If you’re hell-bent on getting some real sleep, that is, 7-9 hours of quality deep REM sleep, (which 70 million of us don’t manage to accomplish), then check out Zeo’s new Personal Sleep Coach.
While solving sleep problems used to involve professional sleep labs and EEG monitors, now a company called Zeo says there device can do the same thing. Basically you wear the SoftWave sensor-equipped Zeo headband at night, which tracks your brain waves and sleep patterns, monitoring whether you’re in Wake, REM, Light or Deep sleep, hour-by-hour throughout the night. We cycle through these phases many times throughout a night with multiple awakenings, most of which we don’t remember. The most refreshing sleep is REM and Deep sleep, and Zeo tries to maximize that time. REM is when you dream and consolidate memories for learning. Deep sleep is when your body secretes human growth hormones and repairs tissue. Both kinds of these sleep phases we need desparately.
When you awake, the handy Zeo Bedside Display shows you how much time you spent in each phase. Additionally, Zeo records all this information on an SD , which you can then upload to Zeo’s website. Zeo software takes it from there, analyzing your sleep patterns and giving you coaching tips on how to sleep better. For example, it might suggest cutting back on caffeine, or improving the environment around which you sleep, or keeping the nosy pet away from the bedroom.
Now the Zeo Personal Sleep Coach is not designed to diagnose formal sleep disorders like sleep apnea. Rather, it’s more for improving sleep conditions which you may not be aware of, but which you can start to recognize and control. The device’s SmartWake alarm clock can be set to get you out of bed at your “natural awakening point,” decreasing the grogginess one feels when waking from Deep sleep. ($399 includes device and 6 months of personal coaching, www.myzeo.com).
