Gadgets claim to help you get a good night’s sleep

Published 1:23 pm Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The return to standard time early Sunday morning means we all gain an hour’s sleep.

Fall back, that catchphrase reminder to turn clocks back an hour, results in a minor dose of jetlag.

Even though we get an extra hour of shuteye, the time change still messes with the body’s internal time clock. That means you can expect groggy co-workers Monday. After a day, the biological clocks should reset, experts say.

There are ways to minimize the disruption of the government-mandated time change, said Julia Hu, the CEO of Lark, a new type of alarm clock with a built-in, high-tech sleep monitor.

Experts recommend that people begin to relax about 45 minutes earlier than usual Saturday night. Go to bed a half-hour before your typical week-night bedtime, Hu said.

The body’s rhythms generally adjust to an hour’s time change after 24 hours, she said. Getting a good night’s sleep should put people back on track quickly.

Still, sleep patterns are unique to each person and some people can be thrown way off by something as small as the twice-yearly clock adjustments.

That’s where the high-tech Lark can help.

The Lark includes software that works on an iPhone, a bedside stand to hold and charge the iPhone, and a bracelet that both monitors sleep patterns and vibrates to gently stir people out of sleep. (An Android edition is in the works.)

“It’s a completely silent wake-up,” Hu said.

The result is that people feel less groggy, because they don’t receive the jolt of adrenalin that comes with a ringing bell, or whatever sound other clocks deliver. The Lark also is a good solution for couples, as the silent alarm allows the other person to sleep in, undisturbed.

Lark retails for $99 for a basic alarm clock. People with sleep problems may want to shell out $159 for a pro edition, which tracks sleep patterns and can make recommendations based on the results.

A competitor’s product, Zeo, is similarly priced and outfitted. Zeo uses a headband instead of a bracelet. But tech reviewers said they preferred Lark.

Here’s how the software can help: If a person is a night owl, the Lark can help train the person to fall asleep and wake up earlier, Hu said. People also find out how quickly they fall asleep, how many times they wake up during the night and what the optimal sleeping duration should be.

The software diagnoses sleep-health specifically based on personal sleep patterns. Lark developers worked with sleep experts from Harvard, MIT and Stanford to develop the tool, Hu said.

Compared with a doctor-monitored sleep study, which can cost more than $3,000, Lark seems like a bargain to get some interesting data on sleep patterns.

That alone could help people sleep a bit better.

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3447; jholtz@heraldnet.com.

Resources

Lark is sold at Apple stores and at www.lark.com.

Good sleep habits

• Avoid daytime naps.

• Watch out for stimulants such as coffee or other caffeinated beverages.

• Having a drink of alcohol may make you sleep at first, but when the booze turns to sugar, it can wake you up.

• Get good exercise. Run, bike or swim in the morning or afternoon. Save evening for relaxing exercise such as yoga.

• Don’t have a big meal right before bed. Avoid spicy dishes and remember, chocolate has caffeine.

• Establish a regular bedtime routine.

• Use your bed to sleep. Don’t watch TV, listen to the radio or read.

• A comfortable bed and proper temperature makes a difference.

Source: Sleepfoundation.org.