The Zeo Sleep Manager Helps You Get Your Zzz’s

The Zeo Sleep Manager gives new meaning to asking someone what their sleep number is! I swear if you ask the universe for something, it’ll come bouncing in if you really need it. I was complaining the other day that I was waking up exhausted every morning, and before I could say “zzzs,” the Zeo showed up at my door, ready to be reviewed and (hopefully) ready to fix my Rip-Van-Winkle challenges. We all know that rest is key to good health and fitness, so I was eager to nip my sleeping issues in the bud.

Here’s how it works: You put the funny-looking band on your forehead at night, download the free Zeo app (for both iPhones and Androids), set the app for sleep mode and then catch some zzzs. While you sleep, the app receives microvoltages from your noggin; capturing your wake, deep, light, and REM sleep stages. Based on the amount of time you spend in those stages, you’re given a sleep number that can help you start the journey to better sleep.

If you’re like me, you’ll wake up in the morning, race over to your phone and eagerly search for your sleep number. I usually get at least seven hours of sleep, but I’m always tired. Turns out, I wasn’t hitting the REM and deep sleep numbers I should. In fact, my sleep score was a mere 67. How cool is it that a little doo-hickey that sits on your forehead can tell you all that?!

Who likes good-quality sleep and has two thumbs? This girl.

If that wasn’t enough, Zeo then suggested things I could do to improve my sleeping patterns: when to drink coffee, when to stop working, when to stop playing on Facebook at night…yada, yada. And it worked! I found myself becoming more aware of when I drank coffee (nothing after 3 p.m.!), and I made sure to relax and release any and all stressful thoughts or activities at least an hour before bed time. (Translation: I’m no longer allowed to watch scary ghost shows before bed. Works for me! Not so much for my deranged boyfriend.) My sleep scores jumped noticeably; I even got a 100 on my best night of sleep.

Not only does Zeo coach you to better sleep, but it also uses snazzy technology to wake you at the best time. Called SmartWake, the alarm will gently wake you at the optimal point of your sleep cycle (if you so choose to use the feature). I got to test the feature out on the weekend, and it worked pretty darn well. During my work week the SmartWake was off limits…I have to use mean, violent alarms then or I’ll never get out of bed.

There were some challenges at the beginning, though. I didn’t know if I could keep the headpiece loose on my forehead at night, so I kept that puppy tight and woke up in the morning with an unsightly forehead mark that didn’t go away for three hours. (The people at my office got a kick out of that!) I managed to find a comfortable setting later on, but it was still a bit weird to sleep with something on my forehead. I had my guy try it out, and he ended up chucking it halfway through the night. (Apparently he has a sensitive forehead that doesn’t respond well to bands.)

It’s all a means to an end, if you ask me. I was willing to wear the Zeo even through the slight weird discomfort if it meant I’d have more energy during  the day, which I did! At $99, it’s not a bad deal, either. Those who experience peaceful sleep won’t understand that, but those who wake up tired every morning like I used to do will think it’s a steal!

Are you a restful sleeper? Would you track your sleep with a device like this? —Tish