Somnox Sleep Robot Review

In the future, no one will have to sleep alone. And thanks to the Somnox Sleep Robot, the future is now. The Somnox Sleep Robot is a sleep aid designed to help you fall asleep faster. About 20% of the population suffers from some sort of sleep problem and Somnox has created a device that helps put you to sleep without the use of supplements or prescription medications. The device is designed to be hugged so that you sleep in the fetal position which helps with breathing and proper neck alignment. The Somnox mimics a slow breathing pattern for you to follow so that you naturally slow your breathing and fall asleep faster.

Overview of the Somnox Sleep Robot

The Somnox is made in the Netherlands and is backed by sound science and research. You can read their white paper here.  It was invented by 4 students at the Robotics Institute at Delft University of Technology. Since its invention, it has gone through multiple design iterations with added features such as white noise and an upgraded app.

Here’s a video of how it all works.

Ordering the Somnox

You can order the Somnox directly through their website. It should arrive in a few weeks and comes in a box like the one below.

With this box you simply slide it out sideways and you will find your robot.

The robot itself isn’t terribly big an is very easy to setup.

The first step is to cover it with the provided machine washable cover. I would advise washing the cover first before attaching. Once the cover is on, you can plug it in to charge. Mine came with some charge but its best to fully charge it before use. Once it is fully charged you can then sync it to the free app provided on Google Play or iTunes.

How Much Does the Somnox Cost?

The sleep robot retails for $599. It comes with a 30-night trial where if it doesn’t work for you, it’s a free return. If you decide to keep it, you are covered under a 2-year warranty. Yes, that’s a lot of money for a little robot but if you take prescription sleeping pills or supplements, this may be a great long term alternative that may actually save you money down the road.

My Somnox Findings

Once your Somnox is set up, you can give it a name and it even comes with its own birth certificate. Since you will be spending a lot of time with your robot, it helps to personalize it.

I already use a white noise machine in my bedroom so using the white noise through the robot wasn’t necessary. My first night using the Somnox I decided not to take my typical sleep supplement which includes melatonin. I wanted to see if the Somnox would be able to at least work as good as an over the counter supplement.

I decided to try inputting my initial breathing rate then my target breathing rate the first night. It worked well and helped my drift off to sleep but I recommend using the adaptive breathing function which will automatically sync with your breath rate and gradually slow it down. At first, it can be hard to not focus on your breathing but eventually, I didn’t even think about it and made it a routine.

It takes about 45 minutes for the Somnox to put you to sleep and then after that it will turn off. No need to hold it throughout the night if you don’t want to. Falling asleep is usually not that hard for me but I often wake up around 3 am to use the bathroom and when I get back into bed, that’s when I start having thoughts that eventually ramp up and prevent me from falling back asleep. This is where I get the most value from Somnox. To restart robot, you just push the power button again and it will help control your breathing and get you back to sleep.

It common knowledge that by slowing our breathing in stressful situations we become more relaxed, less worried. The genius of Somnox is that it trains your body to do this whether you remember to or not. The Somnox Robot app also has a napping and relaxing mode that are designed to train you for controlled breathing along with calming music. It can even be used to help with meditation.

My Somnox Recommendation

The thought of taking a robot to bed with me every night sounded strange at first but after experiencing the benefits, I really understand why it’s such a novel invention. Given all the stressors and stimuli in modern life, it’s a lot to ask for our bodies to just turn it all of when we switch off the bedroom lights. Somnox is a way to bring our breathing and our bodies into a relaxed rhythm and help block out the world so that we can get our best sleep, naturally.

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