A smart bed uses sensors and a combination of technologies to collect data about a patient’s sleeping patterns. It then makes use of the data to self-adjust and boosts your sleep. Some of these beds forward your sleeping data to your smart device, informing you of your sleeping arrangement. They also give you tips to help you sleep better.
What features does a smart bed have?
There isn’t a universal smart bed, and as the industry evolves, there has been an influx of a wide range of designs that meet a patient’s needs accordingly. Here are some of the features you should look out for in these beds
Environmental and body monitoring
Monitoring your movement as you sleep is one of the unique features of the smart bed’s mattress. The smart mattress uses one sheet of small fabric or a range of sensors distributed across the bed to collect various data like heartbeat, respiration, pressure, and sleep restfulness. Your bed uses this data to figure out how to help you sleep better.
Tracking sleep
Smart beds and their mattresses use sensors to check your sleeping position, sleep disruption, wake-up time, and bedtime. Specialized algorithms use this data to give feedback regarding the quantity and quality of your sleep. They may provide insight regarding your sleep cycle, providing you with an objective perspective of how well you’re sleeping.
Smart beds often feature integrated sleep apps that give you a sleep score to help you understand various metrics and provide sleep coaching. The coaching exercise comes in handy to ensure you leverage the data to rest better.
Customization
Customizing a traditional bed is nearly impossible, but smart beds allow you to modify the mattress to meet your needs. For example, when using an airbed, you can adjust the level of firmness through remote control or an app. Many innovative mattresses often feature smart temperature regulation features that you can configure to maintain a suitable temperature.
Automatic modifications
The smart bed mattress can adjust settings automatically at night. This feature relies on data from specialized software and sensors to modify the firmness and temperature as you sleep. Automatic modifications do not require you to wake up.
Audio features
Specialized audio settings may comprise integrated mediation programs, comforting sounds, alarms, and a connection to the stereo system. All these components can convert your bedroom into a conducive and relaxing spelling area.
How have smart beds improved nursing care?
Preventing Falls
These advanced beds have enhanced patient comfort and safety, especially during a prolonged hospital stay. Falls are highly likely to occur when patients are using ordinary beds. However, the smart options use a sensor and an advanced mattress to protect patients from falling. Through the sensor, nurses can determine when the patient is about to fall off. The smart bed technology also records patient movement, which nursed can use to identify patterns.
Monitoring Systems to Facilitate Patient Tracking
Smart hospital beds feature a remote monitoring system, which nurses use to monitor the patients. They also have sensors for checking heartbeat, temperature, pressure, and blood oxygen, crucial systems for patient health monitoring.
Promote better sleep
A good night’s sleep is excellent and helps patients with health issues recover faster. Finding a suitable sleeping position can be a challenge, especially for patients with mobility problems. However, a smart bed is easily adjustable, allowing patients to sleep in the best position that makes them comfortable.
Enables caregivers to serve patients better
Apart from being easy to adjust, moving smart beds up and down is easy. This feature makes them easy for nurses and caregivers to get patients to and from the bed. The caregiver will have an easy time attending to patients, leaving little chance of making them uncomfortable.
Enhanced Safety
Smart beds come with smart features allowing nurses and caregivers to analyze patient information and adjust their services to offer the best experience. Further, they feature electronic medical record systems that generate patient data and allow nurses to track patient details like weight changes and movement. Currently, many technology companies are working with smart bed manufacturers to provide essential tools that facilitate the generation of more relevant data.
Conclusion
Smart beds feature a sensor under the mattress that protects patients from falling. Apart from allowing nurses to determine when patients want to leave their beds, the technology generates reports which nurses can utilize to check for patterns.