Philips SmartSleep headband optimizes deep sleep with science
Philips has announced a new solution to help you get some more shut-eye. Launched at CES 2018, the SmartSleep headband plays customized tones to drive you into a deeper slumber.
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It’s a rather medical looking soft foam headband you are meant to wear to bed. But this is not just about monitoring the quality of your sleep which we’ve seen far too often.
Once you’ve slipped on the headset, its duo of built-in sensors will connect to your forehead and behind your ears and monitor brain activity. On detecting slow-wave sleep, more commonly referred to as deep sleep, the headband starts playing white noise in a slowly repeating pattern. Philips says this encourages your brain to remain in deep sleep.
And there is actual science to back up these claims. For those who may not be aware, white noise is a consistent sound that comes out evenly across all hearable frequencies. When a noise wakes you up in the night, it’s not the noise itself that is to blame but the sudden change in frequency. White noise is great at masking these background sounds, such as a noisy neighbor or traffic, hence its effectiveness in promoting better sleep.
Essential reading: CES 2018, catch up on all the essential news here
In the morning, the SleepMapper mobile app will help you understand your kip time by explaining your sleep stages, tracking your sleep patterns over time, measuring the slow wave boosts you get overnight, and providing tips for improving your sleep habits. You also get a simple to understand sleep score on a 0-100 scale, letting you know if you’ve had a good night’s rest.
“At Philips, we believe there is always a way to make life better,” said Egbert van Acht, Chief Business Leader Personal Health businesses at Philips.
“At this year’s CES we are showcasing innovations that help consumers take a more active role in managing their health and wellbeing.
Philips says 70% of chronically sleep-deprived users who have tried SmartSleep for just two weeks reported feeling less tired during the day. But this comes at a price. A rather hefty $399 which you will need to shell out if you want to own the headband and a 90 day supply of self-adhesive sensors.
Phillips will start selling the sleep headband this Spring.
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