02-03-2014, 12:19 AM
I just want to chip in with two technological aids to sleeping better:
http://www.sleepcycle.com
First is a smartphone app called "Sleep Cycle". You place the phone by your pillow each night (and turn off its wifi etc) and by using the phones gyrometre, it "watches" you sleep. Your body moves differently according to which phase of sleep you are in (light, REM, or deep dreamless). After 5 days it configures itself to know what your sleep rhythm is like, and then you can set an alarm window.
The main feature of the app is that it will only ring the alarm when you're in your "light" sleep phase, so you won't be interrupted in the deep sleep phase and wake up feeling terrible. So you could set the window for "between 6 and 6:30 am" and since the app is "watching you", it'll wait until you're at a light-phase and wake you up then.
The app also saves all the data and produces some pretty good graphs, of how long you sleep each night, the time you go to bed, etc. I used this app for a while and i found it really helpful (but i admit my sleep is all screwed up these days and I need to fix it again :/)
The app can also measure your resting heartrate (which you're supposed to measure just after waking) by using your phone's camera and flash. It lights up the flash, and you cover it with your finger for a few seconds, the flash shines through your finger and the camera can see the blood circulate and count your heartrate.
http://justgetflux.com
The second app is called Flux, and it has to do with the whole discussion about computer screens tricking your body into thinking it's still day-time when it's actually evening. Computer screens emit blue light but light becomes orange in the evening. The app automatically (and progressively) changes the tint of your monitor as evening and night falls, to change the natural tint from blue to orange. It feels more pleasant and less glare-ish. Might want to be a bit careful when painting though.
http://www.sleepcycle.com
First is a smartphone app called "Sleep Cycle". You place the phone by your pillow each night (and turn off its wifi etc) and by using the phones gyrometre, it "watches" you sleep. Your body moves differently according to which phase of sleep you are in (light, REM, or deep dreamless). After 5 days it configures itself to know what your sleep rhythm is like, and then you can set an alarm window.
The main feature of the app is that it will only ring the alarm when you're in your "light" sleep phase, so you won't be interrupted in the deep sleep phase and wake up feeling terrible. So you could set the window for "between 6 and 6:30 am" and since the app is "watching you", it'll wait until you're at a light-phase and wake you up then.
The app also saves all the data and produces some pretty good graphs, of how long you sleep each night, the time you go to bed, etc. I used this app for a while and i found it really helpful (but i admit my sleep is all screwed up these days and I need to fix it again :/)
The app can also measure your resting heartrate (which you're supposed to measure just after waking) by using your phone's camera and flash. It lights up the flash, and you cover it with your finger for a few seconds, the flash shines through your finger and the camera can see the blood circulate and count your heartrate.
http://justgetflux.com
The second app is called Flux, and it has to do with the whole discussion about computer screens tricking your body into thinking it's still day-time when it's actually evening. Computer screens emit blue light but light becomes orange in the evening. The app automatically (and progressively) changes the tint of your monitor as evening and night falls, to change the natural tint from blue to orange. It feels more pleasant and less glare-ish. Might want to be a bit careful when painting though.
- Sketchbook - seeking critique & feedback
- Instagram.com/aks9art