With the way technology continues to evolve, it seems only logical to believe a device or app exists to monitor our sleep each night.
As a part of the latest version of its Nest Hub, Google will incorporate new sleep-sensing technology that will allow the device to actually use radar to detect motion and breathing patterns while you sleep.
The device works from your bedside, unlike other sleep devices that require wearing an additional piece to bed. To detect movement and the depth of a person’s breathing, the Nest Hub utilizes a new chip called Soli.
With the information it gathers, the Nest Hub will create weekly reports that provide in-depth breakdowns of the length and quality of sleep, and give users tips from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine on ways to improve.
During its testing phase, in order to provide accurate and individualized data to each user, the sleep sense technology studied over 15,000 sleeping people over approximately 110,000 nights.
However, given Google’s history in ad targeting and use of private information to individualize its browser, some might be hesitant to let the billion-dollar corporation in on yet another aspect of their life.
Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center of Digital Democracy, worries that “knowing an individual’s sleeping patterns could help Google know a person’s health and that could influence which ads to show.”
Ashton Udall, Google Nest’s senior product manager, assures that the device does not include a camera and all data remains on the device rather than being sent to Google. Sleep reports can also be viewed and deleted at any time.
Personal health and fitness devices/apps have seen a gradual growth in recent years as a way for people to get a detailed look into their own lives and ways to improve them. As more information is drawn from Google’s Nest Hub, consumers of all demographics may be drawn to its ease of use and functionality in everyday life.