Sleep is an integral part of our lives, and science is constantly looking for ways to improve it. Modern technologies, inventions, and patents are aimed at creating comfortable conditions for relaxation, controlling sleep quality, and combating disorders. This article is about smart beds, dream glasses, wrinkle pillows, buckwheat mattresses, and more. In this article, we discuss how intellectual property contributes to the development of new solutions to improve sleep and how such inventions affect everyday life.
Smart beds
People spend about a third of their time in this world sleeping. That is, if we assume an average life expectancy of 75 years, it turns out that a person sleeps through about 25 of them. However, this is for the lucky ones.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), 30% to 50% of the world’s population experience short-term insomnia caused by stress, traumatic factors, jet lag, or other circumstances. And about 10% are diagnosed with chronic insomnia.
Numerous studies have shown that the comfort of a bed directly affects the duration and quality of sleep. Uncomfortable beds lead to fragmented sleep. And a significant number of developments are aimed at improving this piece of furniture.
For example, there is a bed registered as an invention that controls the depth of sleep. It is equipped with special sensors for measuring physiological parameters (pulse rate, respiration, blood pressure, and body temperature). The bed also has an automatic adjustment unit and a tilting mechanism that selects the position in which a person has the most optimal vital signs.
There are smart beds not only for adults but also for children. For example, a patent has been filed for a utility model of a crib bed with an intelligent control system.
The stationary base of the crib is mounted on a movable body. The bed has a pendulum mechanism, a power supply, touch switches, a timer and a remote control. The sensors automatically respond to movements and sounds inside the crib and start rocking the baby in response.
Modern beds are programmed to make not only falling asleep and sleeping as comfortable as possible, but also the process of waking up. There is a patent for the invention of a bed that makes itself.
It has a mechanism for moving bedding under the mattress frame. These are rollers that move a blanket, bedspread, or other item. To set the mechanism in motion and make the bed, it is enough to press a button and start the electric motor.
“Plant” mattresses, toy pillows and blankets with sleeves
Ukrainian inventors have developed a huge variety of mattresses to suit every taste and spinal need, which are registered as utility models.
For example, a mattress in a special cover filled with buckwheat husks. It provides micromassage to the body and promotes complete relaxation.
And also a mattress filled with hemp fiber wool. It has antiallergenic and bactericidal properties, does not irritate the skin, and relieves electrostatic charges.
There is also a registered ergonomic mattress for safe sleep for babies up to 4 months, which has a 10° recess in the base. This provides optimal conditions for the functioning of the child’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems. As a result, the baby will always be in a safe and comfortable position, similar to the intrauterine position.
Ukrainians have also made efforts to improve the pillows. There is such know-how as an anti-wrinkle pillow (a useful model). It has slots in the form of a narrowed oval and separate zones that are responsible for supporting different parts of the body: the headboard, the central part, the neck roller, and the side elevations on both sides. The density of each zone can be independently adjusted to suit your needs.
How to control dreams: special devices
Ukrainians have some experience in this area. There is a registered patent for a utility model of a device for sleep regulation. It consists of an electric heart rate monitor and a control unit. It also contains an acoustic system that reproduces certain sound information when a person falls asleep and their heart rate reaches a certain range.
Interestingly, according to the inventors, the device can be used to stimulate and relax the nervous system. If you play light music or the sound of the sea, a person will simply relax or have a dream about a vacation. If you include a useful paragraph from a textbook, it can help to better absorb the information.
We also have, for example, a registered music and speech work “Sound program for relaxation and pleasant sleep”. This is a 1-hour long spoken recitation with music and nature sounds. It is supposed to relieve fatigue, give the effect of calmness and comfort.
The next intellectual property is at the intersection of optics, medicine, and psychoanalysis. This is a useful model of glasses for sleep management. The glasses are made in the form of a wedge, have a base that rotates on a removable hinge, frosted glass, and sensors that emit light signals that cause intense eyelid movements. This, according to the inventors, leads to vivid dreams.
For the device to work correctly, users are advised to psychologically free themselves from worries and switch to deep, calm breathing before going to bed.
Sleep is an important part of life, and modern technologies and inventions help make it better and healthier. Intellectual property plays a key role in the development of innovations in this area, providing protection and stimulating new ideas. Thanks to patents and copyrights, developers can improve sleep devices, create effective methods to combat disorders, and make rest more comfortable. This once again confirms that even in the world of dreams, there is a place for creativity, science, and legal protection of innovations.
copyright / industrial design / intellectual property / invention
