New £400 headband works out what sounds make sleepers drowsy

New £400 headband could help tackle insomnia by working out what sounds make sleepers drowsy and how they react to them

• The Frenz Brainband is able to work out what sounds make wearer’s drowsy 
• Study finds those with sleep problems doze off 19 minutes faster on average 
• Headband has vast library of content clinically proven to help people fall asleep 

A wearable headband claims to help users go to sleep 56 per cent quicker by monitoring their brain activity in bed.

The £405 Frenz Brainband – invented by a former Oxford professor – is able to work out what sounds make wearer’s drowsy.

A study of 1,000 people by the firm Earable found it helped people suffering from sleep problems doze off 19 minutes faster on average.

Sensors within the device track the user’s brain signals, eye motion, and facial movements to work out how they react to certain sounds.

The £405 Frenz Brainband – invented by a former Oxford professor – is able to work out what sounds make wearer’s drowsy

The headband has a vast library of content clinically proven to help people fall asleep, such as cognitive behavioral therapies and soothing noises.

Whichever the user responds to best to are then played through bone-induction speakers just behind the ear, meaning it is still possible to wear earplugs.

Research by the firm on over ten thousand hours of users’ sleep found the device helped them doze off on average 56 per cent faster.

The headband, which is worn throughout the night, also wakes the user up at the optimal time of their lightest sleep cycle within a selected time frame.

The device – available now for pre-order ready to ship this Spring – won a prestigious innovation award at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week.

The headband has a vast library of content clinically proven to help people fall asleep, such as cognitive behavioral therapies and soothing noises

It is based on nearly a decade’s worth of research by the firm’s founder Tam Vu, who left his job as associate professor at Oxford University early last year after to work full time on the project after receiving £10m in funding.

Mr Vu told the Daily Mail the device is currently focused on helping users get to sleep but in the future could have far wider capabilities in ‘fully unlocking the brain’s potential’.

This could include wearing it in the office, with the headband working out what sounds help you focus better and get you in the right ‘flow’.

He also suggested It could also be worn by children in schools, to work out what sort of teaching each individual responds best to.

He said: ‘Our vision is to make daily advantages of neuroscience accessible to everyone, everywhere through improved sleep quality, enhanced cognitive functions, and unlocked brain power.

‘The device should provide the best sleep quality during the night so that the users can deeply recover and enhance their body and brain capacity and performance during the day.

‘By combining real-time precise tracking and instant personalized stimulation, FRENZ holds the keys to unleash human potential.’

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