the somnox sleep robot mirrors breathing patterns to help you nod off

a soft robotic pillow promises to help users fall asleep by mimicking breathing patterns. the somnox sleep robot, which has been developed by a team from tu delft, is designed to be cuddled like a teddy bear, helping to induce a slow, regular rhythm of breathing.

images courtesy of somnox

the somnox sleep robot uses c02 sensors that collect data to determine whether the user is alseep or awake. it then uses this information to automatically adapt its own breathing rates to the user’s, gradually lowering this rate over time. it is based around research that calm breathing relaxes the amygdala — the fear center of the brain — making it less sensitive to stress hormones.

according to sleephealth.org, at least 25 million americans suffer from sleep problems — that’s 1 in 5 adults. these problems include difficulty initiating sleep, frequent awakenings and early morning awakenings, which can have a large impact on people’s quality of life.

‘by synchronizing your breathing rhythm to that of the sleep robot, you will reach a steady and slower breathing rhythm,’ says somnox. ‘this deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in your body, because it will send a message to your brain with the command to relax your body. this will result in a good and long night’s sleep.’

the somnox sleep robot also uses soothing sounds to lul its users to sleep. it pairs with an android or iOS application where users can set the sounds and breathing exercises to their own preference.

‘knowing about sleep is nice and there are plenty of products out there that help track your sleep, but it’s time for a device like the sleep robot that actually does something to help you get to sleep, ‘ said somnox co-founder, julian jagtenberg. ‘we need to create a sleep ecosystem; including data streams, hardware and services. with somnox we aim to collaborate with forward thinking parties towards this ecosystem and help everyone sleep better.’

project info

company: somnox

product: somnox sleep robot

price: $ 599.00

developed by: tu delft