Sleep Gadgets and Gizmos
Are they worth it?
I was reading an article today that was published in the LA times that talked about all of the gadgets and gizmos that are now available for purchase to help someone get a better night's sleep. Here are some of the things that I found:
1. The Sleep Tracker- a watch that wakes you up during lighter sleep, near your wake up time so you are not in such a fog when you arise. (As seen on Dr. Phil)
2. Double sided sheets- 1/2 are cotton and ½ are flannel
3. About 20 or so pillows-these can be anything from memory foam to buckwheat. Some of which give directions on how to purchase the right type of pillow for each type of person, while others claim to have scientific evidence to prove their pillow is right for you.
4. Magnetic pulse devices-found in your mattress, in mattress pads, or on wristwatches ( As seen on Oprah). (www.phillipstein.com)
5. Sound Machines
6. Pillow Speakers
7. TV timers or headphones
8. Eyeshades
9. Earplugs
10. Special nightlights-only a certain frequency
11. Special Computer Monitor screens
12. Slippers with lights built into the toes!
The list seems to go on and on. I kinda feel like I am walking in to a virtual golf store where there are a million gadgets available to "fix my swing" but unfortunately there is no seasoned sleep pro who can hook me up to a sleep device which can measure my "swing" and then tell me the type of "club" I need.
So just to get the record straight, most of these devices were made for a specific problem in mind and most have been tested, at least for safety, on humans. I have begun to look at them and if you have any you specifically want me to try let me know and I will attempt to get them. But if they work for you and do not appear to cause any harm then it is unlikely that they will.
Related Topics: WebMD Video: Sleepless Story, Better Sleep
Technorati Tags: sleep, gadgets, insomnia
I was reading an article today that was published in the LA times that talked about all of the gadgets and gizmos that are now available for purchase to help someone get a better night's sleep. Here are some of the things that I found:
1. The Sleep Tracker- a watch that wakes you up during lighter sleep, near your wake up time so you are not in such a fog when you arise. (As seen on Dr. Phil)
2. Double sided sheets- 1/2 are cotton and ½ are flannel
3. About 20 or so pillows-these can be anything from memory foam to buckwheat. Some of which give directions on how to purchase the right type of pillow for each type of person, while others claim to have scientific evidence to prove their pillow is right for you.
4. Magnetic pulse devices-found in your mattress, in mattress pads, or on wristwatches ( As seen on Oprah). (www.phillipstein.com)
5. Sound Machines
6. Pillow Speakers
7. TV timers or headphones
8. Eyeshades
9. Earplugs
10. Special nightlights-only a certain frequency
11. Special Computer Monitor screens
12. Slippers with lights built into the toes!
The list seems to go on and on. I kinda feel like I am walking in to a virtual golf store where there are a million gadgets available to "fix my swing" but unfortunately there is no seasoned sleep pro who can hook me up to a sleep device which can measure my "swing" and then tell me the type of "club" I need.
So just to get the record straight, most of these devices were made for a specific problem in mind and most have been tested, at least for safety, on humans. I have begun to look at them and if you have any you specifically want me to try let me know and I will attempt to get them. But if they work for you and do not appear to cause any harm then it is unlikely that they will.
Related Topics: WebMD Video: Sleepless Story, Better Sleep
Technorati Tags: sleep, gadgets, insomnia
6 Comments:
Hi. I splurged on one of the gadgets NOT mentioned on your list, and I like it. It's one of the several available versions of dawn simulator. It's not light therapy by any means, as it supports a bulb only up to 100W. Mine is called Sunrise.
It's an alarm clock with a built-in dimmer switch. You plug in any lamp and at the appointed time your lamp starts dimming up (what's the opposite of dimming?). At the end of the 60 or 90 minutes your bedroom is light and the (optional) alarm sounds.
It only "works" if set for about the time you should be waking up anyway. I've found that I sometimes notice the light before the alarm sounds, which must mean that it's catching me in a shallow phase of sleep.
Should be good in a kid's room, I should think.
--nbm
_ _ _
Nothing works
I also recently purchased a dawn simulator, a "sunrizr". It doesn't have the alarm clock feature, but can handle up to 300W of incandescant lighting, which plugs in the back. The "dawn" mode starts to bring up the lights 45 minutes before the set time, so that at the set time, the lights are at full brightness. It also has a "dusk" mode, where you set the lights at a desired brightness, and over 15 minute period, the lights dim.
I got it because I noticed in the spring and summer how much easier it is to get out of bed, since it is light outside when I get up, about 06:00 AM. I've had it about 3 weeks, and on most mornings, I wake up before the alarm clock (which goes off 15 minutes after full brightness). So far, I would say this thing works! Much easier to get out of bed when the room is lit up with about 200 W of lighting!
The only annoying thing about it that the lights make a soft humming/buzzing sound when they are at a dim level, something with how this thing dims the lights. I got used to it though after about a week.
I'd recommend it to anyone who has trouble waking up in the winter, in a dark room! I tried using a regular lamp timer, but a lamp turning on at full brightness was very annoying, I tended to pull the covers over my head! The dawn simulator isn't bad, I guess you gradually wake up.
TCJ
what about gadgets that help you get to sleep and stay asleep during the night?
The Alpha-Stim works for sleep. It took about two weeks total for me to reach my end goal but I had a bad case of insomnia. I love it. 20 minutes a day for two weeks and then 20 minutes a day, 2-3 times a week there after. I believe it is a microcurrent device. You can find more information about it at www.Alpha-Stim.com
Eyeshades absolutely help you sleep better. Once I tried it, I've found it undesirable to sleep without a pair!
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