London - For anyone who has spent night after night lying awake thanks to their partner’s snoring, there could finally be an answer other than a sharp poke in the ribs.
Because a mattress crammed with technology claims to be able to stop snoring in its tracks - not to mention massaging away your aches and pains and keeping you toasty all night long.
Made of air-filled balls covered with foam, the Balluga mattress contains sensors that listen out for the tell-tale sounds of snoring.
When snoring is detected, air is added to the head region, causing pillows to be gently tilted upwards. This alters the position of the snorer’s head, clearing their airway and stopping snoring before it can wake their fellow sleeper.
But silencing snorers isn’t the only way this smart mattress can help give you a good night’s sleep.
Individual climate controls which pump air through the mattress let you regulate the temperature on your side of the bed - saving those who like to stay under the covers at night from the duvet-flinging antics of partners who run a little hotter.
The built-in “vibro massage” focuses vibrations on the body’s pressure points and can be set to switch off as you fall asleep, or used as a vibrating alarm clock, and the firmness of the mattress can also be adjusted. All of the features are controlled from an app on the user’s mobile, and the Balluga can also monitor the user’s sleep, thanks to motion, temperature and heart rate sensors.
However, a night of silence comes at a price. A double mattress will set you back £1 400 (about R29 000) - more than eight times the price of standard one sold on the High Street.
The mattress, designed by British entrepreneur Joe Katan, can either be dropped into an existing bed frame or placed in a custom Balluga, and is powered by being plugged into your bedroom’s mains electricity supply.
Mr Katan, 52, from North London, developed it over more than eight years after suffering sleepless nights in his own bed.
“I was fed up after buying a good quality, high- end bed and finding it had lost firmness and was past its best after just a few years”, he said.
“I was having sleepless nights as it was so uncomfortable and I resented not being able to fix the problem.”
Mr Katan is attempting to raise £35 000 via the internet crowdfunding site Kickstarter so he can begin production of the beds, which will come in four sizes: single, small double, medium double and large double, which is equivalent to king size. He is inviting backers to pre-order a single from £850 or a double from £1 413 and expects the beds to be ready within six months of the campaign ending.
In the future, he hopes the mattress will also interact with other smart home products like thermostats, lights and smoke alarms.
Daily Mail