How do you sleep? Do you wake up a lot in the night? Do you toss and turn? Do you sleep as if you were among the dead? Do you sleep on your side? On your back? Facedown? If you want to know the true nature of your personal sleep patterns, say hello to Zeo!
Zeo is a very cool device that actually charts how you sleep during the night. Using sensors in the accompanying headband, Zeo tracks how long and what percentages of the night you are in the different stages of sleep. What are the different stages? These include: Wake (I guess there are times you wake up at night and don’t realize it), Light Sleep, Deep Sleep, and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) a phase that contribute to “overall mental health, mood and ability to learn and retain knowledge” (from page 15 of the Zeo booklet).
So, after you get all the data, the percentages, and the graph of your night’s sleep, what do you do? You remove the SD card from the side, plug it into the USB drive that comes with the Zeo, and upload the data onto your sleep profile at myZeo.com.
Obviously, one night with the Zeo won’t cut it. You have to use it up to week to get a useful look at how you sleep on an average night. Once you’ve compiled all the information, myZeo.com then helps you design an effective sleep program, based on your Sleep Trends, that will meet your needs and enable you to get the sleep you need.
Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? But if you have trouble sleeping through the night, feel tired even after eight or more hours of sleep, and don’t want to resort to sleeping pills or being hit over the head with a frying pan (not recommended), then the Zeo may be something helpful for you.
The one issue I had was with the headband. It was hard to get used to having the sensor strapped to my head, and there were a few times that I took it off in the middle of the night because I became annoyed by it (this will negate any data collected up to that point). If you have never slept in headgear, or don’t like the idea of having something on your forehead all night long, this may not be the product for you.
And how much is it? Drum roll, please. The Zeo: Personal Sleep Coach retails at $249. For $100 more, you can get the Zeo and your own Personal Sleep Coach, plus a magazine. So, in the end, I guess you have to ask yourself if the price of the Zeo is worth finding out how better to achieve a good night’s sleep.
But, is it useful and will it help with the overall quality of your sleep and well-being? More than likely. My only issue with the Zeo is the price. While it serves a very good and educational purpose, I wish that it weren’t so expensive. Hopefully, the price for this helpful tool will come down in the coming months in order to reach a wider sleep-curious audience.