Good news, light sleepers! Smart earplugs now exist.
Hush earplugs are wireless noise-masking earplugs that connect to your smartphone and play soothing sounds, such as white noise, ocean waves and rainfall, for more than 10 hours. Hush connects wirelessly to your smartphone, so sleeping through your alarm isn't an issue; the alarm will go off right in your ears when it's time to wake up.
Invented by three University of California, San Diego students who are all named Daniel (Daniel "Ewok" Lee, Daniel Synn and Daniel "Chesong" Lee), Hush earplugs hit Kickstarter on Nov. 12 with a goal of $100,000. As of Wednesday, the campaign had raised almost $240,000.
The Daniels initially came up with the idea for Hush when their noisy college environment was causing them to lose sleep. They soon realized that smart earplugs could also benefit anyone who travels a lot, sleeps next to someone who snores or is just looking for a little peace and quiet.
"The basic value of Hush is 'block out the world. Hear what you need,'" Daniel "Ewok" Lee told The Huffington Post. "In trying to still let you hear what you need, there was no better interface than your smartphone -- everything that gets to you is channeled through your phone already! It just made sense to tap into that. Also, our earplugs are so small that it would be terrible to have to fumble with buttons on them."
Hush earplugs will retail at about $149, and their estimated delivery is spring 2015. The Daniels are working to make them compatible with more devices.
"Hush is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones with bluetooth 4.0 enabled. We'll eventually be compatible with Windows -- we're just not at a financial stage yet to bring on another Windows phone developer."
Dreaming about that amazing night of sleep yet?
Note: Snoring can be associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes and caused by serious disorders like sleep apnea. If you or your partner is a snorer, consult a doctor.
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Before You Go
The brain disorder, which occurs in about one in every 3,000 people, causes "extreme daytime sleepiness and sudden, irresistible bouts of sleep that can strike at any time," according to the National Institutes of Health.
Surfing the web, checking email or tweeting too close to bedtime, however, can send signals to your brain that disrupt the natural bedtime process and make it harder to drift off.
While many claim falling asleep to the TV helps them nod off, it can actually disrupt the sleep cycle. Your brain will still listen in on subtle changes in volume, even if you're asleep, Phillip Gehrman, Ph.D., CBSM, clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania told The Huffington Post.
That could account for Clooney's trouble staying asleep. "Without question, I wake every night five times," he said.
Whether or not she really meant she'd been awake for a solid 72 hours or simply didn't sleep well three nights in a row, sleep deprivation has real consequences. Among the most frightening is a decrease in reaction time, which, if you're driving, could prove deadly.
Sleep apnea, which occurs when someone temporarily stops breathing during sleep, is more common in people who are overweight and/or have thick necks. At 7'1" and 325 pounds, Shaq certainly fits the bill.
Sleep apnea is often treated with a ventilation therapy known as CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) that requires the snorer to sleep with a Darth Vader-esque mask. Shaq said he planned to wear his every night -- and joked he might wear it out on the town, too.
Reportedly among the ranks of mismatched sleep partners are musician and actor Kevin Jonas and his wife Danielle, according to In Touch Weekly. A friend of the couple said "Kevin and Danielle had never spent a night together until their wedding night, so she had no clue that he snores so loudly. She loves her husband, but now she sleeps in a guest room when he gets too noisy."
Snorers can try sleeping on their sides instead of their backs, using a pillow or a tennis ball sewn into a T-shirt to stop them from rolling over.
That may be true, but Bullock's extreme sleep deprivation could actually hurt little Louis. Severely skimping on sleep has been linked with a greater risk of making serious mistakes in doctors, police officers, truckers and others in positions that require long hours. To ensure you're giving little ones the best care, you need to take care of yourself first.