The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than one-third of Americans aren't getting enough sleep, and one-fifth have major sleep disorders, which can be harmful to our well being. Drinking warm milk and listening to soft music may help, but for many people, technology has become the preferred sleeping aid. Here's a look at five gadgets and/or apps that aim to lull you into a longer peaceful sleep.
Dreamate DM 800
Restless nights may be a thing of the past with the Dreamate sleep inducer. The wrist device sends small electrical pulses that stimulate three acupuncture points on the user’s wrist. As a result, the company claims Melatonin is released because of increased circulation, reducing stress and making you sleep better. According to the inventor Hivox-Biotek, if the device is worn on the wrist for 15 minutes, 30 minutes before going to bed for several days in a row, it will relax the nervous system and body resulting in better sleep. The device costs $54.95 on Amazon.com.
White Noise App
Loud sounds can keep you up at night so try drowning them out with a little white noise like the sound of ocean waves or the steady sound of rain falling. The White Noise app for the iPhone provides white noise wherever you are: in bed, stuck on an airplane or in a hotel. The app, which costs $1.99 lists 40 different ambient sounds such as the sound of a heartbeat, rain, thunder, a vacuum and wind. There’s also a version for BlackBerry and Android smartphones.
Pzizz
If you have trouble falling asleep and white noise isn’t doing the trick, Pzizz may work for you. Pzizz is a set of audio soundtracks that claim to help you nap during the day and fall asleep at night. The soundtracks offer a billion sound combinations so that you will never hear the same sounds more than once. Users can choose the length of the soundtrack starting at 10 minutes all the way to 90 minutes. The soundtracks can be played on a computer or MP3 player and costs $89.99. There’s also a powernap format that you can download for $10 and a sleep format that costs $15 to download. According to Pzizz, the soundtracks have helped more than 400,000 people with sleep issues during the past 10 years.
Zeo Sleep Manager
Getting six to eight hours of sleep every night but still waking up tired? The Zeo Sleep Manager can help analyze what’s going on by tracking your sleeping patterns throughout the night. A lightweight headband you wear while dozing tracks your actual sleep stages and sends the information wirelessly to a bedside display. Each morning, Zeo shows you how much you actually slept through the night including how long you spent in a REM cycle and deep sleep. The device also gives you an overall sleep score and comes with a coaching program that gives you personalized guidance to improve sleeping habits. The Zeo Sleep Manager costs $149 and can be purchased on the company’s website.
Chilly Pillow
Don’t waste your precious sleep time flipping the pillow over to find the cool side. For $19.95 you can ensure better sleep with the Chillow Comfort Device. The Chillow acts as a radiator for your body by using water to absorb and then dissipate the heat on your pillow back to the surrounding air, creating a cool sensation. The pillow stays dry on the outside and doesn’t need to be refrigerated to keep it cool. The Chillow Comfort Device doesn’t have to be used inside your pillowcase--it can also be use a personal comfort device that can sooth anyplace on your body that needs cooling. The Chillow device comes in the original size, a plus size and a mini.