The Expanding World of Sleep Tech Devices and Their Benefits for People

A minimum of 7–8 hours of sleep is essential for healthy living. Although it seems unnecessary to many, sleep relieves stress, reboots the mind, detoxes the body, ensures better communication among neurons, helps create new memories, makes it easier to concentrate and respond to stimuli, and even maintains the normal functioning of the immune system, heart, and lungs. In fact, a good night’s sleep is as important as a proper diet and regular physical exercise. Moreover, sleep deprivation can lead to a higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, depression, obesity, weight gain, poor brain functioning, and hormonal imbalance.

Although sleeping and waking up are naturally regulated by the brain, a lot of factors in today’s life have destroyed this cycle, in terms of duration and quality. They include long working hours and night shifts, anxiety of school and college examinations, illnesses, pollution, general stress due to personal demons and family expectations, drugs, certain medical conditions, including insomnia, restless leg syndrome (RLS), and sleep apnea; physical injury and pain, cardiac arrhythmias, chest congestion, and too much caffeine. Hence, with a rising number of people with sleep disorders, the sleep tech devices market revenue is set to increase to USD 49,984.7 million by 2030.

Sleep Disorder Statistics around the World across Age Groups

The American Sleep Apnea Association says that almost 80 sleep disorders are prevalent among 50 million Americans. Moreover, as per a survey conducted by Phillips, almost 67% of the people’s sleep is disturbed at least once in the night, while 62% report not being able to sleep properly. Similarly, as per the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS), 1 in 3 Britons suffer from a lack of sleep or get enough but of a poor quality. Additionally, “Up to 35% of elementary school children present with sleep onset problems and 21% of this group have problems to sleep through the night.”, says the World Health Organization (WHO).

It also says that 15% of the children in elementary school are disturbed by noise while sleeping. Further, sleep apnea, one of the most-common sleep disorders, affects 3% of the children who haven’t even started school yet! In addition, narcolepsy, which is characterized by sudden attacks of sleep and daytime drowsiness, affects up to 30 million children under the age of 18, with the peak incidence reported at age 14.

Smart Tech for Sleep Disorders: How Effective Is It?

From the statistics presented above, it is clear that poor-quality sleep is not only an issue for adults but for children and adolescents as well. With the increasing prevalence of these conditions and awareness on their harms, people have started doing more to ensure they sleep tight and sound. Mobile health (mHealth) applications that monitor physical movements during sleep, to track its quality, offer tips for relaxation, and synchronize morning wake-up alarms have already become popular.

Then, there are those that communicate with an array of wearable and non-wearable connected devices to monitor the quality of sleep and send the data continuously over the internet to people’s physicians. Connected devices by Fitbit, Nike, Jawbone, Apple, and many other consumer electronics companies track the heart rate and oxygen saturation to determine the sleep quality. They send the information to a synchronized mobile app, which generates alerts, recommends and schedules doctor consultations, or offers a diet and exercise plan.

There are even smart mattresses, pillows, and beds available now, which connect to the internet and are integrated with an array of sensors. For instance, certain smart beds adjust the headrest so that the person lies in a better physical position. Similarly, smart mattresses heat or cool the body, depending on the type of conditioning required. On the other hand, some of the conventional devices used for this purpose include those that help with apnea, including positive airway pressure (PAP) devices; oral appliances, facial interfaces, adaptive servo-ventilators, and cushions.

Furthermore, sleep tech devices also come as relatively simple glow lights, many of which fade in intensity as time passes; mini-speakers that read to children their favorite stories while they nod off and those that offer guided sessions, indoor air quality monitors, and earplugs.

Essentially, all these devices are available as wearables and non-wearables, of which people generally go for wearable ones because they are cheaper. Moreover, since they are small, lightweight, and easily portable, they can be taken wherever people go, monitoring their sleep patterns continuously. Since managing sleep is a long process, requiring due diligence, wearable devices bring people one step closer to waking up refreshed.

Options Expanding for the Sleep-Deprived with Efforts of Tech and Healthcare Firms

As many of these devices don’t require a doctor’s prescription, options for those suffering from sleeping issues are plenty. Moreover, with medical device, healthcare, tech, and consumer electronics companies investing heavily in research and development (R&D) and collaborating amongst themselves, the options are set to further expand in the coming years. People are currently moving from trackers that can be worn on the wrist to those that monitor physiological parameters from different parts of the body.

For instance, in September 2020, Samsung launched Samsung Galaxy Fit 2, which has step, heart rate, and sleep trackers. Similarly, in August that year, Focus Group introduced heart rate and sleep tracking and V02 max estimation functionalities in its Gen 5 smartwatch. Moreover, Serta Simmons Bedding LLC offers the iComfort line of hybrid mattresses with cooling support and a hybrid coil. Similarly, the Comfort Touch cushion line offered by Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare features knee-support cushions, elevation wedges, seat cushions, neck-support pillows, and heated lumbar-support backrests.

In addition to launching new products, companies are merging with and acquiring similar ones to access new technologies and widen their portfolio. For instance, Firstbeat Analytics Oy, which offers physiological metrics and analytics solutions for consumer electronic devices, was acquired by Garmin Ltd., a wearable tracker and smartwatch manufacturer, in June 2020, to give end customers advanced health and fitness insights amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, as part of its customer acquisition and product marketing strategy, in July 2021, sleep tech firm Kryo Inc. entered into a partnership with Major League Baseball teams Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds to offer its OOLER sleep system to the players. The product reduces the body heat and allows players to sleep while on the road or at home. Since sportspersons are engaged in extensive exercise and workouts, sleep is essential for them to stay refreshed and give their best during games.

North Americans Remain Largest Users of Advanced Sleep Tech

Because of such advancements and efforts of companies in the space, advanced sleep tech has witnessed the highest penetration in North America. Moreover, the incidence of sleep-related disorders is rather high in the continent, on account of an unhealthy lifestyle, lack of physical exercise, and stress. As per the Sleep Foundation, almost 50% of the people in the U.S. complain of daytime drowsiness for three to seven days a week. Additionally, 35.2% of the people in the country get less than 7 hours’ sleep every day.

As a result, companies in the healthcare, consumer and medical device, and IT sectors are increasing their investments in sleep tech. Since most of these companies are based in North America, this continent has been the first to enjoy the benefits of such technologies. Moreover, with sleep deprivation becoming a global issue, such companies are expanding their reach in other regions as well, especially Asia-Pacific (APAC). The most-populous region on earth, it is also home to the largest population with sleep issues.

For instance, as per the World Economic Forum, the average sleep duration in India, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia is between 6 hours 45 minutes and 7 hours per day. Moreover, people in the Philippines and Malaysia get between 6 hours 30 minutes and 6 hours 45 minutes of sleep every day, while this duration in Japan and South Korea is among the worst in the world for developed countries, at between 6 hours 15 minutes and 6 hours 30 minutes. Similarly, although higher than many of its APAC counterparts, China has a lower average sleep duration than most of the North American and European countries, at a little over 7 hours.

Since sleeplessness leads to mental and physical issues and lack of productivity, it has become important to address it, which is why smart devices are increasingly becoming people’s bedtime buddies, helping them doze off and stay that way for as long as required.