Categories
Sleep Wearables

BodyEcho head band tracks vital signs to improve sleep tracking

Some estimates peg the number of Americans who experience problems sleeping at 70 million, although most would agree the number is even higher than that. Unfortunately, having trouble sleeping isn’t considered much of a problem at all and if someone decides to do something about it, the most effective technology to help is stuck in impractical and expensive sleep laboratories.

OxiRate Inc. is looking to take that technology out of the laboratory and onto your head with their BodyEcho sleep system. The system is comprised of a headband that houses a removable, quarter-sized chip almost impossibly packed with heart rate, temperature, and respiratory sensors, along with an accelerometer and an oximeter.

With the oximeter at its core, the combination of technologies allows the BodyEcho to track things like your sleep stages, sleeping positions, and breathing interruptions with increased accuracy. The data gathered can then be reviewed on a Web portal or a smartphone application so that a user can take a more active role in their sleep. An SDK in development will expand on the device’s capabilities too, so look out for those lucid dreaming applications. OxiRate Inc. is looking for $100,000 to finalize BodyEcho, and interested backers can pick one up for $100.

BodyEcho is interested in being the best possible at one thing: sleep tracking. By offering so much technology in a small package, the company is letting everyone else make it something more with the SDK. It seem like everything created with it will be a touch inventive and versatile than other headbands strictly for lucid dreaming, like the DreamNet or the Aurora. Its included oximeter is the star of the show with its ability to provide the refined data only a sleep lab can offer, but its effectiveness ultimately remains to be seen.

Categories
Connected Objects Sleep

Guidy lucid dream mask aids those choosing better snoozing

Lucid dreaming fascinates anyone who finds out about it, but once they realize how difficult it can be to induce, many quickly lose that interest. The creators of the Guidy don’t think it has to be so difficult. The product is a smart sleep mask equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope to detect REM-cycles with 100% accuracy. When it does, it sends you gentle, light-based reminders so that you can notice you’re dreaming. Once that’s done, your fantasies of running as fast as the Flash or living your life as Indiana Jones can finally be experienced. The creators are just hoping their €47,000 funding goal isn’t one, too. Get your hands on one for €80.

As novel as this product may seem, there have already been a few examples of lucid dreaming masks. One, called the DreamNet, is an alternative that utilizes an EEG and also syncs up with smartphones, but saves the data gained into a database filled with other dreamers using the same product. Remee is the cheapest alternative and also providing customizable LED reminders. Guidy combines the accuracy of the former with the customizable nature of the latter for their version of the lucid dreaming sleep mask, making it a product to look out for.

Categories
Sleep

Sleep’n’Say mask claims to be world’s coolest, also most verbose

Sleep n SayDoes anyone actually sleep well on a plane? Okay, for the .01 percent of humanity that actually does and aren’t kids with the ability to sleep anywhere and in virtually any odd position, consider Sleep n’ Say. The lightweight, light-blocking goggles post huge signs over the wearer’s eyes ranging from “Do Not Disturb” to “Rouse for Food”. Well, the second one is actually a bit more politely put. Anyway, backers can even pick their language and color just in case there are flight attendants that don’t know the universal language of English, and TSA decides that a post-it note on the forehead has too much potential as a dangerous weapon. For $25, backers can begin counting sheep in flight right around March 2015.

Categories
Camping Relaxation Sleep

Adventurers Hammock keeps bugs and elements at bay

Adventurers HammockWith a goal of perfecting the ultimate backpack, Adventurers Hammock blends sleeping bag, hammock and tent into one piece that is easily strung between a couple of trees using standard hiking gear. The inventors have piled on a lot of really neat features with this one, including the option to use a variety of sleeping pads, an ability to block chilly breezes for camping during cooler months, a zip up cocoon effect for blocking bugs, morning dew, wind and the sun to name just a few items. A couple of similar camping hammocks worth checking out include the Air Hammock and Bison Bag. For $80, backers get one Adventurers Hammock with an expected delivery of October 2015

Categories
Sleep

Sense clips to your pillow, offers a mint of data

The Premise. Everyone needs to sleep, and yet only a select few get to enjoy the way their bodies are naturally inclined to do. Whether it’s city noise, a restless partner, or just the grind of a morning commute, the average person isn’t getting enough quality sleep every night.

The Product. Sense is a sort of hub that tracks and monitors all the important aspects of sleep through the use of the Sleep Pill, a small sensor that clips not to the body but instead to the pillow, and a ball full of sensors that rests on your nightstand. Sense functions as an alarm clock and a sleep monitor that pays attention to more than just how much movement is happening in the bed. Sense records any sounds that may jar users awake, can play calming sleep sounds, and can wake sleepers up at a time that is more natural by monitoring the sleep cycle. After each night, Sense gives users a sleep score based on the conditions of the bedroom and the quality of the sleep.

The Pitch. Sense’s video is all about how to unlock the best sleep one can get without ignoring al the realities of life, family, and work. The device is attractive and the materials show this off very well. Designer Hello wants to raise $100,000 to make Sense more than just a dream.

The Perks. A Sense and the companion Sleep Pill can be picked up for $99;, and will be reaching homes in November 2014. Bed partners can also get in on the fun with a Sleep Pill of their own. Those who want to color coordinate the striking device with their bedroom decor will need to shell out $1,000 to work with Hello’s team of industrial designers.

The Potential. The wearable market is quickly reaching a saturation point, and there are already plenty of devices that take a long hard look at how users sleep. What’s great about Sense is the way that it replaces an existing household device (the alarm clock) with something that is pleasing in design and more functional in what it does. Additionally, that the Sleep Pill clips to the pillow and not anywhere on the pajamas is a great asset for the more forgetful folks out there, as well as those who prefer to sleep au naturel and have nothing to clip a tracker to. In terms of innovation, Sense isn’t trying much that hasn’t been addressed before, but this is one of those rare “complete” packages that has a lot to offer even if it isn’t the newest idea out there.

Categories
Relaxation Sleep Travel

JQ Headrest lets you bury your face in slumber, perhaps shame

JQ HeadrestThe problem of rest while in transit is a doozy. For those who have trouble falling asleep on the move, traveling can be extremely uncomfortable. The JQ Headrest aims at helping weary passengers get some rest. It comprises of an adjustable pole that rests on the forehead and chest to let passengers sleep leaning forward. Despite its awkward look, it claims to be effective, much like the Forward Front Face Pillow Cushion. If backers think they can get it past security, they only have to pay $36 (if they live in China and have a lung disease) for delivery in August 2014. Healthy, non-Chinese backers must donate $99. JQ hopes to raise a huge $386,000 goal in a 27-day Kickstarter campaign.

Categories
Sleep

SnoreNoMore promises silence in store

The Premise. Many adult men and many women suffering from nighttime snoring. Snoring is a symptom of an obstructed airway and can cause sleep problems and, in many cases, marital problems.

The Product. SnoreNoMore is a cure for snoring. This device looks much like an electric toothbrush without a head. It vibrates and has a soft rubber tip that is placed in the mouth against the soft palette to stimulate the area. This stimulation supposedly retrains the airways to work properly in order to alleviate snoring. The device is rechargeable and comes in several different colors. An accompanying Android/iOs friendly app allows users to track their progress with a snoring diary and reminders to use the device.

The Pitch. The campaign video begins with a cute cartoon of a couple’s distress over snoring. Hilmar Simon, the creator, then explains the mechanics involved in snoring and how his product works. He tells about how his father and sister’s snoring made their house shake which motivated him to search for a solution. Simon hopes to raise $140,000 with his 31-day Indiegogo campaign.

The Perks. For a $50 early-bird special, backers can enjoy the app alone. For $100, backers get the app and $50 off of their purchase of a SnoreNoMore. Only backers willing to fork over $350 can help with the beta stage of testing for 2-3 months, will receive the app and $100 off of the product, but still not the product itself. Only $1,000 gets backers the product, actually four of them, as well as the app.

The Potential. The idea of an actual solution for snoring as opposed to a temporary remedy is intriguing. Snore strips and mouthpieces must be worn every night to temper snoring, but the SnoreNoMore actually attempts to retrain the body to open up your nasal passages. The price of this product, however, is unreasonable and there should most definitely be a reward tier that offers one of the product instead of four. It seems that this should cost no more than an electric toothbrush because of how similar they are. Also, the video lacks any footage of someone using the product, and from the description, it sounds uncomfortable. Still, most would welcome a cure for their snoring no matter the cost. The app is also a welcome supplement for those who really struggle with this problem.

Categories
Kids/Babies Sleep

Monbaby is a wireless window into your wee one’s world

The Premise. Baby monitors haven’t changed much for decades, partially because they haven’t had to serve any other purposes. But what if a baby monitor could report on a child’s sleeping patterns and whether or not they were safe in their crib?

The Product. The Monbaby sleep analyzer is a small button that can be clipped onto any article of clothing and monitors how much a child is moving during sleep, whether or not they have woken up, and even if they’ve fallen. This data is sent to the companion iPhone app, which reports all of this information as well as whether a child has rolled onto their stomach or back, and can provide customizable alerts depending on certain variables. It can provide this data for users of any age, but in the early stages of the technology, it is being tailored specifically for newborn children.

The Pitch. Monbaby inventor Arturas Vaitaitis shares his inspiration behind the sleep analyzer and discusses his professional background, also asking for feedback on what else this tiny device could do. While every child will react differently, the baby in the video seems content enough, not even noticing the Monbaby clipped onto its clothes. The device has been featured at CES, the IWC Bluetooth competition, and won a prize at the Munich Wearable Technologies conference. Vaitaitis is looking for $10,000 to create an infrastructure that can store the data recorded by the sleep analyzer.

The Perks. Getting a Monbaby sleep analyzer button with the companion app takes a pledge of $79. Custom colored models are available in blue, pink, gray, and red for $169. The basic model will ship in October with the colored buttons arriving the following month.

The Potential. There’s a lot of untapped potential in the baby monitor market, and something like this could also provide valuable data for doctors to look at when considering a child’s development. Not only is it safe and non-intrusive for sleeping babies, but having one of these could even help parents get a little extra sleep themselves, and that alone would probably be reason enough to pick one up.

Categories
Connected Objects Sleep

DreamNet opens lucid dreaming to analysis, app variety, collective unconsciousness

The Premise. The idea of lucid dreaming — in which one is aware that one is dreaming and wakes to remember the tale — has been around for a long period of time. Up until recent years, however, it’s been the kind of thing that people have had to take on entirely themselves. For many, lucid dreaming is difficult enough as it is, and it can take years to learn even just the basics. As today’s technology is pushing just about every industry in the world in a new direction, it should stand to reason why lucid dreaming is heading in a new direction.

The Product. DreamNet offers a new way for people to embrace lucid dreaming. The sleep mask-like device is a programmable headband that allows users to create their very own personal lucid dreaming experience. When synced with a smartphone or tablet, the software associated with DreamNet takes a sophisticated approach. It lets you choose a specific point in your sleep schedule to trigger an alarm, which alerts you that you have entered into a dream. It utilizes an EEG to monitor brain waves, which you can even go back and analyze in the morning, Perhaps the most fascinating thing about DreamNet is that, true to the product’s name, it is trying to build a network of dreamers. that share data in order to create more effective analysis.

The Pitch. Synapse, the team behind DreamNet, has created an effective campaign for those who want the nitty-gritty on the headband’s components, choice of processor and software origins even if a lot of it reads like hard-to-follow inside baseball. Much praise is offered to researcher Bill Murphy, the narrator of the video.

The Perks. DreamNet has a unique pricing structure. For those who are willing to submit at least four of their sleep sessions to the company for research purposes, the product can be had for just $140. Otherwise, the entry point for DreamNet is $150 for early adopters, and is due to ship in June 2014.

The Potential. Lucid dreaming products are all over the place. The smartphone-optional Aurora, a similar product to DreamNet, raised more than double its funding goal on Kickstarter. What sets DreamNet aside from the competition, however, is that it offers a state-of-the-art way to not only trigger the headband’s alarm at a specific point in time, to track what’s going on when you sleep and to contribute ultimately to the state of lucid dreaming research.

Categories
Sensors/IoT Sleep

Aurora headband offers the sleep experience of your lucid dreams

The Premise: There’s been a lot of interest in lucid dreaming for many years, and technology has made it more approachable. The ability to control one’s dreams is certainly enticing, especially for those who are looking to learn more about themselves.

The Product. Aurora is just the latest in a string of devices meant specifically to make lucid dreaming easier and more accessible. The way in which the Aurora works is quite simple, really. As one begins to go into REM sleep, eye movements change rapidly. The device (a high-tech eye mask) is able to pick up on this, after which it emits customizable lights and sounds. In theory, once you experience this “reminder” that you are actually dreaming, you’ll be able to train yourself to control the results of the dream. The USB-rechargeable Aurora can communicate with your smartphone and can also time your wakeup so that you feel more relaxed, a premise of the Lark device that launched on Kickstarter last year.

The Pitch. The pitch video makes a very good case for what the product is capable of. A nice production value, a great explanation of what Aurora does and plenty of attractive imagery makes the product look quite enticing. Developer iWinks describes how the companion app maps a typical sleep cycle and introduces a stretch goal of $300,000 at which point Aurora’s algorithms will be baked into the mask itself, making the smartphone optional.

The Perks. The Aurora is due to appear with a pretty quick turnaround, scheduled for March 2014. At $175, it is quite a pricey device, although you can certainly find pricier alternatives. Most of the reward tiers from there include incentives for developer access.

The Potential. Given the low maintenance associated with the device, its perfect for those who ascribe to the “set it and forget it” ideals that come along with so many of today’s products,  That said, it’s difficult to avoid comparing the device to 2012’s Remee, another Kickstarter-funded sleep mask meant to help make lucid dreaming easier, and LUCI. Since the Remee is only $80, shelling out the extra $100 or so may be difficult for some folks, if not unnecessary.