SleepPhones™ from AcousticSheep

To Sleep...Perchance to Dream...

We returned from the CEA Line Show having seen some interesting and innovative products. Among them, a simple but effective aide for a common problem we all face at one time or another – trouble sleeping.

At the end of the day, sleep is what I want but thoughts and ideas are what I get. My answer is to meditate.  I found that to get to that place of total relaxation it helps me to have the right soundtrack as a guide. Recordings with a binaural tone do the trick for me. It is, however, quite awkward – to try to sleep with earphones stuck in my ears. lavender SleepPhones


AcousticSheep, LLC, a Pennsylvania eco-friendly and socially conscious company introduced SleepPhones™ Pajamas for your Ears. Developed by Wei-Shin Lai, MD a family physician that experienced problems going back to sleep after late night patient calls. Her husband suggested listening to binaural beat frequencies that drive brain activity into a specific brain state. This, however, can only be achieved using stereo headphones.


The dilemma – how to listen to the sounds comfortably all night? Let’s face it, even really good earbuds or earphones can become a little bothersome when worn for 8 hours while trying to sleep.

Having a similar situation in that I enjoy listening to meditation music at night to get me and keep me asleep, I have gone through many sets of earbuds and earphones. I was looking forward to using the SleepPhones™. sleepphone_system.jpg

The SleepPhones ™ came in an eco-friendly paper bag labeled with a sleeping lamb wearing headphones. In the bag is a 21” soft stretch fleece band in a lovely lavender color (don’t worry guys, it also comes in grey and black) with pockets for two 32 Ohms 20kHz speakers and a 48” cord with a ⅛” stereo plug that plugs into your MP3 player, IPod or almost all audio devices.

The system is useful for drowning out other noises such as snoring (his not mine) or ambient traveling ruckus.  It even plugs into the audio channel on an airplane, assuming that your airline still provides music (or anything else for that matter). Pull the headband down over your eyes and presto – a sleep mask.

thats_not_us.jpgThe headband is snugly and comfortable, which will be great in cold weather. The only issue I had was how warm the headband is during the summer. [Note to AcousticSheep: maybe something in an open netting or weave for warmer weather?]

As for acoustics, surprisingly good. Excellent in fact. The compact speakers are full range and when snuggled comfortably on your ears, deliver a clean, precise sound experience.

Packaging on our review set was definitely geared to the female demographic. Besides all of the cuddly sheep imagery, the contents even included a lovely aromatic sachet. This might not scream ‘manly’ to your guy, but be careful, if he tries them you may have a hard time getting them back. My husband gave them a whirl and couldn’t stop talking about how good the acoustics were….and he’s very fussy about his tech.
black_sleepphones.jpg

My testing of the SleepPhones was a very positive experience. They deliver not only excellent audio but also exceptional comfort.

Sheep everywhere should take note!
 


scared_sheep.jpgI would give the SleepPhones product 4 out of 5 sheep…uh stars. The only thing that would make it better were if it were wireless….but that would add to cost!

The company calls them Pajamas for yours Ears; I say they are a Lullaby For Your Mind.

SleepPhones™ available in lavender, grey or black. -  $54.95

SleepPhones System includes a Natural Sound CD with binaural technology and a lavender sachet. -  $64.95