Blogging Wired: Can Software Help You Sleep

The gentle sound of waves lapping up on the beach. When we were on vacation a couple of years ago this sound helped us get some of the best sleep we have ever experienced. Although the real thing is great, there is no shortage of cd's featuring the wind or chirping birds that are meant to do the same thing, but is this good enough? Wired has recently written about some computer programs that are intended to help improve sleep.

Apparently, software such as Pzizz uses an algorithm that combines different data files to create a soundtrack for specific sleep goals. Does this work? Doctors are skeptical, but admit that specific cues have a big effect on our sleep. Things like the routine you follow before going to bed mean very specific things to our brains. So playing music, computer customized or not, really can have an effect...as long as it is something that is consistently associated with going to sleep.

- via Wired

Comments (1)

I remember summer 05 - fall 05, I had a graveyard schedule. Of course a quiet room, a pitch black room and telemarketer off-hours were luxuries I didn't even think of being able to afford, so I did the next big thing. I went to sleep with music, in particular Ministry of Sound: The Chillout Sessions Volume 7, Disc 1. For a good 5 months I'd just do whatever I needed to do in the morning, popped the disc in repeat and as soon as I hit song #5-7 I was deep asleep. Also during winter, for a few nights I'd put my iTunes to Coldplay in very low volume and drift to sleep. I don't think it was a miraculous change or the best way to sleep for everyone for eternity, but it worked and strangely enough I still hear a few of the songs in the MOS COSV7 cd and feel VERY VERY sleepy and relaxed. I can't help but being reminded of the dog/meat/bell behavioral experiment, but when you don't have any other choice, a good night (or day's) sleep is so much more delicious than meat. I'll try the software and see how it worked.

posted by Djluckyonline on July 16th 2007 at 12:38pm
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