The last time someone put me to sleep and woke me up when it was time, I was in a Computer Networks class with a very angry Professor hovering over me. In general, though, getting an adequate amount of shut-eye – just the right amount – isn’t always the easiest thing to do. It’s why the folks at LA-based design studio Mode M created Sunrise Pillow, a smart pillow that uses an understanding of how our bodies work and some interesting technology to “revolutionize your mornings and your nights.” It has raised $294,000 on Kickstarter so far and has ample time to rake in some more cash.
Sunrise Pillow’s claims of a smooth return to wakefulness are grounded in sleep biology. Apparently, the body’s response to a gradual increase in light intensity in the early morning hours is to stop producing Melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep (not to be confused with melanin, the pigment). The pillow recreates this effect using strips of LED lights that are activated when it’s time for you to wake up. That way you can wake up before the sun and still get the luminous push you need to get out of bed.
There are additional ways in which Sunrise Pillow ensures you don’t wake up groggy. An accompanying mobile app offers six different ways to do that. You could have it play binaural beats, which science has shown to decelerate bran rate and promote sleep. There’s the option of going through a guided meditation exercise. The app also plays nature sounds, streams audiobooks that pause when you’re about to sleep, and plays nature sounds, all in an attempt to get you to doze off.
Once it’s time to wake up, the strips of LED lights kick into action first to ease you into wakefulness. You could also use the app’s smart alarm, which tracks your sleep cycles. Given a particular time at which to go off, the alarm takes your circadian rhythm into account to ensure that you wake up feeling fully rested.
Over 2,000 backers have combined forces to help Sunrise Pillow smash its $50,000 goal on Kickstarter. The campaign comes to a close on May 19, so it has about two weeks to add to the $294,000 it has in the kitty right now. Units of the pillow are available via Kickstarter starting at $99; the estimated retail price is $299. A few pledge tiers have already run out, so you might want to make haste if you are looking to back the product. Deliveries are expected to commence October 2017.
Prateek Jose
Prateek Jose is a writer and engineering undergrad from India with an unhealthy obsession for obscure historical trivia. Conversations about absurdist fiction and the technological singularity make his day. He’s already uploading parts of his brain to servers by writing for websites such as this one.
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It’s funny, because before I even watch the video, I assume this thing is not comfortable. It just does not look like something that I can get a good night’s rest on.
Well, the pillow is one thing that companies have been trying to revolutionize for many years now. Of course, getting good sleep is the perfect path to better health, so people tend to pay attention.
As I am sure others have mentioned, the price is a little high. However, I have been trying to find a useful way to illuminate my room so I wake up to the “sun” each day. I think this would do the trick.
Here is where you can get it: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/modem/the-sunrise-smart-pillow-sleep-smart-wake-naturall?ref=FundedToday&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=u-3qjn.fnd.to
That early bird pricing is pretty reasonable if you are really struggling to find better sleep.
Smart products like this are great. Just the fact that it will attach to an app and give you all sorts of relevant information about your sleeping puts you in a good position to learn about sleeping better.
Over the last 3 or 4 years, there have been a lot of articles about new pillows. The experts seem to think that good sleep comes directly from the pillow and that is interesting to me since there are so many more factors in good sleep than just the pillow. However, if the experts are putting time, energy and money into them, we should pay attention right?