If I don’t sleep well at night, I find myself practically useless the next day! A good night’s sleep is extremely vital for achieving maximum productivity the following day. And with work from home completely changing our daily routines, we’re often working odd hours, and trying our best to adjust to it. We don’t know where time flies, and sometimes differentiating between day and night can seem impossible. Not to mention the additional stress of being deadpan in the middle of a pandemic? Sleeping well and peacefully at night has never been more critical. So, we’ve curated a list of product designs that promise to be your ultimate sleep aid! From an NFC-enabled sleeping aid device that keeps you away from the late-night scrolling to a sleep apnea assistive device to bring you the quality of sleep you truly deserve – this collection of designs will ensure that we’re all going to be well-rested in the last few months of 2021!
Suspended on a single leg, the Fluttua Bed by Lago Design truly looks like it’s floating in the air! The bed can be installed on various kinds of walls, handle up to 240 kg of weight, and transform your snooze session into one magical experience. It’ll almost feel as if you’re lounging about on Aladdin’s magic carpet!
Part-marketing strategy, part-wellness boost–IKEA’s La Sieste bike fleet will comprise of sleeping capsules outfitted with IKEA furnishings, such as a mattress, cushions, sheets, duvets, curtains, pillows, and bed frame. Nappers will have the option of blacking out their IKEA La Sieste capsule with heavy curtains or leaving the curtains pulled back for a brief, 30-minute micro-tour of the avenues in Paris.
The thin, flexible strip worn on the finger can generate energy when you are sleeping or simply doing nothing since the sweat from your body powers it. As the fingertips produce exponentially more sweat than any other body part, they are virtually an abundant source to put to good use. The strip has carbon foam electrodes that absorb the sweat, and a chemical reaction is initiated between the lactate and oxygen molecules. The result is electricity generation that’s stored in capacitors to power our modern power-hungry wearables. According to co-first author Lu Yin, “This work is a step forward to making wearables more practical, convenient and accessible for the everyday person.”
Oblak is essentially a smart speaker that walks users through their nightly sleep routines. Through the use of smart technology, Oblak introduces each individual user’s optimal bedtime environment ideal for effective rest. Many factors can contribute to sleep deprivation, but in today’s world, the overconsumption of media on our smartphones is perhaps the leading cause. In order to step away from smart technology doing the work for us, Stanisic takes a holistic approach instead, encouraging users through Oblak to make conscious decisions that benefit their sleep patterns. For instance, Oblak uses NFC technology to register when its user is ready for bed.
Sleep Experience Center is essentially a sleeping and living pod that can be stationed in any setting from an airport to a remote science research center. The pod offers a soundproof place of respite stocked with everything from a full entertainment system to a smart mattress that adjusts to your preferred sleeping conditions. Designed for Keeson Group, Sleep Experience Center took to spaceships and luxury automobiles for inspiration, fusing advanced technology with a contemporary, sleek interior to deliver optimal resting conditions.
LoomyLoomy is a smart assistant for a healthy sleep routine, being more than just a combination of animated visuals (mood lighting) and soothing sound. The cool-looking bedside gadget has a 360 Degrees light reflector with a Qi wireless charging base at the bottom where your smartphone rests. Once you set the mood light on your phone and slide it in for winding off, the intuitively designed light reflector has the right ambiance to relax your senses, and before you realize the morning alarm combined with the sounds and mood light wakes you up for the day’s challenges!
These capsules are crafted from timber and steel which are resilient and protect against harsh weather. Ulmer Nest pods are fitted with solar panels and a set of sensors that monitor temperature, humidity, smoke, and carbon dioxide levels. It also has a heat exchanger to supply fresh air and maintain circulation. Motion sensors also replace the need for cameras while protecting privacy but also making sure that social workers can be alerted in case the situation demands it because overnight stays are not allowed. Two people can sleep in the pod at a time and take cover from rain, frost, and humidity.
Designed to help you either relax or focus by engaging multiple senses, the AROMEO Sense uses a combination of light, sound, and aromatherapy to bring down your stress levels. With a simple interface that comprises just three buttons, the AROMEO Sense lets you choose between Sleep, Relax, and Focus modes that work at different times of the day depending on the need of the hour and the activity. The Sleep mode uses melatonin-boosting lights, sedative aromas, and gentle sounds to lull you into a state that helps you drift off easily. The Relax mode works better while you’re meditating or just unwinding after a rough day, with light that helps guide your breathing patterns, gentle fragrance, healing sounds to lower your stress levels. The Focus mode helps guide you into a state of wakefulness and awareness, with cool blue lights that stop your body from producing melatonin – the sleep hormone.
Lune, a holistic training and monitoring system for people with sleep apnea trouble, encourages sound sleep by stimulating oral muscles around the throat by means of pulsating electrodes. Inspired by the male frog’s mate calling technique, which is when the male frog lifts his head upwards in order to produce mighty ribbits, Lune incorporates an integrated airbag into the sleeping assistive device in order to maintain an upright position for their head, which in turn promotes steady, open airflow. Then, during sleep, Lune uses sensors to determine whether or not the user’s breathing canals are blocked.
An unlikely area of intervention for an automotive company, Ford’s now designing self-adjusting beds! Designed as a part of the Ford Interventions series, which uses automotive technology to remedy everyday problems, this is the Lane-Keeping Bed. As its name suggests, it prevents bed-space-hoggers from occupying more than half of the bed’s space. We move around a lot when we sleep (some more than others). This often results in inequality when it comes to bed-sharing. That’s where Ford’s quirky Lane-Keeping Bed helps bring back the balance. It uses Ford’s Lane-Keeping Aid technology, which monitors road markings to help guide the driver back into the appropriate lane, and a conveyor-mounted mattress that can roll/shift to always make sure your partner (or you) occupies the correct amount of bed space.