It’s important for your bedtime routine to be as pleasant as possible, since it is the last thing you do before going to sleep. You need to find a routine that is not stressful, since you don’t want to feel stress as you’re trying to wind down for the night. If you have kids, bedtime is already a battle of toothbrushes, pajamas and stories. Even if you don’t have kids, there are a lot of things you have to do to get ready for bed.
Here are five ways to use home automation for a dreamy nightly bedtime routine:
1. Smart Lighting
Whether you are prone to getting up in the middle of the night and need smart night lights, or you have trouble getting to sleep with an abrupt light to dark scene, smart lights can help you. There are endless options for how you can use smart lights to make bedtime better, including dimmers, moods and scenes (which can also activate other things you need at bedtime, like relaxing music and adjusted temperature). You can even use smart lights that respond to voice-activation so that you don’t have to leave your comfy bed to turn the lights off.
2. Smart Thermostats
You can use smart thermostats independently, or as a network of smart home connected devices. When used independently, you can either automate your smart thermostat to change temperatures at certain times (like cooling off at bedtime and warming up in the morning when it is time to wake up), or use an app or voice-activation to change the temperature manually when you are ready. When connected to your smart home, you can have the temperature adjust based on other action, such as a lighting scene.
3. Smart Alarms
Gone are the days of loud buzzing alarms that jar you out of a deep sleep. I always hate going to bed with the knowledge that I’m going to be rudely awakened in a few hours. Smart alarms help combat that worry, though, since they can track your sleep patterns and gently wake you up in between your REM cycles. They can also use vibrations to wake you, instead of noise. These alarms just require you to add a small device to your bed – but don’t worry, it won’t cause lumps in your mattress.
4. Smart Beds
Of course, actually getting and staying asleep is a big problem for a lot of people. Today’s smart beds adjust with the sleeper throughout the night, always making sure to give them the support they need to stay comfortable. Some can also detect snoring and adjusts the sleeper – such as raising their head – to stop it. You can even find smart beds that have smart alarms built in so you don’t have to purchase that separately.
5. Smart Security
Before you jump into that smart bed, though, you want to know that your house is secure. We all know that feeling of getting in the perfect position to fall asleep, then wondering if you locked your doors. With smart locks, you can double check that everything is secure without ever getting out of bed.
