Better Sleep through Innovation: The Rise of Sleep Tech

Insomnia is a growing problem in the UK, with almost three-quarters of people not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night, according to a study by insurance group Direct Line. The sleeplessness epidemic is due to a variety of factors, including stress, shift work, and caffeine or alcohol consumption. Sleep deprivation can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, mental health problems, and lost productivity, costing the UK up to £40bn annually.

Increasingly, people are turning to technology for help. The global sleep technology sector was worth $15bn last year, and this is expected to rise to $67bn by 2030. Sleep technology includes devices to track sleep patterns, meditation apps, and services to manage medical sleep disorders like sleep apnea and narcolepsy.

One woman who turned to technology for help with her insomnia found sleep stories particularly effective. She listens to soothing bedtime stories on the meditation app Calm most nights, which helps her sleep better. The tone of the narrators’ voices, slowing down of the voices and longer gaps between sentences, helps to calm her mind.

Health agencies are now recommending sleep technology for people suffering from insomnia. The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended the app Sleepio, which has an AI-powered virtual sleep assistant called “The Prof” to help users get to sleep more easily. As more and more people struggle with sleep, technology is providing a solution to the sleeplessness epidemic.