Forget resolutions: The only real goal you have for 2018 is to get more quality shut-eye. Still, anyone who’s ever adjusted their bedtime or banned iPads from the bedroom (damn, blue light!) knows it’s easier said than done. Here, four sleep trends promising to make a good night’s sleep more attainable in the new year.
4 Major Sleep Trends to Be On the Lookout for in 2018
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Published Jan 8, 2018
Smart Mattresses
First step to a good night’s rest: a quality mattress. (This you know.) But what about a mattress designed to analyze your REM cycle and wake you up with a smart alarm the minute it detects that you’re in a stage of light sleep? Yep, this is the future, and companies like Eight Sleep are showcasing top-of-the-line tech. In fact, the Eight Sleep mattress even syncs with your Amazon Alexa, so you can get a daily sleep report every morning just by asking: “Alexa, how did I sleep?” (Pretty useful info if it helps you discover that the amount of times you tossed and turned directly corresponds with the timing of the iPhone notifications you received.)
Sleep Trackers You Don’t Have To Wear
Your Fitbit is great and all, but wearing a bulky device to bed just to record the number of hours of shut-eye you logged isn’t the most comfortable plan. In 2018, you can expect a slew of new sleep trackers (like S+ ResMed, which sits on your nightstand vs. your wrist) to help you better understand your sleeping patterns—from breathing to the impact of room temp—without impeding upon the quality of your z’s.
Better Bedding
The bottom line: Thread count matters. But so does the material and weight of your sheets and duvet. (How else are you supposed to get a good night’s sleep if you spend the night oscillating between feeling overheated or chilled?) This year, you can expect more and more brands to test the waters with breathable fabrics that keep you warm—but not too warm—all night long. An example: Brooklinen’s new twill bedding line, designed to feel like your favorite worn-in T-shirt and flannel button-down fused together. The long-weave cotton plus the diagonal weave of the fabric is just the right weight to keep you cozy all night long.
Good-for-you Blue Light
No, your iPad is still banned from the bedroom. But just in from France is the Dodow, a digital sleep lamp designed to sit on your nightstand and help you be more mindful about your shut-eye. It works like this: The lamp projects a glowing blue light on your ceiling that pulses slowly guiding you to replicate its pattern. (Take a slow, deep breath in every time the light expands and release your breath when the light contracts.) By timing your breathing to the light, you’re achieving a form of sleep meditation—and one that actually leads to a better night’s sleep. The goal!
