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Sleep

Sleep Sensei lulls you to sleep with fun lights, calm breathing patterns

Many people have trouble sleeping. There are few natural options out there that can help. Lack of sleep can disrupt daytime life immensely and is extremely unhealthy.

Using lights, Sleep Sensei can help restless people fall asleep. This small device about the size of two alarm clocks sits on the bedside table. It uses soft, red lights to mimic breathing patterns. When you first crawl into bed, the lights are fast, getting brighter when you inhale and dimmer when you exhale. As you doze off, the lights become slower to slow down breath, which is what causes sleep to happen. The device pivots to different angles and features a knob that lets the user adjust brightness and speed of the lights.

While this product has a sensible purpose behind it, it seems like a lot of clutter compared to taking a couple of Unisom tablets. And the design leaves some room for improvement, slightly resembling some kind of mini Medieval catapult. Backers will need to donate $40 for an assembled Sleep Sensei with estimated delivery in September 2015. This product is hoping to raise $2,500 with the help of Kickstarter.

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Connected Objects Sleep

Sonno BT sleep mask focuses getting to sleep, leaves you alone after that

Sleep masks are a dime a dozen, all promising assistance with sleep, lucid dreaming, or even improvements in learning with transcranial stimulation — dubious claims in their own right depending on the method used.

The Sonno BT tries to one up the competition with its use of SBTT, or simulated biological tone technology. This stuffy name is essentially just a recording of the body’s naturally occurring, internal sounds the inventor claims is better than white noise.

What the Sonno BT really wants is to be considered a sort of sleep assistant, but only if the product’s ridiculous stretch goals are met. Using Bluetooth in conjunction with an iOS/Android app, the product can loop messages to aid subliminal learning, sound alarms and reminders, facilitate power naps, place 911 calls in response to the sound of a carbon monoxide or fire alarm, and even function as a smart baby monitor.

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Connected Objects Sleep

Chrona slips in your pillow to size up your sleep

A good night of sleep is one of the most important things to maintain a healthy life. But all too often people have issues when trying to sleep, sometimes without even knowing it.

Chrona is a thin foam insert that transforms any pillow into a smart pillow. Combined with an app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone mobile devices, Chrona serves as a sleep optimization system that tracks and optimizes sleep using sound. The Bluetooth Low Enery device not only tracks users’ sleep by movement, but it also improves their sleep through the use of acoustics. Depending on where users are in their sleep cycles, Chrona uses low-frequency sounds to help them sleep more deeply or high-frequency sounds to prepare them to wake up. Chrona costs $169 and ships in December. Its maker has set a Kickstarter goal of raising $50,000 by May 18.

One of the product’s advantages is that it doesn’t require an uncomfortable wearable. But it faces competition from a growing number of products that promise pretty much the same thing, including Proper Pillow Plus and SliiP.

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Connected Objects Sleep

Wakē shines a little light — and audio — to rouse without disturbing mattress mates

The smartphone has encroached upon the classic clock radio as the tool of choice for greeting the day, but both offer an escape from slumber via sounds delivered at an elevated decibel. That can mean a rude awakening for the person who shares a bed with the early riser.

Wakē swivels to project a light and parametric speaker (one that can focus a beam of sound) that work together to gently wake owners and their bedfellows individually. The product mounts above the bed on a wall. From there, a companion smartphone app communicates when and how the sleeping should be awoken with a combination of light and sound. Wakē can hone its spotlight and audio beam on bed occupants even if they are spooning. However, pre-empting concern about (unwanted) cameras in the bedroom, the product relies on heat seeking to identify which person should receive its stimuli. Developer Lucera Labs seeks $100,000 by May 30th. Backers can pick up a unit for $250 (or $125 per bed occupant).

Wake has more applications on the drawing board; a reading light is a natural next step. The product represents the most radical rethinking of the alarm clock in a long time. It’s unusual position in the bedroom and need to be charged every few months, though, diminish ts useful impact for couples. somewhat Still, it represents the most clever use of parametric speaker capabilities to date.

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Connected Objects Health and Wellness Sleep

Slip into slumberland with the SLiiP connected pillow

A lifestyle filled with stress often prevents individuals from getting in a good night’s sleep. In turn, a lack of sleep can lead to all kinds of physical and mental problems, thereby creating a vicious cycle which makes it even more difficult for people to sleep comfortably the very next night.

One solution to this problem is PoleGame’s SLiiP, a product which combines a connected down and feather pillow with an airbag to facilitate a more comfortable sleeping experience. SLiip automatically inflates and deflates based on factors as varied as uncomfortable sleeping positions and even certain sounds, like snoring. The product is also able to track the quality of sleep over time with a companion iOS or Android app. What’s more,  the pillow comes packaged with an orb that generates delta waves which are beneficial to achieving a deep sleep. The product also features a Bluetooth speaker, alarm, phone charger, and lamp. Each SLiiP is $249 with an estimated delivery date of December 2015. PoleGame Inc. is looking for $100,000 in funding by April 24.

Sleep problems can be caused by a number of issues, but one of the more common and potentially serious ones is snoring. Even if other sleep-aids like the SnoreNoMore promise solutions to snoring, they can be intrusive. SLiiP is very hands off, subtle in what it does, and comfortable to boot.

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Connected Objects Sleep

Proper Pillow Plus will help give you an amazing night of sleep

A comfortable pillow is just as important as a good mattress to provide a good night of sleep. Most pillows, even the best orthopedic ones, however, can’t quantify just how well the user is sleeping.

The Proper Pillow Plus is a smarter version of the existing Proper Pillow, created by the same inventor. The Proper Pillow was designed to support optimal alignment with both back and side sleeping positions. Proper Pillow Plus builds on that and adds the quantification of sleep patterns with the assistance of a mobile app. A sensor network of pressure receptors built into the pillow tracks the user’s sleep experience and relays that data directly to the Proper Pillow Plus app via Bluetooth Low Energy. Among other things, Proper Pillow Plus can gauge what sleeping position and head orientation generate optimal sleep conditions. Proper Pillow Plus costs $60 and ships in April. Its maker is hoping to raise $375,000 via an Indiegogo campaign by April 18.

The product holds promise if it can truly and accurately measure sleep patterns and, more importantly, if it’s comfortable. That said, these two variables are impossible to gauge from a campaign video. Those are two of the same issues faced by similar products that have sought crowdfunding, including ThinkPillow.

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Kids/Babies Sleep

Glow Away may help kids scare off the boogeyman

Convincing kids to sleep in their own bed when they are afraid of the dark is a borderline impossible task. Indeed, many parents consistently and actively seek out solutions designed to keep their little ones under their own covers and sound asleep through the night.

Glow Away is one such solution. Glow Away consists of glow in the dark bedding coupled with a 20 page illustrated storybook. The main character in the book teaches kids a mysterious spell. Then, the spell “magically” appears atop of the covers, in glow in the dark form, when the lights are turned off. Kids are led to believe that the spell is very real, with the glow in the dark blanket serving as irrefutable proof.

While some may see this as creative, the product arguably cheats parents of the opportunity to teach their children about legitimate tools that they can use to deal with fear. VeggieTales DVDs and books offer more solid solutions as both convey learning foundations that extend beyond childhood. Other creative sleep items for kids include Nap Time and Dreamphones. This campaign seeks to raise $20,000 by April 4, 2015. For $129, backers get a Glow Away book along with a coordinated fitted sheet or two pillow cases.

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Sensors/IoT Sleep

Smartphone-adjustable ThinkPillow measures sleep, wakes you up

Sleep is one of the most important ways to stay healthy. Sleeping resets mind, body, and soul, giving the chance for healing. However, most have trouble with their sleep patterns, either waking up in the middle of a REM cycle or sleeping for too short of a time.

ThinkPillow is a smart pillow that is fully adjustable in height and firmness. It is designed with special technology aimed at fixing any kind of spinal pain. Not only does it come with comfort, however, but it also tracks your sleep patterns. With this data, the accompanying smartphone app can choose when to wake you so that you’ll feel alert and refreshed instead of bedraggled and exhausted.

ThinkPillow’s smartphone app charts sleep patterns over time and, as such, can be useful to physicians if something goes wrong. In addition, it lets the user track what they’re doing three hours before bedtime and can make suggestions based on those habits. For instance, if the user isn’t getting enough sleep, but drinks coffee every night, the app will tell them to cut it out. ThinkPillow also spies on family members and lets users see the sleep patterns of mom, grandma, dad or whoever else uses the device.

Getting the right amount of sleep can be truly difficult. They say you should get out of bed when you initially wake up in the morning, but if that’s too early for some, they’d rather get another half an hour of sleep. It’s great that ThinkPillow can tell when the person is actually asleep, not just when they intend to be asleep, and uses that to wake them up in the morning. While well-intentioned, the family sharing feature may get a little annoying to some. Though it is good for elderly family members who are too far away to check up on. One ThinkPillow can be had for $102 NZD (~$79 USD) for estimated delivery in April 2015. This product hopes to raise $50,000 NZD (~$38,800 USD) on Kickstarter.

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Connected Objects Sleep

Hush smart earplugs offer tranquil sounds, noise masking

After a long day’s work, most people want to just lay in bed while the silence and calm of the room around them take them off to slumberland. However, for many people around the world, this scene itself is a dream and almost impossible to experience. College students in hectic environments long for the same type of restorative sleep business travelers do, but unfortunately none of them get what they want. People in these situations usually opt for earplugs or noise canceling headphones, but most don’t work after a while or are just plain uncomfortable.

Hush manages to combine sound eliminating foam with noise masking sounds like white noise or a soothing waterfall, avoiding the use of noise canceling technology that can eventually become a problem itself. The earplugs have gone through much tweaking to ensure they are ergonomical, and side sleepers will especially enjoy the padded insides that make the product easy on the ear canals. One of its most important features is that it still keeps users informed as Hush connects to your iOS or Android smartphone and therefore to their most important contacts. With that, users can always have the option of catching some shuteye no matter where they are without sacrificing alertness. Unfortunately, it’ll be another rechargeable device that needs added to the roster.

From what it seems, the team behind Hush has a winner on their hands. Their attractive design and future potential as a study or therapeutic aide points to a bright future. Backers who plunk down $115 for it, though, need to be weary of potential shipping issues they bring up in their $100,000 campaign. If all goes well, they can expect it on their doorsteps by June 2015.

Categories
Sleep

Sleep Sensei is a teacher that actually wants you to fall asleep

There are quite a few studies out there that report the importance of making sure that people get enough sleep each night. But there are some nights when sleep just seems impossible. For those who struggle with rest on a regular basis, Sleep Sensei is an alternative option that allows you to enjoy sleep without having to take any type of medication or prescription. The electronic gadget works with a pattern of LED lights that shine on a person’s closed eyes, and coaches them to sleep. There is a timer that lets you determine how long you want the session to last. It’s not clear whether the device is battery operated or requires electricity to function, however it seems like a great idea that will be appreciated by many who have sleep issues. This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 by December 16, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $20, with an expected delivery of April 2015.