They were still getting used to her working in her sleep
Trying to overcome the temptation to check the time, he focuses on the soothing sound of their new air filter. The room’s softly pulsing walls shift through pale blues and purples, tuned in a sleep-optimising sequence.
He can’t wake her up.
Breathe.
They spent a fortune on this tiny bedroom, but it was a reasonable investment. The setup was already paying off, with her current company covering the latest add-ons.
They were still getting used to her working in her sleep. Sometimes, it was hard enough for him to figure out if he was working from home or living at work, but her job took this problem to another level.
Sleep protocols were nothing new, but with smart sleep, the general public rediscovered sleeping as the latest vice. A perfect remedy for the exhaustion of hustle culture and anxiety of the gig economy.
In the end, you can’t control global markets or influence geopolitics, but you can take care of your sleep.
“Don’t leave your well-deserved rest to chance. Get the results you need every time you sleep.”
Everyone was experimenting with patterns, protocols, and setups. Every night, strategising on their tomorrow. Maximise rest? More energy? Better ideas? Improved focus? Optimised physical strength?
The list was endless. The ability to bend sleep to your will has quickly transformed everyday necessity into another status symbol.
Jobs in sleep tech are marketed as literal dream jobs, but the much more complex reality of sleep work was now cuddling to his side.
She’s been a joy to be around recently, making his job anxiety bearable.
Tonight is important. It’s the last night of the new product's quality control cycle. So far, the MoodBooster protocol has been promising.
For weeks, she has been following procedural cycles, tweaking setup configuration and alternating lifestyle choices to assess the quality of the product’s results on users matching her demographic and physical characteristics.
Data collection at night, product training and medical check-ups at the office during the day.
In some cycles, her everyday choices were also prescribed. Weeks on the couch, followed by weeks with 20,000 daily steps. Weeks of fast food deliveries, followed by weeks of intermittent fasting.
Some cycles were fun to be part of, others rather depressing.
One thing was certain.
Testing sleep protocols was still a lot better than skinGestibles. When she was doing that, it was a nightmare. Every day and night either inflammation or indigestion. He smiles at the memories, relaxing his muscles even more.
Sleep. The final frontier.
She moved a little. He snored gently.
Their unconscious dance resumed.
Hello Practical Futurists,
Welcome back from the future, where dreams are engineered based on the results you want to enjoy in the morning.
Hit the "Like" button at the top or bottom of this page to inspire others and help them discover the stories you've enjoyed.Great leaders practice experiencing the future, not just thinking about it. Like athletes visualizing their performance, they build vivid mental pictures of tomorrow to make better decisions today.
Our weekly workouts use futures thinking and product sci-fi to help you create a library of future memories - turning abstract possibilities into reference points that can inform your choices.
To spark your imagination, here's a thought to start with:
Let's make this future personal.
We'll start by connecting this story to your life, transforming abstract possibilities into memories you can use to navigate tomorrow's challenges.
Personal life reflection prompts:
1. Looking at your current sleeping habits, what 3 sleep protocols would improve your well-being, and which one would you use on which day?2. Imagine your first experience choosing a sleep protocol: - What goal did you prioritizse? - How did it feel programming your rest? - What surprised you about the options? - How did it change your sleep routine?
3. If sleep becomes another status symbol, how would your best friends be doing compared to you?4. Create a memory of your first night with an optimized sleep environment: - What colours, sounds, or sensations surprised you? - Did engineered rest feel different? - What made you realize sleep could be "designed"? - What unexpected benefit emerged?
5. What would make you willing to participate in long-term product testing that affects your lifestyle?Nice work!
Your future memory library now has some valuable personal references. Let's fire up your thinking to add some professional leadership moments.
How will you help others navigate this future? It's time to create those memories.
Professional life reflection prompts:
1. Would you enhance the productivity or creativity of your team by coordinating for a peak day or by spreading it evenly during the work week? How would you test it?2. Name 3 sleep protocols your current organisation could offer as an employee benefit. Which organisational units should get them first?3. Picture implementing your first productivity-sleep integration: - What challenge were you solving? - How did you balance efficiency with rest? - What unexpected pattern emerged? - How did it transform your team's performance?
3. How would advancement in sleep technology change your workplace culture, especially in high-stress situations? 4. How could data collected from personal optimisation technologies be used to improve organisational performance without infringing on privacy?6. Picture explaining optimised rest to stakeholders: - What analogy helped them understand? - How did you address ethical concerns? - What question made you think differently? - How did it change your development approach?
7. Think of 2 challenges and opportunities the introduction of optimised sleep might create for your organisation.You did amazing! Excellent work!
Today's memories are added to your growing library of future experiences.
Thank you for expanding your imagination with us. Leaders with bold ideas move our world forward.
Think bright, and see you soon.
Pawel Halicki
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