In this week’s column/blog, I will be reviewing an amazing
wearable technology product. I had this sample after I visited the booth
of Acoustic Sleep LLC at the International CES 2014 in Las Vegas. Dr. Wei
Shin Lai, MD, the inventor and the Chief Executive Officer of the company gave it to me. I finally opened the package and tested it.
SleepPhones
It is called the SleepPhones. Dr. Wei Shin Lai, a family
doctor, developed it “to provide a safe, all-natural way to provide restful,
music assisted relaxation without bulky headphones.”
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The device is actually a machine washable headband with
removable padded speakers. The headband is made of cool, breathable,
moisture-wicking fabric with a 4’ cord (120 cm) and a mini-jack 1/8” (3.5 mm).
It works with most music players. The built-in sounds or
music in the app are supposed to help you fall asleep faster and sleep more
soundly. An added claim is that it blocks-out snoring and other unwanted
noise.
For more MP3 downloads, a selection of relaxing audio tracks
with scientifically proven sleep-enhancing rhythms is available for free
at www.SleepPhones.com.
I downloaded the SleepPhones app to my iPhone 5s. I wore
the headband and connected the cord to my iPhone. The headband is
very comfortable whether wearing it standing up, sitting down, and most
especially lying down in bed. I played the sounds embedded in the app
first. They were indeed soft and soothing as I closed my eyes. They
really put me to sleep faster and more soundly.
I visited the company website just to check the available MP3
downloads. Worth mentioning are two: “To Dreams Unsettled” , a Sleep
track; and “Breakfast Sizzle”, an Awake track.
Of course, I could not help going into testing whether it is as
effective using my own sleep-enhancing sounds and music as well as other apps
that could work hand-in-hand with SleepPhones.
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| SLEEP Track |
As I expected, it worked. I used it as a speaker for my
playlists such as songs of Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Beatles, Harry Belafonte and
Jason Myles Goss. I also played the versions of Marvin Gaye and his Duet
with his daughter Nona, and that of Renee Fleming of the U.S. National Anthem;
the interpretations of Alicia Keyes, Ray Charles, and Elvis Presley of
“America the Beautiful”; and many more.
I have an app called “aSleep”. It also plays sounds that
help you fall asleep faster and more soundly. Included are the sounds of
Rain, Rain and Thunder, Wind, Waves, Water Drops, Waterfall, and many
more. I tried them with the comfortable SleepPhones and they were
effective.
I have another app called CAPTI, which I featured, in an earlier
column/blog. It is a Text-to-Speech technology that is used to read the
“texts” for you by a “natural” voice that you choose – male or female.
When your eyes are tired, you can use this app and listen until it is finished
or until you fall asleep. Again I used this app with CAPTI and it worked
very well.
I also brought the SleepPhones to my gym. I played all the
songs that I connected or linked together for non-stop playing using another
app. This was while I was on the treadmill, the bike and as I use the
weights and other pieces of gym equipment.
Of course, whether at the gym, in the car, at the park or even
in the library, I make sure that the sound tracks that I use are on the AWAKE –
not SLEEP track.
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| AWAKE Track |
It is a pity that I did not get to test this magical and almost
miraculous yet very simple technology product sooner. Time and human
limitations prevented me from getting into it as early as I should have.
But I am making up for lost time.
This app was invented primarily to deal with the sound use of
the allotted 1/3 part of our life. My experience and by many others who
have bought and used it, attest to its usefulness in this arena.
But as I have also tried and tested its features, its usefulness
will prove beneficial while we enjoy the 2/3 part of our life.
I strongly recommend that you get it. As the Washington
Post would say, “if you don’t get it, you just don’t get it!
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