A major problem for many people is getting good sleep. Poor sleep can occur in a home, a hotel or a hospital. Sleep is affected by light, sound, temperature, odor, bed support and sense of security. Another sleep related problem is that electrical control in bedrooms, such as light switches and alarms, are difficult to control in the dark. The Nest is a concept of sleeping apparatus for the 21st century that solves these problems and improves the quality of sleep.

A base supports a mattress of supporting media. The resting media is held in a 4 inch thick porous mattress containing small plastic beads. The beads are about 0.100 inch in diameter, hollow and are anti-static. The mattress is micro-porous plastic, such as Tyvek, that lets air pass from a plenum in the base through the media and out through the canopy. The beads are fluidized to varying extent by an adjustable blower in the base of the bed. The fluidizing air passes through an activated charcoal filter to remove odors, past an ultraviolet lamp to kill bacteria and is then temperature adjusted. Supplied air temperature is controlled by a small thermo-electric heat pump that vents to the room. The air flows through the Nest and exhausts through the canopy. A pull-out tray holds the blower, UV lamp and charcoal filter for replacement without tools. The filter can be heated in an oven to renew the media. The user’s voice controls the air temperature and bed firmness. Conventional sheets are held over the mattress by hooks in the four corners.

The bed contains flexible screens that slide down from the bed canopy. A first, transparent screen seals the Nest for temperature and sound control. Active sound suppression inside the Nest eliminates background noise when the panels are down. A second, opaque panel blocks external light. Voice commands control the screens and internal illumination within the Nest. The bed can be programmed to respond to awake the user based on preset parameters and also by data from the internet, such as weather conditions. External microphones used in active noise suppression can alert the user to external sound, such as a baby’s cries or footsteps. A user’s voice and set points can be recorded on chip which is inserted into the bed.

The panels are formed from light weight reinforced polyurethane RIM panels that are strong, porous and light. The bed breaks down into lightweight panels that slide together easily. The four legs are hollow and nest within each other. The side corners are separate parts that also nest. Ends of the canopy and base are separate parts. Central areas of the base and canopy modules contain the electromechanical parts. There are no corners or sharp edges. The outer surface is coated with thin soft rubber to prevent damage to people.