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. 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 to your weekly practice, where we use futures thinking and product sci-fi to improve your strategic imagination and get your leadership future-ready.
↓↓↓
Start here to make the most of your time if this is your first
rodeoedition.
↑↑↑
Weekly Self-Reflection Prompts
Let's make the products and services mentioned in this week’s story even more relatable by first anchoring them in your personal life.
For extra inspiration, you can use this gem as a starting point for each prompt.
We should all be concerned about the future because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there.
Charles Kettering
Personal life reflection prompts
Looking at your current sleep habits, what 4 sleep protocols would improve your well-being, and which one would you use on which day?
How can you support protecting your loved ones’ rest in an increasingly demanding work environment?
If sleep becomes another status symbol, how would your best friends be doing compared to you?
Great work.
Let’s switch to the context of your industry, organisation, team, service or product you are working with.
Professional life reflection prompts
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?
Name 3 sleep protocols your current organisation could offer as an employee benefit. Which organisational units should get them first?
How would advancement in sleep technology change your workplace culture, especially in high-stress situations?
Think of 2 challenges and opportunities the introduction of optimised sleep might create for your organisation.
How could data collected from personal optimisation technologies be used to improve organisational performance without infringing on privacy?
What role should leaders play in managing the adoption of emerging technologies affecting employees' personal lives? Name one leader who is doing a great job at this.
And that’s all we have today.
Share your answers or the biggest takeaway in the comments. This helps us understand what resonates with you so that we can explore those ideas further.
Don't forget to explore previous editions if you want even more inspiration.
Have a great week, and see you in the next one.
Pawel Halicki
PS. If you’re enjoying Practical Futures, will you take 5 seconds to forward this story to inspire a fellow leader?
It helps us to grow the community and may one day empower more strategic thinkers to lead in the age of AI.