Sleeping may not seem like a high-tech endeavor. After all, it's something we all do naturally, without even having to practice. But there are all kinds of complications affecting sleep, from staring at screens to noisy environments to just the everyday stress of being a human. That means almost all of us can benefit from paying more attention to how we sleep, as another part of taking care of ourselves.
Sleep Issues in the United States
There is significant amount of sleep issues and sleepiness in our society. The public health consequences from sleep disorders and sleepiness are staggering.
- 60 to 70 million US adults have a sleep disorder
- Almost 50% of adults report snoring
- Close to 5% reported nodding off or falling asleep while driving at least once in the preceding month
- Insomnia is the most common specific sleep disorder, with short term issues reported by about 30% of adults and chronic insomnia by 10%
- 28% of men have obstructive sleep apnea
- 15% of women have obstructive sleep apnea
- 38% reported unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least once in the preceding month
Sleep and mental health are closely connected. Sleep deprivation affects your psychological state and mental health. And those with mental health problems are more likely to have insomnia or other sleep disorders.
Sleep Products
Luckily, a growing awareness around the importance of sleep has led to some real advances — and they cover a wide gamut of products, from light therapy glasses to sleep trainers to smart pillows. Even if you think you're getting a great night's sleep, you just might find something here that could make it even better.
Hatch Restore
Designed with the help of a team of sleep experts, Restore is an all in one sleep solutions featuring for anyone seeking a natural, effective way to promote healthy sleep. Restore features a reading light with tuned spectrum to filter out melatonin-blocking blue light, a built-in speaker with a library of relaxing sleep sounds, and a sunrise alarm which gradually brightens to mimic the dawn and wake you in a more natural, gentler way.
Restore is a device that combines sleep sounds, a bedside reading light, and a sunrise alarm to address our most common sleep problems, including falling asleep and waking up in the middle of the night. You can personalize the Restore via an app based on your sleep routine, with different sounds (like white noise, water or wind) and the option to wake up with a sunrise alarm and birds chirping. If you wake up in the middle of the night, you can set it so all you have to do is push a button, and it will take you through a sleep sounds routine again.
Tenminds Motion Pillow
Snoring is more than just annoying — it may also be a symptom of a chronic medical problem, like obstructive sleep apnea (a sleep disorder in which your breathing is interrupted as you sleep). And it can cause long-term problems for your health if it's not addressed. Though it may look like any other pillow, the Motion Pillow analyzes your head position and breathing patterns while you sleep. Then the pillow uses that data to adjust its shape, shifting the angle of your head to improve airflow and ease snoring.
Doctors recommend that anyone who snores should ask a professional if it might be sleep apnea. Note that this pillow or similar devices aren't meant to replace getting checked for sleep apnea or getting treatment if you need it. Slight repositioning of the head and neck during sleep can help sometimes when it comes to mild cases of sleep apnea, but you should seek a physician's opinion on whether yours is severe.
Muse S
Muse came onto the scene in 2013 with the first ever brain activity sensing headband that helps you to meditate. Fast forward to 2020, and as well as help you to focus and make meditation easier, the company's latest model, Muse S is their most comfortable yet, and for the first time adds sleep into the mix.
Muse S combines the functionality of Muse 2 with the sleep tracking features from the Softband which the parent company Interaxon debuted at last year's CES. Instead of the backwards sunglasses styling of previous generations, Muse S is designed with a soft fabric headband enabling you to use in bed and fall asleep with its 'forget-it's-there' comfort.
Packed with sophisticated sensors to measure brain activity, heart rate, breathing, oxygen saturation and movement, the biggest attraction of Muse S are the new 'Go-To-Sleep Journeys' which use a blend of ambient soundscapes, voice narration and 'real-time biofeedback' to specifically help you fall asleep easier.
Dreamlight Pro
Dreamlight's newest sleep gadget, the flagship Dreamlight Pro, is a light-blocking sleep mask that's been shown to block 100% of external light. Embedded speakers deliver a surround-sound effect for building a relaxing environment, from vocal hypnosis therapy to binaural beats and meditation music. With its LED light-based sleep breathing aid, heart-rate and movement trackers, and more, if you might find more than just a better night's sleep with Dreamlight — use it for meditation, yoga, or just escaping from the world for a relaxing afternoon session. It is still too early to tell what the public feedback will be on this product since it is has been recently launched.
Note that many people claim that CBD oil can be helpful in combating insomnia, so you might want to try that as a natural sleep aid.