Smart mattresses are increasing in popularity, thanks to their ability to improve our sleep quality and quantity through integrated technology. Smart beds are a rapidly growing market and while they are expensive, they have the potential to target a variety of sleep issues.
The best mattresses provide a comfortable environment for sleep, but smart beds take things one step further by playing an active role in your nighttime routine. Whether it's massaging your feet (yes, really), identifying sleep issues or controlling your bed's temperature for optimum sleep quality, the benefits of a smart bed are seemingly endless.
However, finding the right one can be tricky and the sheer extent of features available can feel overwhelming. Here, we'll explore the ways common smart bed functions can help you target common sleep issues and achieve better rest.
Smart mattresses are premium products that come at a premium price, but keep an eye out for the Memorial Day mattress sales if you're hoping to save on smart sleep. Scroll to the bottom for our roundup of some of our favorite smart beds.
5 ways a smart bed can help with common sleep issues
1. Track your sleep habits to alleviate insomnia
It isn't always easy to find the cause of your disturbed sleep, which makes it even harder to deal with the problem. The best fitness trackers can sometimes help you learn your sleep patterns, but many smart mattresses are now going one step further, incorporating sleep tracking technology directly into the bed.
An integrated mattress sleep tracker gets a first-hand look at just how you spend your night. It can then record this data to learn your sleep patterns and relay them back to you (generally via an app), helping you understand just what is making you tired. This data is often accompanied by achievable advice on how to take improve your habits for better sleep.
2. Beat night sweats with controlled cooling
The body naturally cools in the evening as you prepare to sleep, which is why we recommend turning the heat down before going to bed. It’s normal to warm up during the night, but if you suffer from the night sweats, you might find your sleep is regularly disturbed by uncomfortable overheating.
Normally, the only way to deal with this is to throw off the sheets and apply something cool to your pulse. However, many of the best smart mattresses feature adjustable temperature controls, allowing you to take a more direct – and more effective – approach to keeping your chill.
Smart mattresses with adjustable temperatures can be heated or cooled during the night to meet your needs. Many of these beds also use sensors to detect the ambient temperature and make automatic adjustments as you sleep, without you having to touch a button.
3. Automatically adjust position to stop snoring
Lying flat can compress the airway, causing noisy and disruptive snoring. Raising your head and neck naturally opens the throat (as does lying on your side) so you can breathe clear and stop snoring.
Adjustable beds are an effective way to raise the head and neck without the awkward support of multiple pillows. Some smart beds can even respond to snoring during the night, gently angling your head upwards when it detects someone sawing logs.
As well as stopping snoring, adjustable positions can be used to limit aches and pains. The zero gravity mattress position is great for this. Zero gravity beds raise the head and feet above the heart and stomach into what's known as a 'neutral' position. This eliminates the impact of gravity, alleviating pressure on the body, to reduce lower back pain
4. Pick the perfect firmness to reduce back pain
Mattress firmness indicates how the bed will feel, and it's essential to choose firmness that suits your body type and sleep style. That's why we rate every mattress we test on a firmness scale from one to 10, with one indicating quicksand soft and 10 meaning hard as a rock.
The best mattresses for back pain tend to be medium-firm or firm, but this is a subjective choice, and what's dreamy for someone else might leave you aching. Smart mattresses navigate this problem with adjustable firmness levels – simply press a button and air chambers inside the mattress inflate or deflate, making the bed firmer or softer as you require.
In addition, smart mattresses often remember your preferred firmness for each sleep position, automatically changing as you move. Incremental adjustments, but they can make a world of difference to how well you sleep.
5. In-built massage soothes restless legs
In-built massage technology adds a soothing new dimension to a smart bed and can potentially be used to reduce the disruptive effects of restless leg syndrome (RLS). And who would turn up a quick foot massage before bed?
There is more research needed into the benefits of massage for restless leg syndrome but early studies indicate it can be an effective treatment. For more traditional treatments, consider taking magnesium supplements and getting out of bed during the night if RLS is waking you up.
Before buying any massage mattress for restless leg syndrome, check where the massage function is located. Some mattresses have massage technology at the head of the bed only. Not particularly useful for restless legs (but potentially soothing if stress on anxiety are keeping you up).
