An Alarm Clock That Will Help You Wake Up And Fall Asleep Better This Year
Designing a device that wakes someone up gently so they're not a tyrant in the morning, and helps them get to sleep at night is a challenge that Withings tackled with its new Aura bedside system that uses light and sound to make falling asleep and waking up a lot easier.
By Sadho Ram — 06 Jan 2014, 06:49 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Withings, makers of a popular series of health and fitness gadgets, unveiled a new sleep-tracking gadget called the Withings Aura
This week at CES it announced the Aura, a $299 device designed to help you fall asleep faster, sleep better, and wake up easier.
gizmodo.com
It comes in two parts, one a small pad that goes underneath your pillow to monitor you while you sleep and one a light that sits on your bedside table
The pad senses your heart rate, movements, and breathing, while the light also scans your room for noise, light, and temperature.
theverge.com
The idea here is that the bedside component will offer pre-programmed sound and light options to help you fall asleep and wake up, while also helping build optimal sleep routines based on data the device collects.
gigaom.com
Like plenty of other devices, the Aura collects and shares data with your smartphone, showing you how you slept and what helped or hindered you through the night
But the great-looking, vaguely sci-fi light on your bedside table will also play soothing music to help you fall asleep, and use light and sound to wake you up at the perfect time.
techcrunch.com
Withings says the Aura is constantly adapting to your sleep patterns, even in real time, and will always wake you up at the perfect moment in your sleep cycle
The Aura breaks down sleep cycles: how much time you've spent in light, deep, or the all-important REM sleep.
theverge.com
As for the lamp itself, it's both a sleep aid and a sleek, touch-sensitive lava lamp. The device glows a shade of red to help you get to sleep — Withings says the wavelength of light helps the body generate melatonin — and for waking it shines a glowing blue.
engadget.com
Different shades, from purple to yellow, are available at the user's choice.
gizmodo.com
A standalone iPhone app lets users do things like set wake-up times and view their sleep and environmental data, though the information will also be surfaced in the standard Withings app as well for a bigger picture look at your health (Android compatibility is coming down the line, and the device will be able to connect over legacy Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, or Wi-Fi).
venturebeat.com
The lamp portion of the device can also play music and serves as a standalone alarm clock even if you aren't using your smartphone
The lamp is sensitive to touch, and you can turn the alarm on or off with a tap, and set the time for your next alarm by sliding your finger up the side of the device.
cnet.com
There's a lot of functionality built into the Aura, particularly when you can use it as a replacement for your existing alarm clock, and if helps with getting to sleep as much as Withings claims it could be worth every penny of its $299 price.