Tech companies want you to nail your next nap

Hey Health Techies!

Happy National Napping Day! Okay okay it was Monday, but we can still celebrate right…may National Napping Week? In honor of the post-Daylight Savings Time holiday, I thought we could dive into the wide world of sleep technology since it’s been really taking off the past few years, and offering great options to consumers who are looking to improve their quality of sleep.

Traditionally, sleep hygiene advice has been simple: stick to a routine, limit screen time, and keep your bedroom cool and dark. But let’s be honest—modern life doesn’t always make that easy. Enter sleep tech companies, which are taking classic sleep tips and giving them a much-needed upgrade.

Here are a few ways sleep tech is changing the game:

⏰ Goodbye alarm clocks, hello smart wake-ups

Companies like Hatch are getting you to skip the nighttime doomscrolling with nighttime routines and gentle wakeup patterns. Some devices even use gentle vibrations or sunrise simulation to make waking up feel natural.

🔵 Blue light? Blocked

Traditional advice says to avoid screens before bed, but startups like Swanwick and TrueDark offer blue-light-blocking glasses and screen filters so you can binge-watch responsibly. Meanwhile, apps like f.lux and Apple’s Night Shift automatically adjust screen colors based on the time of day, helping reduce sleep-disrupting exposure.

🌡️ Temperature control

Instead of relying on a fan or extra blankets, smart mattresses from Eight Sleep adjust their temperature in real-time, keeping you at the perfect sleep temperature all night. Some devices even have dual-zone control, ensuring both you and your partner sleep comfortably.

📱AI-Powered sleep coaching

Apps like Sleep Reset and RISE analyze your habits and offer personalized sleep plans, making it easier to stick to good sleep hygiene without the guesswork. Some wearable devices now include AI-driven insights that suggest lifestyle changes based on your sleep patterns.

❤️ Tracking more than just sleep

Wearables like WHOOP and Fitbit not only track your sleep but also measure recovery, heart rate variability (HRV), and other key wellness indicators. These insights can help you optimize your daily routine to improve your overall sleep quality.

And if you’ll remember in the fall I covered Apple’s latest watch advancements that track patterns related to sleep apnea and can alert users if enough sessions are logged with breathing abnormalities over a 30 day period.

💰 Consumers are ready to pay

And consumers seem to be ready to invest in the latest and greatest. A CNET survey taken last year found that US adults are willing to pay almost $1000 per year for better sleep.

Even payors are getting in on it, with insurers like Kaiser covering apps like Calm and Headspace. Improved sleep has long been linked with overall health and wellness improvements like improved memory, a stronger immune system, and supporting weight management. Insurers putting their money behind these digital solutions to support sleep certainly shows a belief that they work and are likely to improve patients’ overall health status.

This National Napping Day, maybe it’s time to rethink your sleep routine. With a little help from sleep tech, you might just wake up feeling better than ever.

Have you tried any of these sleep tech hacks? Hit reply and let me know!

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Until next time,

Lauren

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