Right now, we’re living in a golden age of technology. There are so many devices and gadgets available these days that it’s almost impossible to keep track of them all. However, are you utilizing this technology for your own benefit?
While most of us have smartphones and other internet-connected devices, many people aren’t connecting them to create a cohesive web of tech to make their lives easier. What are we talking about exactly? Smart Homes.
In the future, our homes may be able to provide us all of the conveniences of modern life without requiring much input from us beyond a few simple voice controls. However, integrating your whole house can be a hassle, so we’re thinking a bit smaller.
Today, we’re going to discuss how to make your bedroom smarter. Once you’re able to integrate these technological marvels into your room, you will see how much better your life can be overall.
Let’s dive in and see what it takes to upgrade your bedroom into the future.
What is a Smart Bedroom?
As the name suggests, a smart bedroom is one that blends technology with your habits seamlessly. Think about all of the things you do in your room – you sleep, you relax, you probably play games or surf the web – what if all of those activities could be synced into a cohesive network?
Overall, having a smart bedroom is all about making your life easier and more comfortable. We’re going to be looking at a variety of devices that you can incorporate into your living space to achieve all kinds of upgrades. You can make your room look more inviting with intelligent lighting, or you can track your sleep habits to see if you’re getting enough to make it through the day.
The exciting thing about having a smart bedroom is that you can add these elements based on your particular needs. Are you trying to get more sleep at night? You can make sure that you’re removing any factors (such as lights) that could inhibit your ability to drift off. Do you want to incorporate more entertainment into your space? There are many different ways to do that with gadgets that require little more than a command.
No matter what goals you’re trying to achieve, there are many different solutions out there to help you get there. Once you see the benefits of having a smart bedroom, it’s hard to believe how you lived without it.
The Essential Elements of a Smart Bedroom
Although we’re going to show you a lot of different gadgets that you can bring into your room, we’re going to start with the basics. Assuming that you don’t have a ton of space in which to work, it’s vital that you build your smart bedroom from the ground up.
For the most part, you will want to have the following elements.
- Smart Bed
- Smart Lighting
- Smart Climate Control
Additional gadgets for entertainment or easier management of your stuff can come later, but you don’t want to bite off more than you can chew. Starting with these elements, we will show you what’s possible and help you figure out what you should and shouldn’t incorporate into your room. Also, remember that you can always add more devices to the rest of your home, so don’t think that it all has to be in one spot.
Smart Bed
How can your bed be smart? Well, it turns out that there many different gadgets and devices out there that can upgrade your bed’s capabilities.
Overall, the goal that you should be trying to achieve with a smart bed is a better sleep. Since most of us don’t get the amount or quality of sleep necessary to make it through the day, we are hurting ourselves in the long run. In fact, lack of sleep can age you much worse than other environmental factors, so it’s critical that you take every precaution you can.
Here are a few of the items that we like to make your bed smarter.
Luna Mattress Cover
Do you like to have warmer temperatures as you drift off, or do you have to be cool to fall asleep? With this mattress cover, you can customize the temperature that fits your needs so that you’re always comfortable and ready to catch some Zs.
What’s even more incredible about this device is that you can adjust it for two different people. So, if your partner likes it warm while you want it cold, you don’t have to worry that one of you will be put out by the Luna.
For the most part, Luna adjusts the temperature based on data that it collects while you’re asleep. It may get warmer or cooler depending on the stage of sleep you’re in, and it will only get better about it the longer that you use it.
It works by utilizing a variety of sensors that are woven into the fabric. They track things like sleep phases, the ambient temperature of the room, humidity levels, and light. Since all of these conditions can affect how well you drift off, the Luna will accommodate your needs accordingly. Over time, you will notice that you fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed.
What’s most impressive about the Luna Mattress Cover is that you can integrate it with other smart home products. In fact, you can use it to provide you with peace of mind. For example, you can make sure that it will lock your doors and shut off all lights in the home once you’re drifting off. Then, when you wake up in the morning, it can activate different devices (i.e., a coffee maker in the kitchen) so that you can seamlessly transition into your day.
Obviously, this kind of integration will take some time to set up, and it requires that you have connected devices to connect to in the first place. However, if that does sound appealing to you, it’s good to know that it’s possible.
Within the confines of your room, however, the Luna can make sure that the thermostat is properly set while you’re sleeping, and that your lights are not interrupting your sleep phases. Any smart devices that are in your bedroom can be synced to ensure that they don’t disrupt your sleep habits.
Other Sleep Trackers
If you don’t want to use the Luna, or you want something that’s a little less intense, there are a few different sleep tracking units that can monitor your habits without having to touch you. A few examples include the Withings Aura Sleep Smart System or the Sleep Pill Sleep Monitor and Smart Alarm.
For the most part, these devices all work the same way. They monitor your movements and sleep phases by observing you throughout the night. Some of them can be integrated into your phone for convenience, and some of them might have additional sensors that you have to install. In any case, the point is that they can see how well you’re sleeping right now and provide insight into how to improve it in the future.
Smart Pillow
Although this device is not as well integrated as the Luna, it can still provide you with a hands-on approach to tracking your sleep. It uses sensors to see how much you toss and turn throughout the night, and it can even be programmed to wake you up in place of an alarm. The way that it works is that it will vibrate gently until you get up.
Best of all, it won’t wake your partner. If you get up hours ahead of your sleep partner, he or she will appreciate you doing it with something like this instead of an alarm clock that wakes both of you.
Adjustable Mattress
Although this technology has been around for a while, if you’re going to make your bed as smart as possible, you should think about upgrading your mattress. With an adjustable bed, you can customize your sleep position and how firm your side will be. Since most partners have different ideas of what’s most comfortable, an adjustable bed can help both of you get the best sleep of your life.
To make things even better for you, you can get a model that can be integrated with your other sleep trackers or monitoring systems. When all of these devices are working together, you will never have to worry about having a restless night ever again.
ReST Bed
This device is kind of like the Luna, except it’s even better. It’s a mattress rather than a cover, which means that the bed will respond to your needs, particularly when it comes to pressure points. Items like the Luna can only track your sleep and help with ambient data, but with ReST Bed, the mattress itself will adjust to your body while you’re asleep.
The fabric has a host of sensors, and there are over 200 pressure points woven in as well. When you settle in for sleep, the bed will work to relieve any pressure that you feel so that it’s more comfortable. Best of all, it will adjust automatically when you shift or move around on the bed. Never wake up with sore spots ever again.
Smart Lighting
As we mentioned, one of the things that are sabotaging your sleep patterns is an abundance of light that shouldn’t be there. Even just a small indicator light from your phone or computer can be enough to disrupt your sleep cycle, making you more tired in the morning.
With smart lighting, you can integrate everything that produces the light into a single system, thus ensuring that you never have to worry about anything interrupting your rest.
Sleep Companion Sleep Enhancing Light
When talking about lighting that can adjust to your needs, you have to think about how it will work all day long. With something like this lighting system, you can utilize to drift off easier at night, as well as wake up better in the morning.
This particular device syncs with your smartphone, which enables you to control it much more comfortably. Also, it can sync with things like your phone’s alarm so that you get a shot of bright light as well as the alarm itself.
With smart lights, you can also adjust the color and brightness as you see fit. Do you want mood lighting for watching a movie, or do you need something brighter while you’re working? It’s all possible with this kind of system.
Smart Nightlight
If you get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or get a glass of water, then you want to be able to see where you’re going without having to flood your room with a lot of light. A smart nightlight can be a viable solution because it will only activate when you’re up and about, not while you’re sleeping.
These devices can be perfect for both the bedroom and the rest of the house, especially if you integrate them with a total home system. For example, the lights may activate during certain times of the night based on your sleep habits.
Table Lamp
If you want something a bit more versatile, then a smart lamp can be an even better lighting solution. With these devices, you can read in bed, or use them as mood lighting or as a nightlight as well. They can be programmed to turn on and off with various sensors (rather than a switch), making them even more convenient.
For example, if you drift off while reading, the light can sense that you’re asleep and turn off on its own. Not only will this help make sure that you don’t wake up later from the light in your eyes, but it can also save you money on your electric bill.
Smart Climate Control
Once you have your bed and your lighting figured out, the next step will be to integrate a smart thermostat into your room as well. Having this technology in your bedroom will ensure that you are always comfortable all year long.
Nest
This is probably one of the simplest and most effective models out there, and it’s an easy way to upgrade your bedroom without having to do anything too complicated. If you sync it to a centralized system like Google Home, you can have it work based on a variety of sensors. For example, it may change the temperature automatically once you’re asleep.
The other great thing about the Nest is that you can adjust the temperature with your smartphone. Thus, if you have to make some tweaks to the system, you don’t have to get up and cross the room to do it.
Smart Portable Air Conditioner
If you don’t have centralized heating and cooling, then a Nest isn’t going to do you any good. Thus, you will want to get a portable air conditioner that can either be synced to your centralized smart home system or your smartphone. Turn it on and off remotely, as well as program it to activate at certain times of the day. If you can integrate it to something like Google Home, then you can make sure that your bedroom is always at the right temperature.
One thing to consider, however, is buying a portable unit that offers heating as well as air conditioning. Most of these devices provide fan and dehumidifier capabilities, but few of them incorporate heat. During the winter months, this feature will be indispensable.
How to Make Your Bedroom Awesome With Additional Gadgets
When you see how beneficial smart technology can be in your bedroom, you will want to see how much of it you can incorporate into your living space. Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s discover more gadgets that can transform your bedroom into a fully-customizable area.
In fact, once you add all of these devices, you may never want to leave your room again.
Projector Screen
Even if you have a living room with a big screen TV, it can be nice to have something in your bedroom as well. This way, you can watch your favorite shows or movies in an even more comfortable setting. In fact, if you have an adjustable mattress, you will probably prefer to use it more than any other couch or lounge chair in your living room.
With a smart projector screen, you can get a bigger image without having to pay for the privilege. Not only that, but you may even have the option of seeing it on your ceiling. This will allow you to watch while laying on your bed, which will be the ultimate in comfort and convenience.
Also, you can sync it to your computer so that you can stream shows and movies from your favorite service. Finally, a projector can also be used to create mood lighting or to cover your wall (or ceiling) with background images.
Smart Alarm Clock
Alarm clocks are pretty simple devices, so what can be gained by integrating them into your smart bedroom? Well, not only can you program them to be better suited to your lifestyle and sleep schedule, but they can also be synced with other devices around the home.
What if you could set your alarm to start the coffee maker when you wake up? What about changing the thermostat when it goes off? How about turning on your TV so that you can watch the news while you get ready? All of these things are possible when you upgrade to a smart alarm. Also, you can program it to activate whenever you fall asleep, so you never have to worry about forgetting to set your alarm the night before.
Smart Blinds
Natural light is one of the best wake-up calls in the morning. However, if your blinds are shut to keep your bedroom dark, how can you be sure that they will open in the morning to get you to wake up?
With smart technology, you can hook up a motor to your blinds so that they will open when you want them to. You can set it to activate when it detects sunlight, or you can integrate it with your smart alarm clock to go off with the alarm.
Although this kind of technology can be tricky to set up (and it doesn’t work for all blinds), it’s a simple and effective way to make your bedroom even more accommodating.
Smart Sleep Aids
While tracking your sleeping habits is helpful, how can you be sure that you fix any problems that these devices detect? Fortunately, there are all kinds of solutions available that can remove any environmental factors that are keeping you from getting the sleep you need.
One option is to get noise-canceling sleep phones. These are like a soft headband that wraps around your ears and keeps all of the ambient noises of your home or the street outside from interrupting your sleep. Alternatively, if you need soft white noise to drift off, the integrated headphones can provide soothing sounds to help you out. The other benefit of this is that if your partner doesn’t like noise, you won’t bother them with it.
Another option is a smart face mask. If you can’t remove all of the light from your bedroom, then a mask can offer total darkness. These devices are much more comfortable, and they can sometimes come with headphones built-in as well. You may be able to sync them with your sleep tracker to make the most out of your nighttime habits.
Smart Outlets
As we’ve mentioned already, one thing that can kill your sleep (and your electric bill) is devices that have indicator lights that stay on all the time. When you plug them into a smart outlet, you can cut the power and keep them off all night long. You can program them to turn on and off with your sleep schedule, or you can control it remotely with your smartphone.
Also, having smart outlets and switches also allows you to turn things on or off when you’re not at home. If you’re worried that you left a hair dryer or curling iron plugged in, switch it off from your phone, and you no longer have to stress about it.
Bottom Line
As you can see, there are so many different ways to incorporate technology into your bedroom. Once you get the ball rolling, we’re sure that you’ll want to add more and more devices to make your life even easier. Creating a high-tech bedroom is much simpler than you think, so what’s stopping you?
