Forget leaving the toilet seat up or putting empty cartons back in the fridge.
A true test of tolerance in a relationship is being awoken in the small hours by a flailing partner who simply cannot stay on their side of the bed.
But – with the help of technology that helps drivers stay in the middle of their lane – a smart bed has now been developed that could give us a better night’s sleep... and one less thing to bicker about.
Carmaker Ford developed a prototype that automatically rolls selfish sleepers back to their designated side.
When a sleeper on the “Lane-Keeping Bed” moves on to their partner’s side, the bed’s pressure sensors are triggered.
The bed then uses an integrated conveyor belt to gently roll the individual back.
“When sleeping together, many couples each have less space than a small child has in a single bed,” said Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep expert and author of How to Sleep Well.
“Humans are most vulnerable when sleeping, so we’re programmed to wake when something or someone touches us unexpectedly.
“If someone moves on to your side of the bed, this defence mechanism will kick in and you’ll have a broken night, often while they continue to sleep soundly. I’ve seen it ruin relationships.”
Sadly, there are currently no plans to make the smart bed available for purchase – Ford has decided to keep its Lane-Keeping Assist technology just for its cars.
Anthony Ireson, of Ford in Europe, said: “We thought that showing how similar thinking could be applied to a bed would be a great way to highlight to drivers a technology that they might not previously have been aware of.”
