To fall asleep at night, I imagine my bed turning into a hammock, swinging somewhere on a sandy beach. It typically does the trick, but when it doesn’t, I can usually chalk it up to my anxiety or sleep apnea. Receiving 2020’s James Dyson Award, Nocturnal, designed by Alexander Braga, is an interactive sleeping aid that specifically aims to help insomnia sufferers. With user-defined technological and personalized features, this design solution makes restful sleep possible. On this point, Braga says, “Nocturnal combines both digital and beautiful design, language and form to improve sleep quality for insomniacs as a sustainable solution for the future.”

Surrounding the bed is an OLED, a film of an organic compound, emitting light, which bridges digital solutions with the human experience. The OLED screen is the sleeping aid’s primary charm and uses rollable, flexible technology in order to envelop the top half of your body and project images from the depths of your most peaceful, relaxing imagination. By promoting the beneficial and curated use of Artificial Intelligence, stressors such as anxiety and depression can be managed. Through research and conducted interviews, Alexander Braga concluded, “Dreams have always fascinated me and I wanted to add this celestial component, in combination with beautiful aesthetics to completely change the way we as humans sleep. I had looked into current bed sizes, ergonomic considerations through interaction and resting positions, and sustainable material selections. Once I achieved a better understanding of traditional sleeping habits, I looked into accessible technology that could stimulate our senses to fall asleep and provide the user with a dreamland sensation.”

Each component of the bed and its features are made up of entirely natural materials, enhancing the design’s appeal to sustainability. Additionally, the bed frame mimics the shape of a sailboat which will only enrich the user’s imagination. While these aspects certainly augment Nocturnal’s commitment to optimal rest, the defining feature is the design’s interactive programming. Nocturnal integrates haptic sensors and voice recognition technology in order to help maintain an intimate relationship with sleep, through visual, touch, and verbal feedback. Furthering that relationship, the underlying haptic sensors, inside Nocturnal’s mattress, adjusts to your body’s distinct contour, providing you with ideal comfort levels before falling asleep. Living with anxiety himself, Braga designed Nocturnal in order to supply those of us who suffer from varying mental stressors with a good night’s rest because sleeping’s for everyone, Nocturnal makes sure of it.

Designer: Alexander Braga