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हिन्दी We’d like to tell you about the most promising global crowdfunding project introduced this week – NightBuds, smart earbuds for better sleep and relaxation. Their developers claim that these earbuds will allow users to enjoy “intellectual” sounds to improve their sleep and start enjoying it again. NightBuds are tiny earbuds (5.4 mm compared to 16.2 mm EarPods, three times smaller) with a sleep detection feature that work in tandem with an app that monitors your nighttime relaxation. The NightBuds project launched the crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter 4 days ago, on November 5, raising 782 423 dollars worth of funding with an initial funding target of 26 359 dollars. 4500+ investors have already supported the project.
Developers claim that these earbuds were developed under supervision from sleep specialists, and they will naturally transform the practice of sleeping and relaxation with sound alone. The earbuds are set to reduce stress, calm overactive thinking (for people who can’t fall asleep due to intrusive thoughts), stop snoring, make you forget about loud neighbors and create the perfect peaceful atmosphere to make it possible to enjoy sleeping. Here are some key characteristics and advantages of NightBuds:
- Comfort — the earbuds are soft and tiny, perfect for people who sleep on their sides. They are inserted deep into the wearer’s ears using a patented five-point locking system.
- Adaptive audio — special sleep sensors determine when you’re sleeping, leaving a bookmark where you stopped listening to music, audios, podcasts, books, and so on, and then softly reduce volume until the sound stops completely. The earbuds support audio streaming from services such as Spotify, Apple Music, SaundCloud, Youtube, Audible.
- Sleep training — developed by sleep scientists, these earbuds track your sleep patterns and offer personalized recommendations, ideas, and advice for improving your sleep.
- Immersive 4D audio — the new technology makes it possible to literally immerse yourself into sounds.
- Uninterrupted, restful sleep — the earbuds are equipped with a smart noise reduction system, which means that passive noise reduction can conceal snoring, loud neighbors, transport sounds, and so on.
Additionally, the earbuds can also be used in standard mode, for listening to music and answering calls at home, in the office, outside, and at work, because they are equipped with a microphone and BlueTooth technology.
Earbuds development
NightBuds were developed over the past 18 months. During this time, developers tested a series of prototypes, gradually reducing the size of the earbuds for maximum comfort. In terms of technical features, in order to keep the earbuds as small and thin as possible, its creators decided to move the battery, USB-C port, and electronic elements from the earbuds into a small flat module located on the back of the wearer’s head. The earbuds are connected to the module with an electric cable shaped like a flat spring, which also prevents the earbuds from shifting and adapts them to the wearer’s head.
NightBuds also employ a PPG sensor located in the right earbud, which collects information about sleep quality and transfers the data to the linked app. PPG (photoplethysmogram) is an optical sensor used to measure changes in blood flow via infrared light directed on the surface of the user’s skin. PPG can be used to measure pulse and heart rate variability, which is correlated with physical, mental, and emotional stress.
Using data from sensors on NightBuds, the app analyzes sleep and creates a daily report including sleep efficiency, duration, and quality. Based on this comprehensive sleep report, the app identifies the elements that improve or harm the user’s sleep and provide tangible recommendations to improve sleep quality.
How exactly can sounds improve sleep quality?
Sounds are one of the most popular methods for relaxing and falling asleep – no wonder children fall asleep to lullabies that can often affect even adults. Sleep and sounds can work well together when used with care – to suppress external noise, distract, and relax.
Noise suppression
Technically, a louder sound environment created by constant rhythmic sounds can influence the mind in the same way as a calm environment. Sleep is disturbed not by sound on its own, but by irregular sounds, like snoring or barking dogs. These sounds harm our sleep patterns even if they don’t wake us up: the creators of NightBuds promise that the sounds emitted by their earbuds can suppress and drown out these “bad sounds”, giving your mind steady, regular noise throughout the entire night to improve your sleep quality.
Distraction
As soon as we get into bed, our mind starts wandering off-course, going through memories and plans for the next day. Thinking too much interferes with your sleep, while the creators of NightBuds believe that listening to audiobooks and/or podcasts has the opposite effect! Of course, you should have the right setup, with the proper sound and rhythm, which can be set in the app that is linked to the earbuds. In this case, podcasts and audiobooks can distract you from internal monologues, and the earbuds are automatically turned off as soon as you fall asleep.
Relaxation
There is a series of practical methods that can calm down your mind: guided meditations, for example, slow down your brain waves from beta (the wave frequency that corresponds to wakeful activity) to stable alpha waves, preparing your mind and body for rest. If you’re nervous or stressed, NightBuds can fight these conditions with positive visualizations or affirmations that stabilize your brain waves, breathing, and heart rate.
Soundscapes
Finally, developers claim that the soundscapes offered in the NightBuds app are the best solution for improving sleep quality. They offer distraction, masking disturbing sounds with stable rhythms like waves, water, or whale songs; they relax your mind, by linking the natural world with your mental landscape.