This is because light-and especially the blue light from screens-can mess with the circadian rhythms that regulate your sleep cycle. Wellness experts often recommend that you get off your devices at least an hour or so before you hit the hay. I enforced electronics rules in the bedroom… So far, I’m consistently hitting the mark, and (please don’t let this be a jinx!) I haven’t gotten sick, I’m feeling cheerful, and I haven’t come to blows with any relative (yet). I am determined to get at least seven hours of sleep each night. With that in mind, I decided not to go through the busy/stressful holiday season vulnerable to the pitfalls of sleep deprivation. The good news is, if you can head off this whole sleep-well scenario in advance, research shows that when you do face stress, you’ll likely be able to stay positive and manage it better. Finally, research shows that inadequate sleep can weaken your immune system, leaving you vulnerable to the sneeze your airplane seat-mate just showered you with. They also report feeling more sadness, and lack of sleep is associated with depression, which won’t help you deal with the already emotional time of year. Sleep-deprived people are often more irritable (duh), which can lead to situations like…blowing up at your sister’s husband over politics at the dinner table. That’s a problem, and not just because you don’t want to be falling asleep in your egg-nog while everyone else is rocking around the Christmas tree. The SmartSleep will be available to pick up for $399.99, and we'll be looking to test out the contraption when it launches later this spring.This post is written in partnership with PhilipsĬombine the season’s many high-stress tasks (finding perfect gifts, hosting parties, roasting large birds) with jet lag and long nights spent in strange hotels or pull-out sofas, then multiply by a heap of family drama, and it’s easy to see how getting enough restorative sleep this time of year just doesn’t add up. Startup Rythm released its Dreem headset last summer, which, like Philips, aims to stimulate your brain and lengthen your deep sleep cycles with sounds. Even the guy modelling the SmartSleep above has questions, you can sense it in his uneasy smile.Īnyway, as we know, this also isn't the first sleep aid that has opted for the whole intricate headband design. I mean, look at this thing - it's like someone has turned a baseball cap backwards and cut off the top. If you are, the headband's speakers begin filtering in soft tones in a repeating pattern, something Philips indicates will help bring you a solid night of sleep.Īccording to the company, 70% of people who had sleep problems and tried the SmartSleep for two weeks noted feeling less tired.Īnd while Philips itself seems confident in its ability to improve the z's of those donning the device, we do have some reservations about the design. The Philips SmartSleep, unveiled at CES 2018 this week, uses built-in sensors attached to the forehead in order to detect brain activity, which then shares data with the connected mobile app to determine whether you're in deep sleep. Most s leep trackers simply monitor your night and give you a breakdown of your activity, but a new headband from Philips will use sound to alter your sleep for the better.