For well over 100 years, dating back to when French watchmaker Antoine Reader first patented his product in 1847, the only piece of technology associated with sleep was the alarm clock.
Today, science, technology, healthcare professionals, and even the bedding industry have all joined forces to create a global sleep industry, virtually all facets of which are dedicated to the overarching mission of maximizing the benefits of a good, healthy night’s sleep.
After all, everybody slumbers at night, right?
So as long as that continues to be the case, humans might as well do it right. Yet for millions of individuals worldwide, that good night’s sleep is often hardly more than a pipe dream.
Quality Over Quantity
While the traditional thinking that seven to nine hours should be optimal, recent research indicates that the quality of sleep is actually far more important than quantity. Alcohol and caffeine certainly play a role, as does expanded exposure to cell phones, television, and computer screens.
Compound that with a world that’s increasingly uncertain, and it’s easy to understand why individuals are sleeping for fewer hours — and less efficiently.
The Rise of Sleep Tech
The solution for many can be found within a booming sleep technology ecosystem, which is mass-producing a wide range of products designed to answer the call. Sleep-tracking devices are perhaps the most prevalent, helping users understand their nighttime patterns to improve sleep quality, optimize daytime performance, or treat sleep problems.
Many of these devices are worn during slumber, using sensors to gather and summarize data about the sleeper. Unlike lab-based sleep tests that directly record brain activity, these gadgets monitor physical signs such as heart rate and body movement.
Among these products, wearable devices, which collect that data throughout the night, are leading the way. Right behind them are nightstand options, including CPAPs, white noise machines, smart sleep headbands, and bedside lamps that stimulate relaxation and facilitate ease of sleep as well as energized wakefulness the morning after.
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Lighting the Way with Restful
One such company, San Francisco-based Restful, is developing just such a product.
“We have two products at Restful, the Bedtime Bulb V2, and the Atmos,” said company founder Greg Yeutter. “The first product, our Bedtime Bulb, was our entry point into the market. It’s an analog product, but for many people, this is actually the product that they want, that being a modern, efficient light bulb that can work with any dimmer, and for that product, we already have 40,000 customers.”
But according to Yeutter, it’s his newest product, the Atmos, that’s really poised to move the needle.
“Light is one of the primary influencers of sleep,” he said. “It’s known that light has a huge impact on the circadian rhythm. It is the thing that sets your body clock.
“With the Atmos 2, our mission was to make a product that delivers lighting that changes throughout the day,” he said. “So, very bright white light that is rich in blue light is used throughout the day to stimulate your circadian rhythm and try to mimic sunlight, and then we shift down to dim red light at night, which is enough to see, but with the absence of blue, so it’s not stimulating the circadian rhythm.”
According to Yeutter, the Atmos 2 is presently in its final stages of mass production, with a scheduled release date of late Q4 2025. “Plus, we have three new products in the works for 2026,” Yeutter said.
As for where the industry is headed, Yeutter has some thoughts there as well.
“We’ve really seen a lot of challenges with lighting out there. The industry today is very fragmented. There are increasing concerns about blue light, flicker, and additional unhealthy aspects of light. So, we wanted to make products that fix most of the common complaints and health concerns about lighting.”
A Ring Designed for Rest
Another San Francisco-based company, Oura, offers a finger ring product powered by an algorithm that works with research-grade sensors to dynamically adapt to the finger with enough comfort to be worn around the clock while delivering accurate and continuous data, day and night.
“The Oura Ring is designed to be a personal health companion, giving our members a holistic view of their health by pairing personal data with meaningful, actionable insights to facilitate long-term changes, a significant step forward for wearables across accuracy, comfort, personalization, and design,” said Tom Hale, Oura CEO.
Looking ahead, industry experts anticipate a shift from basic tracking to continuous, multimodal sensing that’s quieter, more accurate, and mostly invisible—shifting from generic sleep tips to adaptive coaching that blends behavior change with users’ schedules, travel, and health goals. Together, these trends point to sleep tech that not only measures nights but actively, safely improves them.
The Digital Distraction Dilemma
Of course, all that said, technology can also have its downsides.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, three-quarters of Americans lose sleep due to what it terms “digital distractions,” which cover everything from late-night TV binging and after-hours computer work to browsing, buying, and keeping up with family text chains.
A recent AASM survey revealed that roughly half of Americans (50%) watch TV and 45% use their smartphone late at night, while more than 8 in 10 people (87%) keep their smartphone in the bedroom, often within arm’s reach—making midnight scrolling and late-night binge-watching an enticing habit that can unknowingly compromise sleep duration and quality.
“With so many digital distractions vying for our time, it can be tempting to watch one more episode or scroll through one more viral video, but anything that keeps us from getting the recommended seven hours of sleep each night can be harmful to overall health and well-being,” said AASM sleep medicine physician Dr. Alexandre Abreu.
While technology (sleep tech in particular) can certainly make a difference, often it’s simply plain old human nature that continues to compound the issue.
