Snoring, the bane of many a couple’s good night’s sleep, could soon be a thing of the past. A new generation of gadgets, unveiled this week at the world’s biggest electronics show, promise to take the roar out of the snore. Nigel Burton reports on this year’s Consumer Electronics Show

HOW often do you lie in bed, quietly fuming as your partner roars away next to you like some kind of demented hog? Snoring is no laughing matter. Some couples end up in separate bedrooms, others in the divorce courts. No wonder devices to help you get a good night’s sleep could be the next big thing.

The US Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is an orgy of gadgets, gizmos and crazy ideas attended by more than 170,000 people every year. This year’s show, held at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, opened yesterday, with hundreds of gadget–hungry attendees queuing patiently to be among the first to see the electronic goodies inside the massive venue.

Although the big manufacturers showed off the usual televisions, hi-fi and mobile tech, this year’s event also showcased a new wave of ‘smart’ devices designed not to keep us awake – but put us to sleep.

The Sleep Number 360 smart bed promises to help couples get a good night’s sleep by putting an end to snoring. It uses sensors to track the position of a sleeper and listens out for signs of snoring. If it hears the distinctive nasal rasp the device automatically raises the noisy sleeper’s head a few degrees to help clear their airways.

The smart bed has other tricks under the duvet including the ability to monitor the temperature and warm up your feet if the bedroom gets too cold. It even knows when you need to wake up. An alarm will sound when you are in the lightest stage of sleep during your desired wake-up time window. And the sleep–obsessed can keep tabs on their sleep patterns via a downloadable smartphone app.

Shelly Ibach, president and chief executive officer of the Select Comfort Corporation, says: "The Sleep Number 360 smart bed re-defines what people should expect from their bed. A great night of quality sleep is essential to a healthy mind, body and soul. Consumers love that the Sleep Number 360 smart bed automatically adjusts during the night to ensure you have your best sleep ever.”

The maker of the Sleep Number 360 smart bed says sales will begin later this year – but by then it could be entering a crowded marketplace.

For the first time in more than five decades, this year’s CES show has a special area dedicated to sleep tech and more than 600 exhibitors have signed on to show off their wares. As well as wearable sleep trackers, progressive alarms and ‘smart’ lights, the more esoteric gadgetry includes active noise cancellers who beam out sound waves to combat those strange bumps in the night which can wake you from a deep sleep. So why bother getting a plumber to fix a dripping tap when you can drop several hundred quid on an active noise maker…?

The show floor of Smart household appliances is also expected to draw big crowds after Samsung unveiled a second generation of the Family Hub smart fridge that houses a touchscreen on the door. The new appliance now responds to voice commands for the first time.

The Northern Echo: Undated handout photo issued by LG of their new smart fridge that users can control with their voice thanks to the integration of AmazonÕs Alexa personal assistant, which was unveiled during the CES Consumer Technology Show 2017. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo.

LG's new smart fridge that users can control with their voice thanks to the integration of Amazon's Alexa personal assistant, which was unveiled during the CES Consumer Technology Show 2017

LG also revealed a smart fridge able to understand voice commands as part of a link with Amazon's Echo artificial intelligence software, the same technology that powers the Echo speaker.

Elsewhere big name brands LG, Samsung and Sony all used CES to unveil what they each believe are the next generation of televisions. LG's new Signature OLED W, which is only 2.57mm thick (thinner than that wood chip wallpaper you’ve been meaning to strip off the spare bedroom wall for ages) and attaches using magnetic brackets, creating the illusion it is mounted into the wall.

Rival Sony meanwhile has created the world's first television which can emit sound from the screen itself.

The technology giant will place the Acoustic Sound technology into its new line of Bravia OLED (organic light emitting diode) TVs – the company's first – and those over 55 inches in size. The introduction of OLED will see Sony's larger screen TVs house over eight million self-illuminating pixels said to render more vivid colour and prevent blurring in fast moving images.

The new Bravia X Series and A Series will also come complete with ultra high definition 4K and high dynamic range (HDR) technology that the firm says will help deliver a wider range of brightness and higher contrast.

Sony chief executive Kazuo Hirai, who also revealed Sony's flagship games console, the PlayStation 4, had now sold more than 53m units, called the new TV technology "ingenious", adding that he believed it would create new "immersive experiences" for customers.

If that isn’t realistic enough, smartphone giant HTC revealed a new virtual reality sensor that enables users of their Vive VR system to bring any physical object into the virtual world. The Vive Tracker is a motion tracking sensor that can be attached to physical objects, making them useable while wearing the Vive headset.

HTC showed off early examples of Tracker accessories, including a camera that enables users to take virtual reality pictures for the first time, as well as a pair of gloves and rifles (!?) designed for use in shooting games.

Tech manufacturers remain committed to VR tech but some pundits are already wondering if the geeky-looking headsets could go the same way as 3D television technology and personal digital assistants.

Vive's Daniel O'Brien says expanding the ecosystem around the Vive headset is crucial to its future development.

"To foster the long-term growth of VR, we want to make it even easier for developers to prototype and market more immersive controllers and accessories," he said. "The Vive Tracker is the first step in growing an ecosystem of third-party accessories that will change how we interact with virtual experiences and provide consumers and businesses with an unlimited amount of content opportunities."

Time will tell.