sleep

Off-topic: When you sleep says a lot about you

I've always been a morning person, though my current work often has me up late on my computer. I was therefore glad to read that my sleep preferences may actually have much to do with my personality and, indeed, my psychology, according to this research (or as reviewed here).

[The] results offer new evidence that morning and evening types think differently. Early risers prefer to gather knowledge from concrete information. They reach conclusions through logic and analysis. Night owls are more imaginative and open to unconventional ideas, preferring the unknown and favoring intuitive leaps on their way to reaching conclusions. Social behavior diverges as well: Morning people are more likely to be self-controlled and exhibit "upstanding" conduct; they respect authority, are more formal, and take greater pains to make a good impression....Evening people, by contrast, are "independent" and ?nonconforming,? and more reluctant to listen to authority....

I've tried to be an evening person. Unfortunately, I remain staid and predictable:… Read more

'SleepTracker' watch knows when to wake you

We're not sure if we believe all its marketing claims but, if half of them are true, this watch is well worth the $179 it's going for.

As its name implies, the "SleepTracker Pro," monitors your nocturnal patterns so it can sync up with your sleep cycle, according to ProductDose. Then, when you program it to awaken you within a particular 90-minute window (or less), it will gently rouse you with its vibrating mechanism.

This last feature is an important distinction from the previously released standard version, which offered only a rude ringing alarm, as well … Read more

Head to head, in bed: Snoozester and Sleep.FM

I just saw today two companies that help you wake up. Stay with me, here.

First up: The dumbest idea of the year, Snoozester. You pay a monthly fee or buy credits, and then the system will call your phone and wake you up. That's right: Your phone. That device you keep by the bed. The one with an alarm clock built in to it.

In Snoozester's defense, it will try harder to wake you up that your phone will: There's an option that will force you to indicate you're awake by pressing a specific key. … Read more

Alarm clock blues

It's 6:20 a.m. "Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Slam." Sleep in peace for 9 more minutes, then repeat.

There has to be a more humane way to wake up. My snoozing habits drive my husband crazy, and unexpected power outages have ruined my morning ritual more than once.

I tried waking up to Howard Stern's radio show years ago, figuring that it'd definitely wake me up because the stuff he says would never naturally make its way into my early-morning dreams. When it eventually did, I went back to the traditional jarring beeps. … Read more

How to stay awake and not look like a borg

There are many technologies either on the market or being developed that are meant to keep us from falling asleep at the desk or behind the wheel (or even more embarrassing circumstances that we dare not speculate). But this one, unlike some of the others, doesn't look like a Groucho disguise or a steel plate sticking out of your head. The "Wake-Up Angel" appears to be going for the hearing-aide look with an over-the-ear design.

As with other products, it can be set to vibrate your awake depending on the angle you choose, according to GeekAlerts. Personally, … Read more

More crashing waves to make us drowsy

Forget the mousetrap--some inventors are apparently obsessed with building a better sleep machine instead. Or, in this case, a "travel sleep sound generator" called "Sound Oasis."

The latest example of white-noise machines, as we used to call them, tries to raise the bar yet again with all manner of sleep-inducing sounds (18 altogether). This one's product literature includes such marketing gibberish as "a patent-pending sound designed to combat jet lag using non-linear music and slowed nature sounds that encourage relaxation and can reset the body's internal clock." Our translation: They've added … Read more

Local Cooling makes your PC chill

If you tend to zone out and leave your computer on to suck energy needlessly, Local Cooling (download it from CNET Download.com) helps you tell your Windows XP beast when to rest, giving the electric company a break, too. I've been using this free download on two PCs for a couple of weeks. It lets you time automatic snoozes or shutdowns for precise periods of neglect (also see Earth2Tech). Use Vista? Check out this battery saver.

By bringing hidden details about consumption to the surface, Local Cooling encourages you to relax your energy usage with little effort. Otherwise … Read more

'Sound therapy' mask is off key

It may surprise many readers, but it's been brought to our attention that some people think Crave can be somewhat sarcastic in our gadgetry observations. For the record, we honestly don't derive any kind of sadistic pleasure from denigrating products (there are so many more fun ways to do that).

But once in awhile, along comes something like the "TheraSpa Sound Therapy Eyeshades" as seen on Uber-Review, and we just can't help ourselves. We're not even sure where to begin, so let's just start with shades' own description by Brookstone, which says they &… Read more

An ultra-bright night light?

We're resigned to the inexplicable ubiquity of LEDs, especially when they have absolutely no practical use. But we must draw the line when it comes to our children: Why, for example, would anyone want to use LEDs in a night light?

Granted, light-emitting diodes use much less power than standard bulbs, but they're also consistently touted by manufacturers for their ultra-bright illumination. And C. Crane's "LED Night Light" is no exception.

The last time we checked, night lights were generally used to cast a soft glow that allows children to sleep when they're still … Read more