Effect of an Inflatable Air Mattress with Variable Rigidity on Sleep Quality

Several studies, wherein the structure or rigidity of a mattress was varied, have been conducted to improve sleep quality. These studies investigated the effect of variation in the surface characteristics of mattresses on sleep quality. The present study developed a mattress whose rigidity can be varied by controlling the amount of air in its air cells. To investigate the effect of the variable rigidity of the air mattress on sleep quality, participants (Male, Age: 23.9 ± 2.74, BMI: 23.3 ± 1.60) were instructed to sleep on the air mattress under different conditions, and their sleep quality was subjectively and objectively investigated. Subjectively, sleep quality is assessed based on the participants’ evaluations of the depth and length of their sleep. Objectively, sleep is estimated using the sleep stage information obtained by analysing the movements and brain waves of the participants during their sleep. A subjective assessment of the sleep quality demonstrates that the participants’ sleep was worse with the adjustment of the air mattress than that without; however, the objective sleep quality results demonstrates an improvement in the sleep quality when the rigidity of the air mattress is varied based on the participant’s preference. This paper proposes a design for mattresses that can result in more efficient sleep than that provided by traditional mattresses.