Gadgets For Better Sleep
Reboot Your Sleep Schedule With These Useful Tech Gadgets
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Sleep — it's kind of a big deal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 to 70 million Americans have issues sleeping. Thankfully, technology can serve as a reboot on counting sheep. And if you missed feeling your best this month, here are the gadgets that can help you get better Zzz's year-round.
1 Relax Melodies App
Mix and match your favorite sleep sounds on Relax Melodies(free). The app offers dozens of choices, including rain, birds, piano, flute, white noise, and more.
2 RockabyBoo Lullaby and Story App
Here's an impressive way to get the little ones to sleep: download RockabyBoo (free) and enter your child's name. There are thousands to choose from in the database, including unique names for personalized lullabies and customized stories. Now you, too, can get some shut-eye!
3 Sleep Shepherd Blue
Sleep Shepherd Blue (starting at $149) monitors your brainwaves and tailors its biofeedback with binaural tones to help you doze. The device was invented by a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Colorado for his daughter, who faced the challenges of a sleep disorder. The soft headband doesn't just help you sleep: it even analyzes your sleep and has a smart alarm that awakens you gradually, so you're not grumpy and groggy. I have to say, I was so impressed with this device and I am honored to now be working with the team in product awareness and development.
4 Owlet
If you are having trouble sleeping because you are worried about that newborn baby in the next room, then you need this technology to give you peace of mind. Owlet ($250) is a smart sock that monitors your child's pulse (it uses medical technology called "pulse oximetry") and lets you know if his or her heart rate or breathing changes. When the light on the small, circular monitor is green, then everything is OK, but if it turns red and sounds an alarm (via the station and your phone), then something has gone awry. You can also follow Owlet using an app on your smartphone for instant peace of mind.
5 Ilumi Bulbs
With smart light bulbs, like the LED Ilumi bulbs (starting at $60), you can change the color according to your mood, sync your music, and power on and off from afar, all by using the app on your phone. How does that help you sleep? You never have to leave bed to turn the lights off again. And you can even preset the lighting to your circadian rhythm. Bonus: the LED bulbs are five times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and can last up to 20 years.
6 Boon Glo Portable Illuminated Nightlight
A nice touch of relaxing ambiance for any kid's room, Glo ($70) has three balls that rotate in color and the brightness is changeable. Balls can be taken off pedestal as they glow in the dark for up to 30 minutes, serving as a cute portable nightlight.
7 The Migraine Experience App Preview
Finally, a preview on a new virtual reality technology that will give you more empathy for the 36 million Americans who struggle with migraines and as a result have many sleepless nights. Excedrin has created a specially designed augmented reality (AR) "migraine simulator." It uses AR to help people understand how intense the suffering can be. Sensitivity to light and sound, disorientation, spots in your vision — it's all there. I've been working directly with Excedrin on this project and it's something you should experience to understand how debilitating migraines are to people in your life who are suffering.
Available for iOS.
