Getting a good night’s sleep can be a real challenge for many of us. According to SleepEducation.org, at least 30% – 35% of American adults suffer from some form of insomnia throughout their life. One study estimates that an employee with insomnia loses about eight days of work performance every year. For the entire U.S. workforce, this accumulates to an estimated $63 billion in lost work performance each year.
True insomnia may be an extreme end of the spectrum but poor sleep can plague us all. A barking dog, piles of overdue work or a lot on your mind can easily result in little rest. The good news is you’re not alone as there are a number of startups working to ensure you get your eight hours. Here are three startups looking to improve your beauty sleep.
Kokoon – the world’s first sleep sensing headphones – combine audio and integrated EEG brainwave sensors to help put your mind to rest. These headphones automatically adjust and tune audio to make sure that regenerative sleep is protected from disturbances. The product also comes with an app that measures users’ sleep and reacts to their unique sleep patterns with different types of sound.
The product was invented by Tim Antos, the founder and CEO of Kokoon. After suffering from serious sleep issues due to stress at work, Tim began exploring possible solutions. This is when he discovered the benefits of listening to audio in order to alleviate his insomnia. The only issue he found was that all the available headphones on the market were far too bulky to wear in bed.
Using his expertise as a Mechanical Engineer, Antos took on the challenge to design the perfect headphones for bedtime use. By combining technical skills and creativity, Antos produced Kokoon. These headphones are designed to provide excellent ergonomic comfort thanks to their ability to flex and mould around the shape of one’s ears. Antos also integrated unique audio technology to help lull users into a peaceful sleep.
“Once you are asleep, it will bring in white noise to protect the sleep,” Antos explains to The Guardian.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the company raised $2 million and sold 10,000 units. Clearly there is demand for this product, and due to the apparent gap in the market for headphones designed for sleep, Kakoon holds potential.
SleepCogni is a new product consisting of three different components: a lamp, an app and a monitor. The lamp is placed on your bedside table to emits different coloured lights along with a range of sounds; the smartphone app allows you to customize the product to match your sleep cycle; and the small clip for your finger tracks your heart rate, skin temperature and mental alertness.
The three components are designed to work together harmoniously to trigger and respond to natural cues which help to keep our Circadian rhythm in check. The lamp emits a type of light and sound which correlates with your heart rate, using your sleeping pulse as a baseline, whilst tracking this information using the app. SleepCogni has received excellent results from lab tests. At Sheffield Hallam university, 50% of patients experienced improved sleep quality and 40% slept longer thanks to the device.
This Swiss company is aiming to improve your sleep by taking pyjamas to a whole new level. Inspired by new technology used in sports apparel, Dagsmejan are hoping to use this to change the way we sleep.
“Sleep disturbances are one of the most commonly self-identified health problems and impacts all facets of life, both for the individual as well as the greater society”, states Catarina Dahlin, Co-founder and Managing Director, on her Linkedin.
She adds, “Sleep is key for our health and the right temperature is key for our sleep. At Dagsmejan true innovation is created by transferring knowhow on smart textiles from the sportswear sector and combining this with insights into the world of sleep in terms of physiological, ergonomic and skin sensorial comfort.”
Thanks to extensive research, Dagsmejan has combined a number of intelligent qualities to make the perfect garments to aid your sleep. Their cutting edge fabric technology provides an ideal temperature for sleep, allowing extreme breathability so that your body temperature remains at a comfortable level. The sustainable sourced fabric is also engineered to provide perfect moisture management, drawing sweat away from your skin.
The snug design makes Dagsmejan a perfect fit for your body, stating on their website that 9 out 10 people find it more comfortable than their ordinary pyjamas. Furthermore, Dagsmejan has a smooth and soft design which it claims is twice as soft as cotton pyjamas. If you have ever wondered what it is like to sleep in a cloud, this may be the closest you will get.
Their Kickstarter campaign has been a huge success resulting in the product almost completely selling out. The company has stated on their Kickstarter page that their aim is to raise $20,000 and all customers that take part now will benefit from unique introductory discounts. Orders will be shipped worldwide in October 2017, so if you feel your PJs need an upgrade it might be worth checking out their campaign while you still have the chance.
