Remember those “There’s an app for that” commercials from 2009? Even over a decade ago, it seemed like everything we needed to accomplish was just a smart device away. And that trend has only skyrocketed since, finding its way into our homes.
As we explore smart home tech to implement in our own abodes, we’re likely forgetting that even while we’re unconscious, tech can be working its magic for us. Smart bedroom tech can help us achieve better sleep, from monitoring our REM cycles to curating a more restful environment.
What Is Smart Bedroom Tech?
As with all smart devices, smart bedroom tech connects to the internet and/or Bluetooth and learns our sleep patterns. These electronics sync with other smart devices to track, evaluate, and provide us with information on our sleeping habits.
Smart bedroom tech isn’t limited to standalone devices. There are smart versions of existing bedroom features to elevate our sleep.
Below, we highlight five of our favorite smart bedroom tech upgrades, their features, and how they’ll aid us in ultimately sleeping smarter (and hopefully harder).
5 Smart Bedroom Tech Upgrades To Make Sleep Better
1. Smart Bed:
From providing your favorite sleeping temperature to adjusting the angle if your partner is snoring too loud — yes, it even knows when you’re snoring! — a smart bed can make your wildest dreams about dreams come true.
Smart beds typically come with all kinds of sensors to monitor and react to your body position, temperature, and sleep patterns.
As your smart bed learns your preferences and habits, it can even adjust itself to match them. Maybe when you first lie in bed, you’re shivering, only to break a sweat in your deepest sleep. A smart bed can automatically adjust its temperature to keep you comfy straight through the night.
Many also come with connection capabilities with other devices, promoting synergy across your devices.
2. Sleep Tracker:
Would you like a device to monitor your sleep time, REM cycles, and any disturbances? Would you like to wear that device on your wrist to track your heart rate, or keep it on the nightstand for less intrusion? Sleep trackers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and features to cater to your preferences.
No matter which kind you go for, these trackers will typically present their findings to you via an app, allowing you to better understand your sleep patterns.
For example, your sleep tracker can alert you to the noise and movement in your bedroom it detected at 2 a.m. correlating to a sleep disturbance. You weren’t entirely sure your cat wasn’t poking its head out the window blinds in the dead of night — and it’s important to note that your sleep tracker won’t know this is the exact reason — but now you have some evidence.
3. Smart Blinds:
Smart blinds or electric blinds from DotcomBlinds are another piece of your home that can “get smart” with a modern upgrade. Smart blinds allow you to open and close them with just a tap on your phone, some even entirely remotely (in other words, when you’re not at home). You can also program them to open and close on a set schedule.
Our bodies’ production of melatonin (the sleep hormone) is largely dependent on light — it’s why we’re instinctively more sleepy when the sun is out of sight — and smart blinds can help us regulate this.
The benefits of smart blinds aren’t just felt in your sleep. With more control over your windows and the light they let in, your home’s temperature, security, and energy bills will see some positive effects as well. It’s no wonder smart blinds are trending in recent years.
4. Smart Outlets
Smart outlets (or Bluetooth outlets) make everything smarter! With smart outlets, your phone becomes a one-stop-shop for controlling anything plugged in. Want to remotely disable your kid’s entire gaming setup until their homework is done? Easy fix. Don’t remember if you turned off your curling iron before slipping out the door? Turn off the smart outlet just in case.
Each plug is typically independent of others, meaning you can choose what to toggle on or off without disturbing other electronics.
Smart outlets are a great way to incorporate smart upgrades across your home without purchasing smart versions of every possible feature since they can turn virtually anything “smart.”
5. Smart Lights:
Smart lightbulbs connect to your home’s Wi-Fi and can be controlled with your phone. With these in your bedroom lamps, you can set the right bedtime color and the right morning brightness. You can even program them to follow a schedule, including a wake-up light that gradually increases its brightness to coincide with your alarm.
Since these lights can get as dim as a child’s nightlight, they’re great for lighting your way to the bathroom without affecting your sleep cycles. Many also sync with audio or video, creating a fun, moody ambience while you’re entertaining.
Smart lights are known to last years (much longer than a regular bulb) and use very little electricity, so your wallet will thank you when the energy bill comes.
Safer Home. Better Sleep.
One of the most important advantages of these home gadgets, apart from their benefits on sleep, is the added home security many of them bring to the table. Like good home insurance, this extra layer of protection helps us sleep even better at night.
