracker is king. There exists countless different variations of sleep trackers, some are simple apps that work by placing your phone under your pillow, others come in the form of wearables, such as wristbands. They all have their pros and cons.

The SleepScore Max is a slightly different animal. It looks like a stylish little gray speaker that sits on your bed stand and works by transmitting radio waves through the air. These radio waves apparently (or so the device’s producer claims) allow the SleepScore Max to monitor your breathing patterns. A nifty bit of data analysis then occurs and when you awake in the morning you’re given a nightly ‘sleep score’, in addition to coaching on how you can improve your sleep habits.

The exciting thing about this device is the accuracy, which independent reports have claimed are superior to those obtainable by most wearables. Plus you obviously don’t have to wear anything for it to work, which is a bonus for any of you out there that like to sleep completely in the nip.

Wearables: The Philips SmartSleep

While it looks a little bit like one of those eye masks your Auntie wears but forgot to pull over her eyes, the the Philips SmartSleep is a seriously legit bit of gear. Unlike your Auntie’s eyemask the SmartSleep isn’t really designed to help you nod off, its primary function is to improve how well you sleep once you dropped off.

It does this by emitting tonal frequencies that the company claims improves slow wave sleep – that being the stage in your sleep cycle in which the breathing and brain waves have reduced to their lowest levels.

Equipped with an array of sensors the SmartSleep is able to detect when you both fall asleep and when you enter deep sleep. The device then alters the volume and level of the tones being emitted to promote slow wave activity in the brain, or so the company claims.

What’s the point in all of this? Well, Philips, backed up by medical trials, claim that increase slow wave sleep will improve daytime alertness and the ability to retain focus.

Soundscaping: The Nightingale

A lot of sleep tech involves wearables in the form of masks, headbands, earplugs or wristbands. The Nightingale isn’t one of these. It doesn’t even have to touch your bed. In can in fact be the very otherside of the room.

So what is it? Well, you might’ve be able to deduce from it’s name that it has something to do with sound. If so, clever you. It does.

The Nightingale plugs into your wall and using fancy sound-masking technology attempts to reduce the ambient noises that sneak in from outside to ruin your sleep. This is obviously unbelievably good news for anyone who sleeps close to busy roads or lost dog homes.

Noise cancelling headphones have existed for years so why should we be excited by the Nightingale? Well for a starter you don’t have to wear anything for it to work and secondly the device doesn’t work by detecting and attempting to cover noises, instead it emits ‘personalised sound blanket’. This blanket takes into account the acoustics of your room and the sleeping conditions for optimum coverage.

And of course it wouldn’t be a proper 2018 sleep gadget id it wasn’t all controlled by a handy smartphone app.

Smellscaping: The Aromarest

If you’re still trying to get your head around soundscaping then gird your loins for this one – smellscaping!

What is smellscaping exactly? Well, to be honest it’s a word I’ve just invented but in this context it’s taking control of how your sleeping environment smells to promote better rest.

The Aromarest plugs in next to the bed and allows users to preprogram the gradual release of essential oils throughout the night at times targeted to best improve sleep.

Now, thanks to its connection to many large multi-level marketing operations, there exists – for want of a better phrase – a whole heap of bulls**t out there about the supposed health benefits of aromatherapy.

I am not about to wade into the pros and cons of unleashing eucalyptus into your room to help fight cancer but for those of you who do like a good sniff of flowers before bed then the Aromarest is a very exciting piece of kit for 2018 indeed.

Well, there you go, four very exciting bits of sleep kit for 2018. If you miss any sleep this year don’t let it be because you’re still sleeping in the Dark Ages! The future of sleep is upon us, get involved.