In the everchanging 21st century, tech has made its way into numerous aspects of the human experience. With the rise of virtual homes, virtual reality and augmented reality, tech intermixes with life more than ever before. You may think that one of the only times we step away from tech is when we sleep, but not anymore.
As it improves rapidly, tech does not have to be solely for your awake hours; it can transcend into your deep relaxation, helping you doze off into a better night’s rest.
Sleep-Tech as an Industry
According to The Economist, the sleep-tech industry is rising in popularity as people are sleeping less due to growing societal pressures, stimulants and distractions. As of 2019, 62% of adults worldwide report dissatisfaction with the way they sleep at night and the consequences of a decrease in sleep can mean big effects on people’s productivity and mental health.
With the digital world opening up doors to new sleep solutions, startups and big companies alike have looked into ways to solve these issues. The Economist also discusses how tech giants like Apple, Google, Samsung and Huawei integrate settings and resources into their products to help track and improve their users’ sleep. On the iPhone, users can manage their sleep through the Health app that comes preloaded onto their device, allowing them to experiment with unique do-not-disturb and relaxation settings.
Sleep and Stress
Rising stress levels in society contribute to a lack of sleep, showing just how intertwined these two issues are and how they call for new innovative solutions. In addition, with the pandemic adding new stressors into life, people are sleeping less due to these newfound pressures. According to Sleep.org, 41% of people lost sleep due to pandemic-induced stress.
Sleep.org also notes how stress during the day can reduce REM sleep at night, needed to keep up with one’s physical and mental health. The sleep-wake cycle can be disrupted by stress hormones, exposing the complex inner workings of the body and brain.
Some classic indicators of stress, including muscle tension, elevated heart rate and digestive system problems, impact sleep. Hardware technology can help alleviate this stress through targeting these specific areas.
Tech Meets Science Meets Startups
Pulsetto, a startup focused on developing tech solutions for improving sleep quality, has launched a device focusing on vagus nerve stimulation, known to reduce stress. The wearable device fits around your neck to target the body’s stress response through the heart, lungs and digestive system, thus lowering anxiety and creating a sense of calm.
CEO and Pulsetto Founder, Vitalijus Majorovas, explains how the device “uses electromagnetic waves to easily and safely activate the vagus nerve.”
A great deal of scientific thinking goes into a better night’s sleep, considering the intricacies of the nerves and hormones related to rest. Getting enough sleep can help improve your health and wellness and protect important growth and appetite hormones in your body, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. With a 500,000 Euro Investment in Pulsetto from Kilo Health, the future of sleep health lies in tech solutions. Whether it be hardware devices or device settings, tech and sleep can go hand in hand.
Consider Your Sleep Patterns
Stress can make you run rampant throughout the day, making your heart race and muscles ache. Have you ever thought about how this impacts your overall health and time to relax? Considering relaxation techniques and stress-reducing tech, you now have the potential to use the digital world to your advantage and improve your health through better sleep.
