From election uncertainty to pandemic anxiety, 2020 gave people many a reason to stay up at night. Tatch’s wearable sleeping patches aim to help people gain control of their sleep through smart tracking, tapping into growing desires for health-hacking tools that suggest actionable lifestyle changes.

By using non-intrusive sensors in a senior’s home, the Billy app provides families and carers with insights into a loved one’s health and wellbeing. Aiming to keep a person comfortable in their home, its approach could provide a blueprint for aiding Australian’s ailing elderly care system.

As well as disrupting their shopping habits and working arrangements, COVID-19 caused the upheaval of regular sleeping schedules for many Americans. With pandemic-related stress set to continue into 2021, how can brands help combat insomnia and guide people into dreamland?

A global obsession with sleep and how much we get of it has resulted in an entire industry centred around optimising and tracking nighttime slumber with apps and wearable devices. But is this deluge of data actually preventing people from getting a good night’s sleep rather than enabling it?