sleep

There are a number of technologies on the market aimed at keeping us from falling asleep, especially while behind the wheel, but they usually involve some kind of device affixed to the noggin. Researchers in Japan, however, are working on a protype car seat that senses when you're about to nod off by monitoring pulse, respiration and other physical changes that typically occur 10 minutes before someone falls asleep, according to Pink Tentacle.

Sensors are embedded throughout the seat to detect those changes and, eventually, some kind of alarm system will be included to kick in when Mr. Sandman … Read more

This may seem silly if you haven't experienced parental sleep deprivation, but anyone who's cared for a newborn for any length of time will undoubtedly understand its usefulness. The "Itzbeen Timer" tells you how long it's been (get it?) since a baby's last nap, feeding, diaper change or anything else you're sure to forget a minute later.

Could a pencil and paper do the trick too? Sure, but that assumes you can remember your own name after the first week back from the hospital. In addition to alerting you for each appointed task (… Read more

Once again, a device is determined to keep us awake. But unlike loud and vibrating technologies, this is more of a traditional alarm clock, save for one feature: inspirational messages.

Shiny Shiny says the "Motiwake" is billed as a "personal development MP3 alarm clock"--just look at the giddy pair jumping for joy in the photo. Using such "affirmation pictures," the device is supposed to help change "unhealthy negative habits into more empowering and positive, thoughts, beliefs and outcomes."

Gag. (Did we say that out loud?)

If we didn't know better (and we don't), we might think that narcolepsy was becoming an epidemic. We just mentioned the "Alert Master"--a device that sounds an alarm if your head drops while you're behind the wheel--and now we learn of "MyDo Bururu" from Japan's Vision Optic, a pair of glasses that pretty much does the same thing in or out of the car.

They have an earpiece that vibrates whenever its wearer's head drops below normal conscious angles, an alarm that can be set to four degrees of intensity, … Read more

Snoring can be serious business, whether it involves sleep apnea or spousal wrath. But to date, testing for sleep disorders has often involved a tangle of wires, sensors and face masks applied during an uncomfortable night's stay at a clinic.

Psychologists at the Hiroshima International University want to change all that with an analytical "electronic pillow" that's been given the decidedly Japanese-English name of "Don't You Think?" (We don't get it either, so don't waste any time thinking about it.)

The pillow is equipped with a device that "studies your … Read more

We're not too good at figuring out so-called relaxation devices here at Crave. It's been suggested that we're too tense (or dense) to understand how they work. Not so, we say. It's just that we like to keep our stress relievers simple--like a single-malt scotch, neat.

And to prove it, we're actually going to endorse one of the said gadgets, at least in concept: the "Tranquil Moments Sound Therapy System" from Brookstone (otherwise known as a white-noise machine). Operation of this device is something even we can handle. Press button, get ocean surf. … Read more

We have no interest in using a fold-up keyboard, but we do admit to having an odd curiosity about them--kind of like the way an entomologist studies a beetle, as Raymond Chandler would say. But we digress.

So we're always looking for one that actually seems like something someone would use: not too bulky, impractical or weird-looking. This one from Diatec Japan might at least take care of the first two criteria. The "Papillon FKB66PU" (Papillon!) is a full-size keyboard designed to work with all manner of devices, according to Newlaunches. The only strange feature is an … Read more

So that's the reason: We have an "overactive mind," and that's keeping us awake at night, not the three triple lattes.

This, at least, is the thinking by the people behind "GLO to Sleep," a product designed to cure your insomnia. (Full disclosure: They didn't actually mention the lattes.) GLO is essentially an eye mask lined with glowing bars of "photoluminescent pigment" that supposedly lets you "fall into the relaxed alpha-waved state and eventually into dreamland," according to Chip Chick.

If you're still having trouble nodding off, we … Read more

With the iPod clothing business practically all sewn up (sorry), the cottage industry seems to be turning its sights to the Pottery Barn crowd. But while products like the iCushion appear destined for the living room, the Mi speaker pillows--which come in neck or rectangular shapes--can be taken with you on a plane or car ride. Chip Chick points out that the red cushions even match Bono's iPod color scheme, though Hammacher Schlemmer notes diplomatically that they'll work with any MP3 player too.