Finally, A 'Sleep Hat' To Help Fight Insomnia

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A sleep aid in the form of a hat has been invented to help put insomniacs to sleep.

The Sleep Shepherd hat is a device that lulls its wearer to slumber by playing tones that are supposed to slow the brain waves. The brain waves are measured via a sensor monitor while the tones play on two speakers found on the earflaps of the hat.

"The device's Virtual Hammock Technology induces a rhythmic pulse by utilizing the natural workings of the brain's auditory center," the company wrote on their website. "The pulse you 'hear' when wearing the Sleep Shepherd is actually your brain deciphering the difference in frequency between the two tones that are played into either ear."

The company states that the device is an "all-natural approach" to helping insomniacs sleep at night or when they need to without the aid of sleeping drugs.

A Harvard doctor found the device helpful and innovative as he found sleep from using it.

"The Sleep Shepherd is definitely causing me to sleep much, much deeper than I ever have before," and "I've found the Sleep Shepherd to be very comfortable and easy to use. It helped on the first night I tried it," the doctor said via a press release. "Probably the best sleep I have had in a long time."

However, not everyone was sold on the sleeping hat. A reviewer from CNET found the buzzing to be distracting to which he says even increases the sound of his air conditioner. He says that the brain sensor does work because it plays again in the hopes of putting him back to sleep.

The Amazon page for the Sleep Shepherd contains a mix of positive and bad reviews with customers actually sleeping because of it and for some who found it does nothing for them and continue to be afflicted by insomnia.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that renders a person unable to fall asleep or stay asleep. According to the Sleep Foundation, it is a complicated condition where lack of sleep can cause a person to experience low energy, fatigue, concentration difficulties, mood swings and low performance at work or at school.

About 10 percent of American citizens experience chronic insomnia while more than 1/4 experience lack of sleep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, insufficient sleep is associated with numerous serious health conditions and diseases. This includes depression, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.