Today’s hotels offer every amenity and luxury imaginable, but getting a good night’s sleep remains a prerequisite for guests. FreshBed’s innovative sleeping system – scientifically proven to improve sleep by up to 50% – can help them achieve just that, as CEO and founder Barry van Doornewaard explains.
How does the FreshBed system work? What technology does it use?
Barry van Doornewaard: FreshBed has been created with the intention of achieving the best possible sleep. I have worked in the bedding business for 25 years with various brands but none were able to tackle the sleep disturbance issue – namely, the wrong temperature under the duvet.
Scientists have discovered that there is a thermoneutral temperature for humans between 27 and 29˚C. In this thermoneutral temperature zone, the body does not feel hot or cold and is at rest. Outside this zone, the body will start to function, or even wake up, to correct the temperature.
FreshBed is an innovative system focused on delivering the perfect climate under the duvet, keeping the body in the thermoneutral zone. Inside the base is the technology with active temperature control and ventilation, which is patented by FreshBed. Air is drawn from the room by this noiseless unit through a medical-grade filter and quietly transported through the specially designed mattress to the body. The medical filter will remove 99.97% of airborne substances from the air, such as pollen, dust, smoke, pollution and mould spores.
Depending on the room size, the entire space will be filtered, on average, four times an hour. The mattresses are produced to FreshBed specifications to guarantee balanced air dispersion, sound isolation, outstanding hygiene and luxurious comfort. Naturally, all technical components are fully certified to guarantee maximum quality, reliability and safety.
On top of delivering fresh air and regulated temperature, our climate technology and active ventilation control the humidity level to ensure it is kept below 50% relative humidity. This important benefit guarantees a fresh, clean and allergy-friendly bed. In comparison, traditional mattresses will have a relative humidity that reaches 65-80%.
Could you explain a little more about the science behind the claim it can improve sleep by 50%?
Temperature is, after stress, the biggest sleep disturber. Temperature in traditional or passive beds can reach above 34˚C under the duvet. At this point, we normally wake up to correct the temperature by opening the duvet, putting our feet outside the duvet, opening a window or turning on the air conditioning. When the body is at rest and inside the thermoneutral temperature zone, a deeper and longer sleep is achieved. This leads to a higher recuperation of the body and mind allowing a better performance during the day.
For the science behind the claim, we refer to Roy JEM Raymann PhD’s paper ‘Abstract English – Mild skin warming, a non-pharmacological way to modulate sleep and vigilance’.
It goes without saying that, on top of temperature control, sleeping in clean purified air and a dry hygienic FreshBed will only add to the impact the product will have on your health and well-being.
How personally adjustable is the system?
A guest or hotel employee can set temperature and ventilation to the guest’s personal preference within the thermoneutral temperature zone. From experience, we find that women prefer the temperature under the duvet to be slightly higher than for men.
The remote control has been developed to make it very easy to use and durable. The bed has a standard setting, which we call ‘the sweet spot’. Each guest or hotel employee can adjust the temperature according to the personal comfort of the guest. The ventilation can be used by housekeeping to deliver those crisp, dry sheets that guests will appreciate.
The benefits for guests are clear, but what are the advantages for hoteliers?
FreshBed is changing sleep for those who change the world. Hotels and their high-profile guests may be expected to deliver excellent performance each and every day. Guests deserve the best night’s rest possible, and this is where hotels can make all the difference. FreshBed will make your guests feel fitter, improve their mental agility and help them perform at their very best. Overall, it will improve their feeling of well-being.
If your intention is to exceed the expectations of your most demanding guests, an impeccable sleep experience is the key. FreshBed will help hotels change the game and stand out from competition. It is the sleep system that indulges guests in a comfortable microclimate full of freshness, perfect temperature and great hygiene for a longer, deeper sleep. A well-rested, satisfied customer, who has enjoyed the luxury of a wonderful night’s rest, will be the best ambassador you could ever wish for.
The current hotel trend focuses on guests’ wellness and well-being. The whole customer journey, guest experience and wellness treatments stop at bedtime, but with FreshBed, hotels can now offer their guests 24/7 wellness – an indulgence for their ultimate well-being.
Sleep is as essential for your well-being as water is for your body. Everything we do, like creativity, socialising, eating or exercising, is impacted by our sleep. Now, hotels can offer a genuine benefit to certain guests – consumers who think they have seen it all.
In the unlikely event that a bed bug was transferred on to a FreshBed from outside, a specially designed heat-treatment device, in the shape of an encasing, can easily be attached to the product. This heat-treatment device will eradicate all life stages of bed bugs at a temperature of at least 50˚C in a relatively short time. This special heat treatment ensures that the entire bed is heated from inside and out. No chemicals or pesticides are used, providing the most natural and best way to combat bed bugs.
Following years of development and successful market implementation in the Netherlands, FreshBed is now expanding internationally. With each placement, we train the hotel staff and monitor the guest experience closely with our partner hotels. The response has been heart-warming, from positive to surprised, from calling it a ‘sleep revolution’ to ‘can I buy a FreshBed for my house?’. Some of these reviews can be found on our website. I am particularly pleased when people who normally sleep only a few hours a night can sleep longer by using FreshBed.
Are there any plans to upgrade FreshBed in the future?
Looking at current well-being trends, the awareness of sleep to the individual will further increase in the future. We are following this trend, and there are developments in place to create a FreshBed sleep system that will interact with health applications on smartphones and platforms on the internet.