Digital Health

If you spent any time in the Sands Convention Center—part of CES 2018’s Tech West exhibition—you couldn’t miss the explosion of companies offering sleep solutions this year. From startups to established companies like Philips and Nokia, everyone wants to capture a piece of this market. Form factors on display include smart mattresses, sensor strips that slip underneath sheets, smart pillows, smart sensors that clip on pillows, smart sensors that clip on clothes, bed-side monitors that detect sleep, and a range of headsets.

Parks Associates data reveals that 45% of consumers get insufficient sleep; more than 25% severely lack sleep. Sleep tracking features of smart watches and fitness trackers—the most commonly adopted sleep tech solution on market currently—are raising consumer awareness about lack of sleep. Eighteen percent of consumers in 2017 reported concern that their health will worsen due to a lack of quality sleep—up from 16% in 2016. Still, once a consumer understands their sleep patterns—what, then, to do about it?

The next phase of sleep tech will take much greater strides to help consumers actually improve sleep, through integration with other products and more comprehensive data sources. Products showcased can detect room temperature, humidity, noise levels, and room darkness, or incorporate that data from other connected home products. Strangely, many companies are taking a proprietary ecosystem approach, pulling in wide sources of data only from their own branded devices—yet, consumers are unlikely to acquire sleep tracking devices, smart lights, smart thermostats and other connected home devices all from the same company. If the sleep tech market can learn anything from the larger smart home market it’s that third-party integration is where complicated scene-based use cases are made possible. By next CES I expect sleep-tech providers that have partnered to be the ones left standing.

Companies to Watch:

• SleepNumber – SleepNumber is the biggest mattress player in the sleep-tech space. The company offers a smart mattress with Sleep IQ technology, which is a system of sensors that track sleep and automatically adjust the bed for optimal sleep. Mattress manufacturers are in the unique position of being perhaps most able to actually address sleep issues. For instance, if the system detects snoring, it can lift the head up a bit. SleepNumber also pulls in data from leading activity trackers like Fitbit, Apple Health, and MapMyRun, and even Nest Learning Thermostat to help users tease out trends from other aspects of their lives that may be affecting their sleep.
   
• SleepScoreLabs – SleepScoreLabs is acquiring partners at an impressive rate. The company uses SleepScore technology developed by the market leader in sleep disorder (e.g., sleep apnea) diagnostic and treatment leader ResMed. The company offers its own bedside contactless sensor device SleepScore Max device, but also promotes solutions from start-ups offering audio, lighting, and other solutions that promise to improve sleep quality. The company has announced an exclusive retail distribution partnership with Williams-Sonoma.
   
• Nokia Health – In 2017, Nokia rebranded it’s acquired Withings products as Nokia Health. The company launched its new sleep-tracking mattress pad at CES, which works with Nokia’s larger ecosystem of health devices including its sleep and fitness-tracking Steel smart watch, Wi-Fi weight scales, blood pressure cuff, and smart thermometer.
   
• Philips – Philips demoed a wearable headband, SmartSleep, which detects brainwaves using two small sensors to identify when the wearer has achieved deep sleep. The headset then plays specific audio tones that promise to increase the duration of deep sleep. While small clinical studies were performed to prove effectiveness, this high-contact approach may be off-putting for consumers without specific sleep disorders.
   
• GE Lighting – GE Lightings’ C-Sleep bulbs adjust their hues to match circadian rhythms at different times of the day. Expect to see more companies in the smart home space offering features that address consumers’ larger sleep environment.