The Sleep Geek, aka James Wilson, talks about AI, smart beds and the UK’s next sleep revolution.
If, like me, you roll your eyes every time another article, webinar or podcast claims to explain AI, I apologise because this month’s column is about artificial intelligence. Not AI for the sake of AI, but how technology could improve the sleep of the people who buy our products.
I think we’re on the verge of two AI revolutions.
The first happens inside the bed. The second happens before the customer has even chosen one.
The first is perhaps the easiest to imagine. Around the world, manufacturers are developing sleep systems that do far more than simply provide support. Adjustable firmness, temperature management, anti-snore functions and contactless sleep monitoring are beginning to merge into products that continuously adapt to the sleeper throughout the night. The ambition is to create the best possible sleep microclimate, where support, temperature and comfort respond to the individual rather than expecting the individual to adapt to the mattress.
The UK has been slower to embrace this direction. Historically, we’ve focused on craftsmanship, spring counts and luxurious fillings, while many overseas markets have invested in complete sleep systems and personalised comfort. Even today, couples with very different body shapes are often expected to compromise on a single sleep surface, despite the excellent results many retailers see from dual tension mattresses.
One of the biggest reasons is our fire regulations.
Some will argue they keep us safer. Personally, I think the evidence from the rest of the world suggests they have become more of a barrier to innovation than an important safety standard. Through my work in product development with international sleep brands, I regularly see technologies being developed for global markets that are unlikely ever to reach UK consumers. Advanced air based support systems, adaptive sleep surfaces and other smart technologies often require such significant redesign to comply with UK regulations that they become commercially unviable. Others simply never make it here at all.
That doesn’t just affect overseas manufacturers. It limits British innovation too. If the next generation of smart beds depends on technologies that struggle to satisfy our regulations, the UK could find itself watching the future of sleep develop elsewhere.
Of course, technology alone doesn’t guarantee a better night’s sleep.
I’ve tested one of the latest AI enabled mattress systems that promised temperature management, sleep tracking and automatic adjustment throughout the night. On paper it sounded revolutionary. In reality it was probably the most uncomfortable sleep surface I’ve ever used. The cooling unit was noisy enough to keep me awake and the tracking was inconsistent enough that I quickly stopped trusting the data.
The technology will improve. But I actually think the second AI revolution may prove even more valuable.
Rather than sitting inside the mattress, AI can sit alongside the customer.
For years retailers have searched for better ways to guide people through increasingly complicated product ranges. We’ve tried comfort scales, colour coding and carefully constructed customer personas. The problem is that real people rarely fit neatly into those categories.
AI gives us the opportunity to move beyond those simple systems. Instead of asking whether someone wants a soft or firm mattress, it can take into account body shape, sleeping position, temperature preferences, health, lifestyle and previous experiences, helping retailers guide customers towards the products most likely to suit them.
Outside the mattress industry I’m involved in developing an AI judgement engine for healthcare to help poor sleepers understand their sleep and navigate the right support. The principle is exactly the same. Good AI shouldn’t replace expertise. It should organise complex information, apply sound judgement and make it easier for people to make better decisions.
I think that’s where the biggest opportunity lies for our industry.
Yes, we should keep an eye on smart beds and adaptive sleep systems, even if regulatory barriers mean they arrive here more slowly than elsewhere. But we shouldn’t overlook what AI can do today. It doesn’t only belong inside the mattress. It can also become one of the most valuable tools retailers have, helping customers navigate increasingly complex choices and matching them to the products that are right for them.
If we get that right, AI won’t replace great retailers or great product design. It will make both even more valuable. Because the future isn’t simply about creating smarter mattresses. It’s about helping more people find the right one.
About the Sleep Geek
James Wilson (AKA The Sleep Geek) is a Sleep Educator, Coach & Product Expert. He is the founder of Sleepunity, a social enterprise committed to Better Sleep for All. He appears regularly on ITV’s This Morning and BBC Breakfast and has worked with the likes of Zurich, Budweiser, Under Armour and West Ham United helping their people sleep better. He offers training and certification for retailers, and a certification scheme for sleep products. Find out more www.thesleepgeek.co.uk
