Another interesting entry in the Sleep App market! Sleepwave promises a completely different approach to insomnia: focusing on the wakeup time instead of bedtime. This aligns with what we have said about changing when you sleep – focus on setting an appropriate wakeup time rather than trying to go to sleep earlier.
According to the company, a regular alarm, whether a clock or cell phone, goes off at a set time, which may not be the best time for your body. Throughout the night, we move naturally from deeper to lighter sleep. You may have had the experience of waking from a deep sleep because of an insistent alarm. When that happens, it can affect how you feel for many hours. The company claims that their app can detect when you are in a lighter phase of sleep, and set off the alarm then, making it easier to wake up.
The user sets a 15-minute window for the alarm, say 6:00 to 6:15, and the app, using a motion sensor, determines when within the window it will be easiest to wake up.
The motion sensing app is downloaded to a cell phone (available in both Apple and Android versions). You place the phone near your bed so that it can sense motion using an inaudible sound wave, which reflects back depending on your movements while sleeping. When sleep is lighter, the sleeper moves around more, and the app detects these movements. Then, when the preset wakeup time window comes, the app sounds an alarm as movements demonstrate lighter sleep.
Positive Reviews
User reviews claim that waking up is easier with this app, and they feel fresher in the morning and less sleepy during the day. It’s a new development and has only been on the market for about two years, so there is no reliable data generated as yet. However, the approach to easing wake time is innovative and creative, and the system seems promising.
The company says they collect no personal data on users, and the audio data collected by the motion sensor is not transmitted from your phone. Any technological data collected is fully anonymized and cannot be used to identify a user.
We’ll be following this development and hope to provide updates as more data becomes available.
More from MoodSurfing on sleep and technology:
Sleep Apps and Wearable Devices (April 2017)
Insomnia and Technology: Helpful or Not? (August 2019)