Sleep Tight

"Meet the Bed of the Future"

-The Huffington Post

by Timothy Stenovec

Last week at the Consumer Electronics Show on Tuesday in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sleep Number introduced the X12. When one thinks of a mattress, they usually think of cushions and springs, not sensors and voice recognition. Sleep Number is known for their custom adjustable firmness. However their newest technology tops that. The advanced X12 mattress has built in sensors that track how well one sleeps, responds to voice commands, gives massages and can control snoring. The X12 goes on sale throughout most of America starting from next month. It features some of the most popular advancements at the 2014 CES, such as embedded sensors that track movement and give biofeedback. The company created a feature called SleepIQ, which monitors movement in the bed as well as average breathing rate and heart rate to determine how well one actually sleeps. People who use SleepIQ  can keep track of diet, exercise, caffeine intake or having a sick child. Based on biometric information, the bed gives an overall sleep score and recommends ways to improve health and sleep. Other features of the bed include the ability to elevate each side of the bed independently and voice-activated lights on each side that will help light one's way in the middle of the night. If one's partner is snoring, they can use a voice command to raise his or her head, which can help stop the snoring. With all of these features included, the mattress is expected to have a pretty heavy price tag. The X12 starts at $7,999 for a standard queen sized mattress and moves up to a high $10,500 for a king sized mattress. The new mattress seems a bit expensive for most to be able to buy, which brings the company to come up with a new line of X12 mattresses, starting at an affordable price of $999. Sleep Number's new X12 mattress was one of the highlights of 2014's Consumer Electronics Show.