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Sleep no escape from a wired world

fast asleep

A new type of bed downloads movies for you to watch before bedtime, then adjusts your pillows, changes the temperature and even gives you a massage (Source: iStockphoto)

Your bedroom could be the next thing to be wired.

Meet the Starry Night Bed: it has sensors, temperature controls, internet connectivity and a home theatre option.

"No one in the bedding industry has ever put so much technology into a bed or sleep system. It's a first for us and a first for the industry," says Mark Quinn, from the US company that markets the bed.


If it catches you snoring, the bed will automatically elevate your head 7° to open airways. When the snoring stops, the bed returns to its original position.



For example, it may suggest using the bed's massage unit to relax the body before sleep.

Water circulating through small channels in the mattress can also be warmed or cooled, as preferred.

The bed's computer, internet connection, and sound system can be used to go online, play music or download movies. A projector displays movies on the wall.

As you like it

The electronics can also be programmed with individual preferences.

For example, if a person typically goes to bed at 11pm and reads for 30 or 40 minutes, the mattress can be programmed to rise to the desired angle for reading.

"I think it's a phenomenal step forward combing the best technology with some in-depth psychological principles," says author and sleep specialist Rubin Naiman, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arizona's program in integrative medicine.


Too much stimulation?

But too much technology can also be a bad thing.

"One concern is that people would overdo the entertainment piece," says Naiman.

Watching news or over-stimulating action or horror films right before bed can disrupt sleep, as can light from television or computer displays.

"It's the blue end of the spectrum that suppresses melatonin," says Naiman, referring to a natural hormone closely associated with sleep patterns.


The company hopes to bring the bed to market by 2009 and plans to sell it for US$20,000-50,000 (A$22,000-56,000).

Tags: internet, weird-and-wonderful, sleep