What to Expect From the Bed of the Future

In the middle of the 20th century, technology was advancing at a breakneck pace, especially within the average home, and predictions flew over what new advanced consumer goods would revolutionize the average family’s lifestyle next. It wasn’t uncommon to see television programs like this one, envisioning a high-tech bedroom of the future, with all sorts of odd gadgets in and around the bedside — most of which are utterly unnecessary by today’s standards.

Fast-forward to the 2020s, and we are living in the midst of another period of rapid technological advancement, and once again, we are seeing all sorts of professionals make predictions about how the tech of tomorrow will change our average, everyday lives — but unlike those TV specials of the past, these predictions seem much more possible given the high-tech state of most homes. Consider the following updated expectations for the high-tech bedroom of the future:

Non-toxic Mattresses

A person’s mattress should be among a person’s most treasured belongings, considering that people spend roughly one-third of their lives in bed. Yet, what many people don’t realize is that most mattresses are constantly emitting exceedingly dangerous toxic gases. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are gases that can irritate the skin, eyes, throat, and lungs. With high doses or long-term exposure, some VOCs can cause cancer, nerve damage, and other extreme harm. VOCs are present in and on many materials used in traditional mattresses, from memory foam toppers to flame-retardant fabrics.

Already, the growing fear of VOCs is compelling many sleepers to search out more natural mattress solutions. The bed of the future most definitely involves non-toxic mattresses that are conducive to safe, healthy sleep.

Sleep Monitoring

A common complaint about sleep is that a person gets a full night of Zs but doesn’t feel particularly rested come morning. These days, people can use sleep monitoring tools to better understand what happens to their bodies during the nighttime hours, and the bed of the future will no doubt be equipped with the best sleep monitoring system to provide ample data for reaching optimal rest.

Smart sensors can track the temperature of the environment and the sleeper, the sleeper’s heart rate and oxygen level, their rate of movement, the ambient sounds, and more. These metrics can help individual sleepers create a space most conducive to sleep that will leave them feeling restored and ready for the next day.

Temperature Control

Speaking of temperature, many people notice that no matter how cool they keep their bedrooms, no matter how lightly they dress for the night, they still sleep uncomfortably hot. This is likely the result of a mattress that doesn’t provide sufficient airflow to keep the sleeper at an appropriate temperature all night long.

The bed of the future will be made of intelligently engineered materials that absorb and disperse any excess heat created by a sleeper during the night. Even better, some mattresses might be able to collect temperature data and adjust their temperature to suit a sleeper’s needs, to account for different seasons and cycles of sleep.

Augmented Reality

It is one thing to watch TV to sleep, but it is quite another to drift off under a realistic night sky illuminated with the aurora borealis. Then again, sleepers might choose to fall asleep under an alien sky, a rainforest canopy, the ceiling of an underground cavern or even under the deep blue sea. Augmented reality screens and speakers above beds could provide a beautiful and sensuous sleeping experience that allows sleepers to experience more natural sleeping environments without forsaking the comfort and security of their bedrooms.

Illuminating Pillows

Ample research has found that humans feel more alert, more rested and happier in the morning if they wake up slowly to the rising sun instead of rapidly to a blaring alarm clock. Even so, few people relish the idea of getting out of bed at the crack of dawn. To enjoy the benefits of an unhurried awakening without the inconvenient timing of sunrise, sleepers can take advantage of illuminating pillows. As plush as any regular bed pillow but with the added feature of tiny LED lights, these pillows slowly fill the bedroom with light for a more natural wake-up.

The bed of the future isn’t some unattainable science fiction fantasy — most of the products listed here are already available in some form. The sooner sleepers invest in the best bed technology, the sooner they can attain futuristic sleep.