Smart Alarm Clock Pillow Wakes You Up With Gentle Light

Most alarm clocks are designed with one goal in mind: getting you out of bed each morning. Doing so in a gradual, gentle manner isn’t usually a priority, but the Sunrise Smart Pillow approaches things differently. Instead of shocking you awake with a blaring alarm, the cushion uses built-in LED lights to replicate the natural rays of the rising sun, Engadget reports.

The smart pillow debuted on Kickstarter in April, and it has already surpassed its $50,000 crowdfunding goal 10 times over. The project page promises a product that will “revolutionize your mornings and your nights.”

As soon as your head hits the pillow, sensors embedded in the fabric begin to analyze the quality of your night’s rest. If you were listening to soothing nature noises or using the pillow’s reading light in bed, it will shut off any distractions once it senses you’re asleep. The pillow’s sunrise feature automatically activates in the morning during a light period in your sleep cycle. Before you have a chance to slip back into deep sleep, the lights intensify from dim red to bright white before finally waking you up with your favorite music selection. According to the campaign, “This mimics the natural wake-up process you get when waking up to nature. By controlling when the sun rises in your bedroom, you can minimize fatigue and grogginess every day.” During the day, you can check your profile on the Sunrise Smart Pillow app to see how well you slept the previous night.

Backers have until May 19 to reserve a smart pillow of their own for a pledge of $100 to $200. If the product does eventually hit shelves, it’s expected to retail for $300.

[ h/t Engadget]