Constantly Wired: How Technology In The Home Affects Our Sleep

With smart home technology becoming so popular for new home and apartments, the convenience factor continues to grow as the more wired (or wireless) we get. But how is such technology affecting our sleep? While there are ways that new technology can help us improve our sleep, such as with the availability of new apps and sleep trackers that monitor us while we snooze, there are definitely some things to think about before we go crazy and make everything in our homes wireless.

Reduce anxiety at home & vacation

Smart technology in the home can help battle one of the biggest sleep demons: Anxiety. Simply put, smart tech has a way of putting our minds at ease. Many smart home devices come with apps that you can control from your phone with one press of a button—such as reducing temperature, turning off lights and locking the doors, said Tim Myers, Director of Smarter Home Solutions with Enercare. Having that control at your fingertips can help eliminate those middle-of-the-night worries that leave us anxious and restless, especially while we’re away. “Additionally, with our carbon monoxide sensors, we are always monitoring for this dangerous gas to help with peace of mind while sleeping at night,” Myers said.

Additionally, leak sensors can detect water or moisture—which can lead to health concerns like mould—and Myers says that his smart tech can automatically trigger a dehumidifier to eliminate the threat or shut off the water supply while you fix the problem. There is nothing like peace of mind when you’re trying to sleep at home or away.

Aiding sleeping with technology

You can even take it a step further. The SleepScore app uses sonar to track your vitals and other information, such as room temperature, removing the need for additional hardware like fitness trackers to send information to your phone. Smart mattresses also can keep track of how you’re sleeping—including monitoring heart rate or motion—and automatically make adjustments as needed, such as elevating your head if you’re snoring (better than an elbow to the ribs) or making the mattress more firm. Fancier models include additional special features like massage but they can be spendy. Luckily for us with lighter wallets, Smart Mattress technology fits a range of budgets, starting with a thin smart sleep pad that can slip under the mattress you already have.

Technology can also help improve our quality of sleep (or recognize when there’s a problem). Adjusting temps in your home to stay cool at night and gradually get warmer as you wake, is a good way to prepare your body for the perfect sleep.

On a simpler level, you can use your Alexa and Google Home to send white noise or ambient sound features into your bedroom to help block out sounds from the street or to provide a soothing background when you hit the bed after a hard day’s work. Using these speakers as an alarm clock allows you to leave your phone outside the room, reducing the temptation to scan Instagram into the wee hours and fill your brain with too much light.

Blue light blues

Speaking of light, it’s important to be aware of how having our tech (like smartphones) next to our pillows can impact our sleep cycles. We’ve heard plenty about the danger of screen time keeping us from getting the quality of sleep we need to recharge. Harvard Medical School research tells us that blue light from our electronic devices can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates our sleep and wakefulness. Some phones will help by filtering out blue light, so check your settings and see if yours does.

Setting a smart sequence for your bedroom lights can also help you wake up easier after a night’s rest. You can set them to dim or gently brighten in the morning, just as natural light does, helping to set your body into its natural rhythm. Some smart lights can even emit aromatherapy scents to help induce the relaxation needed to sleep or stimulate wakefulness. Talk about a yummy way to wake up!

Energy field disruptions

But the very smart home technology that can be used to improve sleep ironically could be interfering with our sleep cycle, according to some research. The electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by wireless technology have been blamed for creating disruptions in our natural sleep cycles. The National Institutes of Health has recognized that even low-level EMFs might be sensed by the body as light and therefore decrease the production of melatonin. Long-term disruption of melatonin production can lead to more serious health effects, including depression, obesity, diabetes, heart problems and possibly even cancer. It’s definitely something to consider.

However, don’t freak out yet. other research has shown that exposure to EMFs has no measurable impact on sleep. While the jury is still out on smart tech’s effect on sleep, if you’re having issues that started after your home got smarter, you might want to look into it, even if experts are skeptical. Myers, for instance, says he has never had a report of a customer with negative health consequences related to using his smart home technology.

Dreaming up a tech solution

As the use of smart home technology continues to become a part of our daily (and nightly) lives, choose the technology that’s best for you and your sleep patterns—and recognize when you might need to unplug. Improving your sleep will improve your overall health and well being, and the right tech in your home can help you get there. Here’s to happy snoozing for all!

GUEST POST by Hilary Thompson