The Art Of Smart Sleeping: Is Technology Changing The Way We Sleep?

The Art Of Smart Sleeping: Is Technology Changing The Way We Sleep?
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A glance or two at some of my favorite childhood lullabies tonight brought back some really joyous memories. I suddenly found myself reminiscing about how my mother sung me to sleep that night in my childhood home. Oh! The beauty of her voice, the joy of her graceful touch. These are not things that you can ever forget. Countless nights come and go, some spent anxiously looking forward to the first day at work, others dawdled off casually in some luxurious hotel, but none can match the serene nobility of being tucked in each night before bed.

Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee
All through the night.
Guardian angels watch will lend thee
All through the night.
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,
Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,
God alone her watch is keeping
All through the night.

The world has really changed a lot with time. Being a person born into Generation Y, it is far from me to actually delve into the depths of a more simplistic time. No, I was born to a world booming with technological advancement, one where the internet had already taken up the action. And yet, I find myself craving for nostalgia every now and then. A simpler time when people would have supper by 6 o'clock and go to bed by 8 o'clock. I know I am speaking of an ancient time, but I can't help but feel that those periods possessed their own innate charms.

Today, we live in rather glamorous times. The simplistic beauty of crawling into the bed after a hectic day at the fields are far gone, and have been replaced with a thousand gizmos that help us sleep smarter and more comfortable. Do they possess the same nostalgic charm as the old cuckoo clock on my grandfather's table? Perhaps not, but that does not mean they cannot help you ease your daily exhaustion with a comfortable night of sleep. Many will argue that banning all electronics from your bedroom is the key to a good night's sleep, but there is actually a thousand ways in which a smart bedroom can help you sleep better.

In my last article, we discussed the importance and convenience of owning a smart home in today's world. A home that is technologically optimized to help provide you with a better safe haven to fall asleep in after a hectic day at work can readily reduce your workload, making you feel energized and refreshed. As long as the required security measures are taken, living in a smart, integrated household can be quite a positive experience. A number of revolutionary companies, such as Notion, Honeywell and GE Security, are helping the world build better houses through such advanced home automation technology. Time Warner Cable, a leading provider of internet and cable TV services, has recently put forward its name in the smart home business, and is making some serious rounds with attractive offers and giveaways.

Sleep is vital to our existence. And yet, in today's busy world, it seems to be the most victimized in the hands of our tight schedules and impossible daily programs. Luckily for us, technology can help ensure that our sleep habits are healthy and intact, making sure that we wake up each day bursting with physical and psychological energy. Almost every smart home uses a variety of appliances to ensure that their inhabitants can sleep better, which includes blue light filters, environmental simulators, smart alarms, intelligent beds and a host of other appliances. Each of these gadgets are connected to each other via the internet of things and work together to assure you the best sleep night after night after night.

Our sleep patterns are regulated by a hormone called Melatonin secreted in our bodies, which helps our brain and muscles adapt to darkness after sunset. Exposure to bright light, especially towards the blue end of the spectrum, along with certain frequencies, can reduce the secretion of Melatonin in our bodies, making it harder to fall asleep. Making use of blue light filters and proper soundproof padding, smart homes ensure that our sleep is ideal and free of unwanted disturbances. A proper atmosphere is also crucial to a good night's sleep, and there are variety of simulators that put on light and sound shows that help you realize a more comfortable natural environment fit for sleeping. Finally, there are smart alarms connected to sensors in your smart bed that can help wake you up when your sleep is the lightest, ensuring that you don't feel drowsy and exhausted at daybreak. Smart beds also come with a number of features such as automatic bedding, the ability to adjust to your sleeping postures and so on, all to make sure that your sleep is perfectly uninterrupted.

It is not a great idea to be awkwardly dependent on technology or science when it comes to performing your day-to-day functions, but that doesn't mean that we should banish technology from our lives altogether. Today, there is technology that can help us eat better, sleep better, work better and relax better. While it is always a good idea to limit the number of gizmos you attach to your smart home, a few gadgets to help you sleep could never hurt much. What do you think?

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