A busy week for sleep tech, a hopeful trial on insomnia and ageing, and a snapshot of what people are actually paying for mattresses. Here is what caught our eye.
Oura files to go public as the smart ring race heats up
Oura, the Finnish company behind the best-known sleep-tracking ring, filed paperwork for a US stock market listing on 3 September. Its filing shows revenue of around 1.2 billion dollars for the nine months to the end of June, 3.6 million rings sold over the past year and roughly five million paying members. The same week, rival Ultrahuman announced a 70 million dollar funding round and said its redesigned Ring Pro will start shipping in the US in mid-September, and French firm Circular unveiled a ring with contactless payments. Oura is also facing a proposed class action in the US that alleges its sleep-stage readings are less accurate than advertised - a claim the company disputes and says it will defend.
Why it matters: Sleep tracking has become big business, and competition tends to bring better hardware and lower prices. Just remember that a ring measures signals like heart rate and movement and then estimates your sleep stages - it is a useful trend line, not a lab test, so do not let a low score keep you awake.
Source: TechCrunch and TechCrunch (smart ring rivals)
Apple Watch Series 12 adds a daily readiness score built partly on sleep
At its 9 September event Apple announced the Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4, with a new health sensing system. The headline for sleepers is a readiness feature that combines recent activity, training load, overnight vitals and your sleep score into a simple 0 to 10 rating with a suggestion such as Recover or Go For It. Overnight vitals now also track recovery heart rate variability against your personal baseline. Sleep apnoea notifications continue on Series 9 and later. watchOS 27 arrives on 14 September and the new watches reach shops on 18 September.
Why it matters: Apple is following Oura, Whoop and Garmin into "how ready are you today" territory, which is genuinely useful if you tend to push through tiredness. Apple itself notes the Vitals app is for wellness rather than medical use, so treat a rough score as a nudge to take it easier, not a diagnosis.
Source: Apple Newsroom
Treating insomnia with talking therapy may slow biological ageing
Researchers at UCLA Health report that older adults who received cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) were nearly three times as likely to see their insomnia go into remission as those given general sleep education, and their pace of biological ageing, measured with a DNA-based "epigenetic clock", slowed over the following two years. The study, in The Lancet Healthy Longevity, was a randomised trial of just under 100 people at a single site in Los Angeles, and the ageing result held on one of three clocks tested. The authors say larger, more diverse trials are needed before drawing firm conclusions.
Why it matters: This is a small, early finding, but it adds to the case that persistent insomnia is worth treating properly rather than putting up with. CBT-I is the recommended first-line approach in the UK and is available through the NHS in many areas. Our guide to how to sleep better with insomnia explains what the therapy involves and how to get started.
Source: EurekAlert / UCLA Health
Mattress shoppers are trading down
New consumer research from the National Bed Federation, reported by trade title The Furnishing Report this week, finds UK shoppers are spending noticeably less on mattresses than a year ago, with a growing share choosing models under 400 pounds. The NBF's annual survey polls around 1,000 people who bought a bed or mattress in the previous twelve months, so it is a decent snapshot of real purchases rather than intentions.
Why it matters: A cheaper mattress is not automatically a worse one, but it is worth checking the trial period and returns policy before you buy, and remembering that a supportive pillow and a cool, dark room often make more difference than another few hundred pounds on the bed itself. Our piece on the ideal bedroom setup for better sleep covers the basics.
Source: The Furnishing Report (industry survey; full article is behind a subscription)
Sleeptember puts menopause and sleep in the spotlight
The Sleep Charity's annual awareness month is under way, and this year it is focusing on women's sleep, particularly during perimenopause and menopause, when hot flushes, night sweats and racing thoughts can make nights harder. The charity has released five free resources including an evening routine guide, a cooling bedroom checklist and a sleep diary, and is encouraging anyone with persistent sleep problems to speak to a healthcare professional rather than suffer in silence.
Why it matters: Sleep changes around menopause are extremely common and often dismissed. Small, practical steps can help, and there is proper support available. Our guide to menopause and sleep goes into what tends to help and when to ask for more.
Source: The Sleep Charity
That is the week. Gadgets are getting cleverer at telling you how you slept, but the story that will still matter in five years is the quieter one: sorting out chronic insomnia does your body good, and help is available if you ask for it.
Better nights, brighter mornings. SleepyDeepy.
