The coronavirus is officially a world-wide pandemic. And fears for the increasing spread of the coronavirus has sent the public into an inexplicable–but apparently global–frenzy of stripping stores of toilet paper and bottled water.
A challenging consequence of media reporting, inherent fear, and the looming possibilities is wretched insomnia. You want to sleep, you need to sleep to keep your immunities up, but your mind is racing, and sleep eludes you.
SEE: Coronavirus: Critical IT policies and tools every business needs (TechRepublic Premium)
“I know firsthand how a personal crisis can lead to insomnia, and for many, a global crisis like this can be scary and result in a long duration of sleepless nights,” said Tara Youngblood, co-founder of Chili Technology sleep systems. “It’s important to take every step possible to ensure we keep up our spirits as well as our immunity.”
“It might not be a cure-all, but sleep can help boost your immunity,” Somnox founder Julian Jagtenberg said. “In a nutshell: making sure we consistently get a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways we can improve our immunity and defend against viruses and disease. Sleep is a natural immune booster. Anxiety is one of the most common causes for sleep deprivation. Breathing exercises are proven and effective methods to naturally balance your parasympathetic system, ensuring you feel relaxed and calm enough to get that needed deep sleep.”
Thanks to the tech world, you can get some assistance to grab some much needed rest and deep sleep. Here are a few items designed to do just that.
The substantive pill-shaped pillow features Somnox’s proprietary technology, like a CO2 sensor to sense breathing, accelerometer to detect movement, audio speaker, an algorithm to soothe the user back to sleep, and an accompanying Somnox app for your phone to control everything.
Image: Somnox
Wireless sound soother headband, $100
Available in three sizes (which coordinate to hat sizes), the headband is made of fleece and has 17 built-in sleep sounds (including white noise, nature sounds, and binaural beats). It also features six timer options, removable speakers, and a 20-hour rechargeable battery. Sound is built into the speakers, so there is no need for MP3 players or Bluetooth devices. The speakers can be removed so the headband can be washed. The headband is available in black and grey and charges via USB with the included cable. Samples of the actual audio are available before purchasing online.
Image: Sharper Image
Snooz white noise sound machine, $80
Snooz features an actual fan and is adjustable to rotate from a light fan sound (e.g., table fan) to a deep fan drone (e.g., airplane cabin) and sounds in-between. There are no looping tracks because it relies on the natural, soothing sound of moving air, but it’s app-enabled, so you can adjust the volume or set an auto shutoff from your phone. Snooz can be used in the winter because, even though it uses a real fan, it doesn’t blow cold air. A nursery calibration feature is designed to keep the sound level safe for a baby. A brushless motor uses 98% less energy than a typical box fan, said manufacturers.
Image: Snooz
Dodow, $60
Dodow, which claims to “hack insomnia,” looks like a white hockey puck speaker, but what this designed-by-three-insomniacs item does is project a soft halo light onto the ceiling. Users synchronize breath with the light, “your breathing rate will go down to six breaths per minute putting you in ‘rest’ mode,” and claims you’ll drift off to sleep in eight minutes.
Image: Dodow
Philips NightBalance positional sleep therapy device, on sale $450 (regular $650)
The palm-sized device is worn (manufacturers say comfortably) across the chest in a soft, adjustable strap. It delivers gentle vibrations that prompt you to shift off of your back without disturbing sleep and adjusts throughout the night for a “successful, restful sleep.” It comes with a NightBalance señor device, travel case, adjustable chest strap, docking station, and AC power cord.
Image: Philips
SEE: 5G: What it means for IoT (ZDNet/TechRepublic special feature) | Download the free PDF version (TechRepublic)
OOLER sleep system $800
The OOLER sleep system has a hydro-powered thermal range that operates from 55-115°F. It includes a hydronic pad, control unit, and OOLER app for sleep schedules. The unit has a variable ambient noise control, blue-light blocking lens with auto-dim display, and is cleaned with UV light. The hydronic pad is machine washable, polyester bottom with waterproof coating, and jacquard stretchable top fabric.
The app has programmable sleep schedules for each day, low-water notifications, warm awake feature as an alarm clock replacement, and auto on/off timing to pre-cool or pre-heat before bed. It can be used by one or two sleepers.
Image OOLER
Chili Technology sleep systems
There are several options available in this series of sleep systems, which is based on the sleep as nature intended/ancestral sleeping style theory that cooler temperatures prevail when it comes to a deep sleep. Developers say it is a compliment to your circadian rhythm using temperature to signal and maintain sleep but stress it’s based on science and that “we sleep deeper with increased recovery at a cooler body temperature. Our core body temperature should naturally drop every night,” but for many people–and for lots of reasons–it doesn’t. No more night sweats, either, pregnant or not.
Chili sleep system $299
The chiliPAD control unit regulates the temperature of your bed. Just add water and plug it in for a night of comfortable, restorative sleep. It features a 13-oz water reservoir tank, auto shutoff, and auto-dim display. It also comes with the chiliPAD hydronic pad and a three-button, EMF-free remote (uses two AA batteries), which has a transmission distance of 20 feet.
Image: Chili
Also see
- The latest cancellations: How the coronavirus is disrupting tech conferences worldwide (TechRepublic)
- The tech pro’s guide to video conferencing (TechRepublic download)
- Coronavirus domain names are the latest hacker trick (TechRepublic)
- As coronavirus spreads, here’s what’s been canceled or closed (CBS News)
- Coronavirus: Effective strategies and tools for remote work during a pandemic (ZDNet)
- How to track the coronavirus: Dashboard delivers real-time view of the deadly virus (ZDNet)
- Coronavirus and COVID-19: All your questions answered (CNET)
- Coronavirus: More must-read coverage (TechRepublic on Flipboard)
Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto
