Get a good night with a soundscape, meditation or story
The latest things in sound therapy technology can also track your sleep, writes Gaby Soutar
Disclaimer: I’m not the sort of person who can fall asleep listening to music. However, I know that lots of people need something to distract them from the insomniac mind chatter.
They’d be most interested in the latest Philips Sleep Headphones by Kokoon, rather than Ms Complete Silence Please.
Anyway, I appreciate that these are quite the gadget.
They loop round the back of your head, with a soft controller that sits at your nape. The idea is that you can’t feel them, and they stay put, even if you are a side sleeper.
Indeed, they’re so lightweight and comfortable, and come with five sizes of soft earbuds – all of which are the thinnest in the world, apparently – to suit every lug hole.
When mine arrives, I charge the device up using its lead, then download the Kokoon app. As a technophobe, this is easy. Essentially, you then choose your soundscape, meditation, coaching or story from their library, and play.
You can also layer these sounds, or use music from your own collections or other apps.
The headphones sense when you conk out, and fade the sound out accordingly.
You then have the option for them to go silent, or play white, pink or brown noise (all of which stimulate the brain’s alpha and delta waves), among other colourful sounds.
I especially enjoy the simple noise of waves crashing onto the beach, or rain falling.
The sound quality is eerily good. In fact, there’s one track that is based on a house in the jungle, including creaking floorboards. I have to take one bud out, to check for intruders, because it sounds so real.
If you don’t want to use these headphones overnight, there are plenty of guided meditations, for a bit of daily Zen.
I haven’t yet got to grips with other sophisticated features. The headphones monitor sleeping patterns, thanks to accelerometers and an optical heart rate monitor. In the morning, the Kokoon app reveals when you were in REM, light or the deep phases of shuteye. All of which makes a fancy piece of kit, for those who find sound soporific.
Philips Sleep Headphones available from the Kokoon website for £284.99 and Amazon UK for £200. For further information, see www.sleepheadphone.com