Technology is constantly evolving and every industry stands to gain from this. But what about the mattress industry? What will the future of beds look like?
It's no secret that technological advancements have seeped into every industry. From self-stirring mugs to fridges with internet access, every industry has seen some new and interesting ideas. So, today we'll be looking at the bedding industry to see what they've accomplished so far. And, more importantly, to try to gauge what we can expect from beds in the near future!
We've already seen plenty of adjustable bed frames that you can fine-tune to fit you perfectly. We've even seen air mattresses with dual cores where you can have different firmness levels on either side of the mattress. However, if you want the most relaxing sleep of your life, we can take this even further!
Even now we have mattresses that adapt to you. For example, if you look at HiGRID's Luxe Original or their Premium Hybrid, you see a mattress that does the unthinkable – provides both firmness and softness. This is thanks to their SmartGRID layer. To oversimplify, it works by allowing your head and hips to sink into the mattress while the rest of the grid remains firm and supports your back.
And with technology like this already on the market, it's interesting to think about what we'll get in the not-too-distant future. For example, will beds automatically adjust their height, firmness, and breathability based on the user's sleeping position and build? Or will there be an app where you can customise the smallest details of your bed in real-time? We think it's very likely.
This might seem dystopian but it's practically already here. Thanks to the National Bed Federation, we know how much sleep a person needs at any given age. And with smartwatches becoming more popular, tracking your sleep cycles and sleep quality is already possible.
So, what if the smart beds of the future keep track of all these things and act accordingly? Hypothetically, they could turn on the air conditioning when they sense you're sweating. Or they could adjust their firmness based on detected weight and pressure points. They could even play soothing music when they detect you're having an awkward night's sleep!
And if we are really hopeful, they might even take note of your mental health. We know that heightened cortisol levels can prevent you from sleeping but perhaps more futuristic beds can help with that. During bad nights, sleep-inducing music could play through the speakers. Or there could be a weighted blanket that automatically dispenses to help you fight off anxiety.
Managing to fall asleep peacefully is one thing but waking up happy can be a lot more difficult. However, it doesn't necessarily have to be. As we've talked about in the previous two segments, the bed of the future will (hopefully) adapt to your sleep cycles and your mood. Plus, the rest of your bedroom can join in on the fun – so that everyone has their own sleeping habitats that are tailor-made for them.
For example, if your bed “knows” that you don't like to be woken up by loud sounds, it can communicate with your smart house in order to pull back the curtains. Alternatively, it can gently rock you awake while playing soothing music.
Not to mention that it could also know exactly when to wake you up. By looking at where you're at in your sleep cycles, it can start the waking process while you're still in your light sleep phase. This means that you'll have had a good night's sleep and won't feel groggy upon waking up.
For many people, cleaning is one of the more annoying chores. This is also why we're seeing more and more robots that can do the cleaning for us (like self-controlling vacuums). So, we don't think it's a stretch to say that a more modern mattress will go down this route as well.
From something more down-to-earth, like a mattress that tucks away dirty sheets after a set amount of time, to fully self-cleaning mattresses that get rid of stains – the sky is the limit! And considering how important a clean sleeping environment is, we wouldn't be surprised if self-airing mattresses and unstainable sheets are already in the works.
Better for us and the planet
Even today, a modern mattress offers many green options. Some brands use recycled materials and others utilise bamboo and eucalyptus bedding in order to be more sustainable. After all, why should quality sleep come at the cost of the planet?
However, we believe future beds are going to be even more environmentally friendly. Will modern incarnations featuring breathable bamboo become the standard? Or will leading bed and sleep experts come up with a brand new way to tackle this problem? For example, a mattress that's exclusively made from recyclable and previously recycled materials? Only time can tell.
The most relaxing sleep ever
Relaxation is key for proper sleep quality. So, it only makes sense that our future beds will help us completely relax. For example, if they have built-in massage features to ease some of the tension. Or perhaps all beds will have temperature control to keep us nice and toasty!
The latter is already possible with higher-end waterbed mattresses, so, it's not a stretch to expect the same from spring or foam models. Plus, sleep or bedroom gadgets that we already use could be built-in. For example, white noise machines or dehumidifiers! Maybe even a CPAP machine for those who have sleep apnea.
Conclusion
It's no secret that people take their comfort rather seriously. In fact, we even put aside a significant amount of time each year to just research and celebrate sleep! It's called March's National Bed Month, look it up. So, it's not too far-fetched to say that some of these seemingly futuristic ideas might be just around the corner!
This page was made in partnership with HiGRID-The Sleep Company.
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