This Life-Changing Smart Pillow Combats Anxiety and Insomnia

A good night's sleep is something that eludes me most nights. While I can usually fall asleep fine, I wake in the wee hours of the morning, my mind restless and racing and any chance of restorative rest gone. So when I heard there was a pillow that claimed to help shut off your brain so you could sleep better, I was intrigued. The pillow is called Dreampad, and in studies, it was proven to help children with autism and PTSD sufferers get a better night's sleep as well as reduce the time it takes to fall asleep.

So how does the pillow weave its nighttime magic? A special soundtrack, or "Soundscape," as the company calls it, is played through the pillow (only the user can hear it, so bedmates are undisturbed) using Dreampad's own Intrasound Technology to carry the sound vibrations to the ear. "As the vibration moves toward the bony area surrounding your middle and inner ear, it is triggering your body's relaxation response," the website explains. "Clinical data suggests that the calming effect of the Dreampad is a result of the vibrational music stimulating the vagus nerve, which in turn activates the parasympathetic nervous system." The parasympathetic nervous system is what helps humans manage stress, so by activating it, the Dreampad is signaling our bodies to wind down.

I'll admit, I was skeptical; could the cure to my insomnia really be as simple as changing my pillow? Before I could find out, I had to set up the Dreampad, which meant downloading the free app on my phone. The app provides eight available Soundscapes or tracks of instrumental and vibrational noises and gave me the ability to play on a timer, if desired. From there, I could could either connect my phone to the pillow via Bluetooth or a connector cord.

When it was time to go to bed, I opened the app and hit play but heard nothing — until I rested my head on the pillow. The soft sounds made their way through the comfy pillow (I opted for the memory support style). I turned off the light and closed my eyes. After a few minutes, I was no longer hearing the (sometimes peculiar) Soundscape — I was just enjoying the mellow state I was in. Then, I was asleep. Now, this isn't all that impressive, because falling asleep is not my issue. Waking up in the middle of the night is. So when, as usual, I woke up around 2 a.m., I grabbed my phone, hit "play" on the app to restart the Soundscape, and then — to my astonishment — felt myself being drawn back into a sleep state rather than gearing up into a waking state. I started to wake up a couple more times throughout the night, but because I had the Soundscape going (I had adjusted the setting off timer so it played continuously now), I was quickly lulled back to sleep.

Ever cautious, I wasn't ready to give my verdict just yet, so I continued using the Dreampad for the rest of the week. And the results were the same every time. While I can't say it resolved my sleep issues completely, it greatly diminished them, helping me to fall back asleep faster and wake up feeling more rested overall. Want to try it for yourself? The Dreampad comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and is available in four pillow styles ranging from $149-$179. Want to know more? Check out the video below.

Product was provided for the author by Dreampad for the purpose of writing this story.