Most sleep tracking apps and wearables can tell you you're sleeping badly (and make you feel inadequate), but don't help you do anything with about it.
That's the problem sleep science company Dreem is hoping to solve with Dreem Coach - a new app that uses professional techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help break bad sleep habits and form better ones.
If you want a really effective sleep solution, you need a deep understanding of the individual person
Hugo Mercier, Dreem
Dreem Coach is an accompaniment for Dreem Band - a lightweight headband equipped with an accelerometer, EEG sensors and a pulse oximeter that gathers information while you doze and extends deep sleep using sound transmitted directly to your inner ear via bone conduction. The band can also detect when you're sleeping lightly and trigger a smart alarm that wakes you when you're ready.
Together, the app and band not only track your vitals, but give you tailored feedback and advice to help you enjoy better quality sleep.
"I look at the sleep apps and see that devices on the market are not that effective," Hugo Mercier, CEO of Dreem, told TechRadar. If you want a really effective sleep solution you need a deep understanding of the individual person."
Personal programs
Dreem Coach is an addition to the app that aims to provide a longer term solution to sleeping problems. First it uses data from the headband to track your sleeping patterns over a week and asks various questions about your lifestyle. After seven nights, the app presents you with your own detailed sleep report and a list of tailored recommendations from a collection of expert programs.
These programs help you take action to tackle specific problems. For example, if you suffer from chronic insomnia, Dreem Coach will suggest an advanced six- or eight-week program that incorporates CBT.
"CBT helps to re-train and educate on sleep," says Mercier. "It costs a lot, and is not very easy to access. Companies have launched digital CBT tools to reproduce it through a mobile app, but people drop out because it's not easy to use.
"With Dreem, we have a really differentiating element in the experience with the headband. A hundred and fifty users have tried the CBT, and the results are incredible. We see that we improve efficiency, and we reduce distraction. "
If your problem is sleep deprivation, Dreem Coach will offer guidance to help you get more shut-eye and take control of your sleep cycle.
If you suffer from bad sleeping habits, Dreem Coach identifies the specific behaviors causing the problem and suggests ways to address them. As Mercier notes, techniques like relaxation and breathing exercises aren't new, but Dreem Coach uses data gathered by Dreem Band to tailor its instructions to your individual needs.
"Dreem shouldn't just be about the Dreem Band - it should be about solving your problem," says Mercier. "It shouldn't just be an app, either; it should be your personal coach."
All new Dreem Headbands come with Dreem Coach, and the tool is available free to existing users.
