This past week at TEDMED the Medgadget editors did not get too much sleep, so when we heard that a new sleep-improvement device has come on the market we decided to learn more.
Turns out we had covered this one for the first time back in November. Known as the Re-Timer, the device consists of a pair of goggles with four green light-emitting diodes that are meant to simulate natural sunlight and influence your circadian rhythm. It was invented by Leon Lack, a professor at Flinders University in Australia who has a number of sleep-research citations to his name, according to a quick PubMed search. The press release describes that the Re-Timer can be:
…worn at different times of the day, depending on the user’s sleep requirements. To advance the body clock, causing a user to fall asleep earlier, the Re-Timer should be worn for 50 minutes shortly after waking up. If a user needs to fall asleep later, or delay the body clock, the device should be worn for 50 minutes before going to bed. It’s recommended that the Re-Timer be used a total of three times per week for a shift in the body block to be fully recognized.
In terms of use cases, the Re-Timer website provides examples of how it can help frequent flyers overcome jetlag and people with chronic sleep problems reset their rhythms.
We’ll add this to our list of sleep-devices to try. Keep your eyes open for an interview with one of Re-Timer’s leaders and a review of the product.
Flashback: Re-Timer Stylishly and Safely Resets Circadian Rhythms
Re-Timer website…