I read the pitch over and over again, and with each reading it seems a little more sinister:
SnorePro which uses its proprietary Dynamic Snore Detection (DSD) technology to precisely detect snores and to gently issue a programmable digital pulse to prevent snoring
Described as a wristwatch-like unit, this device includes an LCD display with one’s snore history in addition to issuing its anti-snore zaps. It has an adjustable snore threshold and a three-step training program to achieve the best results.
A beginner, for example, can set it to “pulse” after three snores, whereas an intermediate user gets pulsed on two, and an advanced user on the first snort. “This mode may be too severe and disturbing for a beginner,” the press release warns.
It is $100, and is available at Target and Amazon.
Snore Pro [HBIUSA]
Save yourself some money, and just buy an anti-barking dog collar. Of course, then you wouldn’t get your snore history…
I think I’ll just stick with the CPAP machine, thanks.
The science behind this is totally sound. Back in the late 80′s I heard about this concept being proven out by behavioral scientists (psychologists with a Skinner-esque behaviorism bent).
For bed-wetting (night-time enuresis) it was a pad that detected wetness and triggered a bell. Not enough to totally wake the kid up, but enough to disturb their sleep. It worked great.
For snoring, it was a collar that applied a mild electric shock. Again, not enough of a shock to wake people up, but enough to disturb their sleep. Again, totally effective. The shock was so mild that the people who were awake and given the shock said it didn’t hurt.
Now, I don’t know who makes these things being sold at Target, and I don’t know what research they consulted or how they set their shocks. I’m just saying it is possible that they were informed and that this device would be totally harmless and painless and really help people reduce their snoring.
#2 : Yeah, likewise.
(Although on a discussion of a similar product here, someone noted that if you aren’t apneatic but just snore, devices like this do a bang-up job of simulating sleep apnea. Great!)
Can’t sleep. Watch’ll shock me.
Can’t sleep. Watch’ll shock me.
Or you know, you could go to the cause of snoring and fix that. Whatever.
I have a sleeping disorder. Two, actually: narcolepsy, and a new one where I wake up every time I start to snore. The sleep dep from this is very bad – my regular provigil and ritalin used to keep me from mid-day blackouts at my desk, but since this new snore-wakeup thing happened, I have been back to the very low energy, very tired all the time effect. Waking up ever so slightly, 80-90 times a night will do that.
This device seems to duplicate my sleep disorder.
How could that possibly be a good thing?