7 Futuristic Gadgets That Are Making Insomnia a Thing of the Past
Ever heard of a sleep robot? Well, you're about to.
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In our tech-centric world, it seems like there's a gadget or app for every health condition under the sun – and that includes sleep. Given that the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in three Americans don't get at least seven hours of sleep each night, it's no surprise that tech companies are targeting the chronically sleep-deprived and trying to create a world where insomnia is a thing of the past.
From sleep robots to headbands that claim to help you catch some zzzs, these products offer a glimpse at what an insomnia-free future might look like — and some of them are on the market right now.
*October 8, 2018: This story has been corrected to indicate that Oura ring LEDs measure blood volume pulse.
Slow-wave sleep is the deepest form of non-rapid eye movement, or REM sleep. Researchers believe slow-wave sleep gives our brains a much-needed break from working all day and is important for memory formation. This headband uses small sensors to monitor our stages of sleep and help us reach slow-wave sleep by sending soft sounds to induce the restorative phase.
Eight hopes to change the way you look at mattresses, says vice president Susan Turner. Sensors are embedded in this smart mattress to measure sleep duration, heart rate, bed temperature, and even how much you toss and turn. The sensors even trigger your alarm to go off within 30 minutes of your lightest sleep stage to minimize that groggy "can't get out of bed" feeling.
According to the company, ZEEQ Smart Pillow is the "Swiss army knife" of pillows. Its sensors track sleep duration, movement, and snoring, which you can track in an accompanying phone app. ZEEQ also syncs to your Amazon Echo and contains an alarm and built-in speakers, so you can listen to music or audio books before bed.
Digg founder Kevin Rose called Oura ring the "Apple Watch or Fitbit on crack." The ring includes a sleep monitor, a step counter, and a heart rate monitor. After analyzing the data, Oura provides recommendations for how you can sleep better.
Oura also reads blood volume pulse from arteries in your finger to determine time between heartbeats. Irregular heart rate variability may be linked to sleep disorders like insomnia.
The Sleep Robot is kind of like a souped-up adult teddy bear. It emits a breathing pattern that is slower than our normal rhythms, which will cause you to subconsciously replicate the slower breathing pattern and help you feel relaxed and stress-free, says Baginda Tirtadji, who works in growth marketing at Somnox. Sounds bizarre? Maybe, but 90 percent of 100 people who tested their product said it took them less time to fall asleep using the bot, says Tirtadji.
A sleep tracking app biohackers swear by.
Recommended to MensHealth.com by Bulletproof founder and Silicon Valley biohacker Dave Asprey, SleepCycle is a sleep tracker and alarm. The tracker monitors how long you spend in light, deep, and REM sleep cycles each night. The alarm function allows you to wake up at the beginning of your sleep cycle instead of jerking you awake from deep sleep. "This will leave you feeling more refreshed and awake all day," he says.
A fan of the snooze button? There's an intelligent snooze option that sounds at shortened intervals until you finally get up, which the company says is a more gentle way to awaken.
DNA testing companies claim their products can predict whether your genetics make you more likely to gain weight and develop diseases. Now, MySleepInsights says your DNA could contribute to your sleep patterns as well. Like 23andMe, the company analyzes your saliva sample and sends back a customized report about your sleep habits, including whether you're deficient in vitamin D, which research indicates is linked to longer sleep. One caveat: the company notes that results are based on preliminary research, so treat your results with a degree of skepticism.
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