Between 50 million and 70 million people have sleep or wakefulness disorders, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you count yourself among that poorly rested multitude, or if you worry that you may join it at any time, you'll be interested in a slew of tech products that have arrived in recent years and are designed to help you catch your zzzzs. It's a good thing, too, since modern life, with its many pressures and distractions, seems hell-bent on keeping you up at night.
Nora
Nora could be the answer to your snoring nightmares. Whether you're the oblivious snorer or the captive audience of one, this device promises sweet relief. Unlike many snoring remedies, this one is completely noninvasive. (Nora's amusing product video notes some of the "solutions" it replaces.)
Nora is a white, pebble-shaped object that sits on your nightstand. As you start to snore, Nora detects the sound and signals its partner—a lightweight, padded insert located under your pillow—to move, causing your head to adjust, thereby stopping your snoring. All of this happens before you wake your beloved bedmate, the product's designers promise.
Nora comes in a handy travel case and is available for preorder at $259.
Sense
Sense is high-tech orb containing a host of sensors to help you sleep better. This sleep monitor gathers data about your sleeping patterns and uses them to determine the best time to wake you, based on your circadian rhythms, so that you start your day off right. You can choose from 15 different wake tones to rouse you during your lightest phase of sleep.
Sense comes with a motion-detecting "sleep pill" that you attach to your pillow. Together, the orb and the pill collect data about how you sleep and provide you with a sleep score every morning. You can see how you slept, right down to the minute. Sense also provide information about your environmental conditions, including brightness, humidity, temperature, and air quality. If you wave your hand over the Sense orb, it will light up in different colors that indicate the sleep-conducive level of the room's conditions.
Over time, Sense learns your sleeping habits and offers tips on how to improve your sleep. Sense is available from Hello, Inc. for $129.
Misfit Shine 2
If you're on a budget, the Misfit Shine 2 gives you two products in one. It's both an activity tracker and a sleep monitor. This is not an uncommon double feature with activity trackers, but the Misfit Shine 2 is so light on your wrist that it's hardly noticeable—and since its sleep tracking is automatic, you don't have to set anything up to start tracking your sleep patterns.
You can also instruct the Misfit Shine 2 to wake you during your lightest stage of sleep. And you can use its vibration alarm if you don't like to be wakened by loud noise in the morning. You can even set it up to turn off your lights before you go to bed. Misfit seems to like monitoring sleep, as it has partnered with Beddit to create the Misfit Beddit Sleep Monitoring System.
The Misfit Shine 2 retails for $100.
Credits: Nora, Hello Inc., Misfit.