Sleep

For those who would rather not use coffee to stay awake, Takanoha & Co. has developed an ingeniously clever earpiece alarm. Its latest model, the Nap Vieeb Plus II, is designed to sense when you fall asleep and then trigger an alarm that wakes you up again. But how does the device know when you're falling asleep?  Read More

Sometimes even the travel-weary budget flier would pay just about anything for a couple of hours sleep after a long haul flight in “cattle class” - which is where the Sleepbox concept comes in. Imagine your joy at spotting one of these comfy cocoons at the airport lounge while you’ve got a few hours between connecting flights. Or if you’ve arrived late at night in a strange land and don’t want to risk finding a hotel room in the dark – or the lone cab driver parked in the shadows of the airport or train station. Check into the Sleepbox and you could be on cloud nine before your head hits the pillow.  Read More

My snoring doesn’t worry me – however, my wife finds it a pain in the neck. And while it might be stopping her from getting a good’s night sleep, it could be doing me more harm if it’s a sign that I’m suffering from sleep apnea – a condition in which patients pause during breathing while asleep, denying themselves oxygen. For US$2.99 snorers (or their long-suffering partners) can purchase a new iPhone app developed by Remote Analysis Ltd, a telemedicine provider from Finland, that analyzes snoring and advises if the patient should seek medical help.  Read More

Cutting down on unnecessary electricity usage has clear benefits for both the environment and your hip pocket, and devices that tackle the issue of standby power are an obvious place to start. Paul Lester takes a closer look at some of the current solutions on the market.  Read More

When parents-to-be begin looking for a crib for their new baby, it can be a little confusing. Do they start with a cradle like the Hushamok or are they best to put baby straight into a full-size crib? Is it important that the crib fits in with their existing décor and can it be moved from room to room? A new crib from Bloom might help end that elusive and often frustrating search. Alma Urban is a contemporary, wooden folding crib that will sleep baby from newborn to two years, can be moved in minutes and because of its minimalist design, should suit even the most fastidious home-decorator.  Read More

Research has established that exposure to light is the key to resetting the body’s internal clock to overcome the effects of jetlag. We’ve seen a number of devices that utilize this knowledge such as the Litebook and LED light glasses. Now researchers have developed a software program that could increase the effectiveness of such devices by prescribing a regimen for timed light exposure.  Read More

If you have trouble getting to sleep at night, and drinking warm milk or counting sheep doesn't do the trick, you might want to try the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach. The product works on different levels. On one hand, it is designed to educate you about sleep as well as monitor your sleeping patterns, using a headband that records information to a digital reader. But the Zeo goes further – it also shows you how to analyze the data and understand its impacts on your lifestyle. Through a personalized "sleep fitness" program, it recommends ways you can catch that much-needed 40 winks.  Read More

Unfortunately, all babies are not created equal when it comes to sleeping. While one child will contentedly drop off to sleep, another will only visit the Land of Nod after interminable minutes of rocking. The Lolaloo is a clever, German-designed, rocking device that, with bit of luck, helps put baby to sleep.  Read More

Australian Researchers from Flinders University have developed special LED light-glasses designed to re-calibrate our biological clocks and overcome problems such as insomnia and jet lag. The product of 15 years research into the use of bright light to treat problems with body clocks, the glasses release a safe blue light directly into the eyes of the wearer that helps reset the body clock to the appropriate time.  Read More