Smart Sleep Number Bed For Kids Banishes Monsters With App

Smart appliances and Internet-connected household items are here on the market and on their way into our homes whether we like it or not, but here’s one unexpected smart product: a smart bed for children that serves as its own night light and banishes under-the-bed monsters using a smartphone app.

While our well-rested colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports rate Sleep Number beds very well, they haven’t been able to test this kids’ version yet, which the company announced at CES to fit in with the “Internet of Things” theme this year. (Notably, they cut up some mattresses and weren’t able to find $2,000 worth of differences between two models. Your mileage, of course, may vary.)

In addition to being adjustable, the kids’ bed offers some features that may be useful to kids and parents. One important one is a night light emanating from under the bed that parents can turn off remotely. One slightly creepy feature is a sleep tracker that parents can use to check how well kids are sleeping…and a sensor that notifies them when the little ones are restless or jumping on the bed.

It’s the app features that gamify sleep that we find interesting, though. In addition to the app that gives under-the-bed monsters a face and lets kids vanquish them, Sleep Number also has a feature that “rewards” kids for sleeping well, with these rewards apparently coming in some digital form.

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist