New York, NY – The office green room has been transformed into a sleeping area. The narrow sofa is equipped with three pillows and a fluffy blanket. I arrived in my most comfortable work loose and cozy red sweater.
I’ve been waiting for this nap all day. The only problem? I can never fall asleep.
Sure, if I get sick I sleep all day, and maybe every other month I fall asleep for a few hours on Friday night to rest before the weekend. But a 20-minute power nap when I have a million things on my to-do list? I can’t be quiet enough for that.
If you’re like me and struggle with napping, you might be interested in Elemind, a wearable headband that uses neural technology to help people fall asleep faster.
The Elemind headband is typically used to promote sleep overnight, but I tried it for a 30-minute mid-afternoon nap.
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Elemind CEO Meredith Perry walked me through the setup process, connecting the headband to the Elemind app and adjusting the device to sit securely on my forehead. The headband induces sleep by emitting acoustic simulations that respond to the user’s brain waves by suppressing alpha waves, which occur when the brain is in a relaxed but awake state. Perry says it doesn’t keep you asleep or adjust your sleep stages, but it does help you fall asleep if you wake up during the night.
The material was comfortable and the fit was comfortable. By the time I laid down I wasn’t paying much attention to it. Once your earplugs and eye mask are in place, you’re ready to sleep. I started hearing modulated vibrations hitting my forehead. It sounded like cricket on a summer night.
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I had to give up some sleep by wearing a headband and committing to a demo. It felt like at least 15 minutes had passed and I hadn’t fallen asleep, but I knew it was a mindful practice. I closed my eyes, let my body feel heavy against the couch, and allowed fleeting thoughts to pass me by. If you weren’t trying to relax, you probably would have reached for your phone (or in this case, just got back to work).
But I began to feel myself falling into a dream, and to my surprise I fell into a light sleep.
When Perry returned to the green room, I didn’t realize how much time had passed. I was more grounded going into the demo, but I was also a gragger. My data reported that I was awake for 22 minutes and fell into light sleep for 10 minutes. I was able to find some zen, but it wasn’t really a nap.
According to Ryan Neely, Elemind’s Vice President of Scientific Research, I have a strong alpha vibration. This is a type of brain wave that occurs when the brain is in a relaxed state but awake.
“Most people start producing this alpha oscillation when their eyes are closed but still awake. It tends to be associated with arousal when you’re trying to fall asleep. ” he says. “There’s some evidence that it’s enhanced in people with insomnia.”
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I was also prone to migraines and felt a tension headache in the late afternoon. I suppressed it with caffeine and ibuprofen. However, Neely says clinical trial participants did not report migraines with headband use. I tend to believe that I sleep for such a short time and just want to go back to sleep.
“If you finally fall asleep and then have to sleep for 10 minutes and wake up again, it’s jarring,” he says.
So Elemind’s goal is to maximize your sleep time so that the time you spend in bed isn’t wasted tossing and turning, Neely explains.
The Elemind HeadBand is available for purchase on their website for $349. Annual memberships to the app start at $6.99 per month and give you access to sleep tracking data. The headband can function with or without the app, so no ongoing subscription is required.
From my experience, I’m not sure if Elemind will benefit my nightly routine. I don’t calm down until after midnight, and my problem is winding down. When my eyes finally close, I’m so tired that it takes me a while to fall asleep. But coming from someone who doesn’t nap, I was impressed that the headband let me sneak in a quick break.