A widespread Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage on Monday, October 20, disrupted operations across various industries, significantly impacting users of high-tech smart beds. Owners of Eight Sleep’s “Pod” smart mattress covers reported that their beds became excessively overheated and got stuck in awkward positions after the outage caused the devices to go offline. These smart covers, which rely on AWS servers for temperature and positioning control, malfunctioned when the servers went down, leading to a very uncomfortable experience for users who had invested upwards of $2,000 in these luxury sleep systems.
Eight Sleep’s CEO, Matteo Franceschetti, acknowledged the issue on X (formerly Twitter), apologizing for the disruption and stating that the company was working around the clock to rectify the situation. He outlined a two-pronged approach: first, restoring all features as AWS came back online, and second, implementing measures to “outage-proof” the Pod experience to prevent future occurrences. The company has since confirmed that a fix is being rolled out to ensure continued operation during future outages.
Meanwhile, frustrated customers took to social media to voice their experiences. Users reported waking up in sweat due to the inability to lower or turn off the bed’s heating function. Some expressed dismay at the necessity of an internet connection for basic functionality, while others lamented their beds being stuck in inclined positions. The incident highlights the potential vulnerabilities of connected devices and the reliance on cloud infrastructure for everyday technology.