Adam Lowe
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Have trouble sleeping? Soundasleep has launched a new pillow and accompanying app designed to help even the most restless of sleepers get to the Land of Nod.
The high-tech Bluetooth pillow is combination of sound system and luxury pillow. This makes it a perfect gift for those into mindfulness, learning, podcasts, music or audio books; for those with chronic illness and sleeping problems; or even for couples who want to limit snoring.
A better night’s sleep
The free soundasleep app gives you access to features including a sleep tracker (save yourself money on a Fitbit), a smart alarm and a snore management function. It also includes a range of sounds and music to help you fall asleep.
Even better for the health-conscious among you: it also helps you monitor your intake of things that affect sleep, including alcohol (which can help you nod off but usually makes sleep quality worse), caffeine (which keeps you awake), exercise (which can help you fall asleep if at least four hours before bedtime) and stress (ubiquitous in this day and age).
Together, this blend of features can help you improve sleep hygiene and figure out exactly what impacts your sleep and how.
A selection of meditation, natural sounds, white noise and sleep aid tracks can be played through the pillow to promote a restful environment. You can pick the sound that best suits you and your personality – from ocean waves to a vacuum cleaner.
Get up on the right side of bed
You’ll also wake up peacefully, with a smart alarm playing your chosen track through the Bluetooth speaker. Waking up the right way is so very important – because being jolted awake can set the mood for the rest of the day.
Many sleep specialists agree that the time you wake up is more important than the time you go to bed. Provided all other sleep hygiene habits are in place, setting an alarm in the morning helps a healthy body adjust to its new waking time. This will in turn make sure you get sleepy at the right time in the evening so that you can get a decent night’s sleep.
This is a natural way to find your optimal number of hours sleeping. Going to bed when you’re not tired is one sure fire way to ensure a poor night’s sleep.
Bedroom benefits
No one likes a snorer. As an asthmatic, I sometimes snore, but my partner has to get up at 6am to work as a gardener – so a snoring bedfellow is not what he needs.
With an alarm triggered by decibel levels, the app will safely wake you if you start snoring too loudly, without waking your partner up in the process.
The pillow is also compatible with apps Calm and Headspace, if you want to try their features too.
Entertainment and education
The Bluetooth speaker in the pillow can channel your favourite podcasts, audiobooks or music from your connected devices. You could even fall asleep to a language-learning program to help you pick things up while you snooze.
The pillow is compatible with thousands of apps, including Spotify, BBC Sport, Milkshake, Apple Music and Amazon Alexa.
Comfort
Audiobooks help many insomniacs get to sleep. The sounds of someone reading reminds us of bedtime stories, and that can be a comfort while we try to let go of the day’s worries.
But the soundasleep pillow also offers physical comfort too: its quilted microfibre cover has a luxury soft and silky finish. Your sleepover buddies will be well jel!
The soundasleep pillow is the perfect gift for music lovers, families, snorers, insomniacs, pregnant women, or those simply looking to improve their sleep. It costs £50 and is available online at soundasleeppillow.co.uk.