This Starry Night Sleep Technology Bed by Leggett & Platt looks
like the crib of the century, and we’re not even finished with the
first decade yet. First of all, it keeps an eye on what you’re doing
all night long, diagnosing your movement and breathing patterns, and
even sensing that buzz-saw snoring that keeps everybody in the house
awake all night.

The Starry Night bed is the be-all-end-all when it comes to
breakneck, nosebleed opulence, and unparalleled extravagance. The
sleeper not only combines dual, remote-controlled, adjustable
mattresses with temperature control and anti-snore technology.

Mark Quinn of the company has revealed that the bed will come with
sensors, temperature controls, Internet connectivity, and a home theatre
options.

“It’s a first for us and a first for the
industry,” ABC online quoted Quinn as saying.

He says that
vibration sensors in the mattress will be capable of picking up a person’s
snoring. The bed is being programmed to elevate the snorer’s head seven degrees
to open airwaves. It will return to its original position when the snoring
stops.

For the first 30 days, the bed will track the sleeper’s
sleeping habits to learn the sleep pattern. It will also be capable of sensing
any unusual restlessness, and offering recommendations for a better sleep.

Besides, water circulating through small channels in the mattress
may be warmed or cooled, as per the sleeper’s preferences.

“I
think it’s a phenomenal step forward combing the best technology with some
in-depth psychological principles,” says sleep specialist Rubin Naiman, a
clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arizona’s
programme in integrative medicine.

“As the technology becomes
more refined and economical, it can set a new standard for bringing sleep
monitoring into the home,” he says.

Naiman, however, admits
that too much of dependence on such technologies may be harmful.

“One concern is that people would overdo the entertainment
piece,” he says.

Watching news or over-stimulating action or
horror films right before bed, he adds, may disrupt sleep.

“It’s the blue end of the spectrum that suppresses
melatonin,” says Naiman, referring to a natural hormone closely associated
with sleep patterns.

High cost is an obstacle to the bed’s way into
the average home. The company has plans to launch the bed by 2009. It will be
sold for $20,000 to $50,000.

Via Starry Night