New Earplug Prototype Offers Promise For Light Sleepers

Seems as if every day there is another product appearing on the market that is specifically targeting people who are having a tough time getting to sleep. The latest entry is a product still in production that just blew threw its Kickstarter funding goal. It’s a pair of smart earphones slated to be sold under the moniker Hush, and they are unlike anything else that’s on the market today. Where current options available are either one or another version of a foam earplug that gets stuck into the ear in the hopes that it will block ambient noise, or noise-cancelling headphones that produce competing sound to cancel out others, the Hush is a combination of the two. They are made of foam that gets stuck into the ear in the same way that normal plugs do, but these tiny versions are created with in-ear speakers that come pre-loaded with sounds that mask external noise. They can create the typical white-noise machine sounds that are familiar to light sleepers everywhere … ocean waves, falling rain, etc. But you can also program the plus with other sleep-inducing sounds that haven’t been previously available, such as binaural beats, which have been proven to cause drowsiness. The earplugs operate in conjunction with an app that is available for both Android and IOS, and consumers will be able to program them to produce whatever sound they prefer, complete with a variety of adjustments and settings to personalize the experience. It also comes with a built-in alarm so that you are sure to be able to wake up for your important meeting the next day, even with the earplugs in your ears (marking an important improvement over both earplugs and headphones). Bed partners who have gotten used to having alarms set to extra loud volumes in order to counter the impact of the sleepers’ noise-blocking attempts will particularly appreciate the fact that the alarm sound plays directly in their partner’s ears. The product is not yet ready to be brought to market, and there are a number of important questions that need to be answered before consumers are likely to plunk down their hefty $150 price tag, but the product’s Kickstarter goal of $100,000 was reached and surpassed easily – in fact, it has already raised $200,000 and still has nearly thirty days left for fundraising. Sleep experts and headphone aficionados are chomping at the bit to get their hands on a pair of these earplugs to see exactly how effective, and how comfortable, they actually are. Traditionally ear plugs present a problem for side sleepers, who feel the plug getting mashed into their ear. Those who are investing in the headphones through the Kickstarter program are able to preorder them for a reduced price of $115. The plugs are charged via a clever charging case that eliminates the need for any kind of wires.