Tomohiko Kimura: Pioneering the "Future of Sleep Environments" from the Bed

2023/12/25

Sleep is a very familiar part of our lives, accounting for approximately one-third of a person's life. It is said that "the average sleep time of Japanese people is short even by global standards," and with terms like "sleep debt" becoming a hot topic in the media, interest in sleep is increasing.

In an awareness survey regarding sleep conducted by our company targeting 1,000 men and women in their 20s to 60s nationwide, more than 80% of people felt the importance of sleep and realized that sleep affects daytime performance. However, the results showed that more than 70% of people were unable to take specific measures for their sleep.

Sleep has many roles, but I will introduce two here. The first is "rest for the brain and body, recovery from fatigue, and repair of physical damage." Sleep allows the body and brain to rest, discharges accumulated waste products, recovers from fatigue, and repairs damage to the body. In cases of lack of sleep, one becomes easily fatigued, irritable, prone to illness, and more susceptible to injury. If sufficient sleep is obtained, one is less likely to tire, remains mentally calm, and can live energetically.

Next is the "organization and consolidation of memory." It is also known that sleep plays a major role in learning, such as having the function of organizing and consolidating memories. It is said that during REM sleep, memories held while awake are organized and consolidated as high-intensity memories. Since this REM sleep appears frequently in the latter half of sleep, a sufficient amount of sleep time is considered necessary for memory consolidation. In a state where sleepiness remains while awake, it has a negative impact on memory retention and makes it difficult to use the brain to its full potential.

Our company established the Paramount Bed Sleep Research Centers and Institutes in 2009. With our main activities being (1) research on sleep and development of elemental technologies, (2) evaluation of sleep-related products, and (3) collection and dissemination of sleep-related information, we work earnestly every day to achieve comfortable sleep. We present our research results in academic papers and conference lectures. Through repeated research and development based on scientific evidence, we have developed sensors that can measure sleep states without wearing anything on the body, mattresses that make it easy to toss and turn, and "automatic driving for sleep" that adjusts the angle of the bed according to the sleep state. We also support performance improvement through sleep improvement proposals for the Japan national swimming team and other athletes. In terms of supporting the development of the next generation, we provide an "educational program for junior high school students to learn the importance of sleep" and give lectures at the Keio Futsubu School special class "Meji-Haruka Class."

According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, it is said that about one in five Japanese people has concerns about sleep. The economic loss due to lack of sleep is said to be 15 to 18 trillion yen, a massive amount representing about 3% of GDP. Solving sleep issues is thought to contribute significantly to solving the challenges of Japan, where the population is aging and the working-age population continues to decline, leading to the birth of the term "SleepTech."

In the fields of medical and nursing care, the use of technology is expected to cover the shortage of workers caused by the increase in elderly patients and elderly people requiring care, alongside the decrease in the working-age population. Our company is currently popularizing products and services that can be expected to contribute to improving the sleep of patients, elderly people requiring care, and irregular shift workers. In the health sector, extending healthy life expectancy is expected from the perspective of reducing medical costs and slowing the decline of the working-age population. We are taking on the challenge believing that our SleepTech can contribute to extending healthy life expectancy.

Our Active Sleep BED senses the sleep state and automatically changes the angle of the bed to suit each state: when falling asleep, during sleep, and upon waking. For example, when falling asleep, it sets the angle to about 10° with the back raised. Compared to a flat state, the diaphragm drops and the airway widens, making it easier to breathe and expecting a comfortable transition to sleep. Once it senses that you have fallen asleep, it changes to a flat state at a slow speed of about 1° per minute to make it easier to toss and turn. Upon waking, the back moves automatically to encourage a refreshed awakening.

From now on, we will not sleep because we are tired, but actively take sleep to improve the quality of tomorrow's actions. To ensure that such a new way of approaching sleep becomes common sense, I believe it is necessary to target the sleep environment extended from the bed.

To improve the quality of sleep, it is required to scientifically and totally produce everything from the temperature, humidity, scent, and lighting in the bedroom to the content and timing of meals and exercise. Collaboration with home appliances using sleep data has already begun. We want to further personalize the Sleep Improvement Program^TM, which provides sleep improvement advice based on sleep data, and provide a wide range of recommendations from the bedroom environment to exercise.

There is a possibility that the content, amount, and appropriate timing of meals can be found through their relationship with sleep data. Toward a future where eating good meals leads to good sleep, I am also discussing this with President Noritaka Ando of Nissin Foods, who has been a classmate since elementary school.