By Chris Thomas
The wearable craze show no sign of slowing down. In fact it may be just the beginning. Sales of activity tracking 'wearables' are tipped to exceed $US1.5 Billion this year according Kevin Tillmann, senior research analyst for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA); this is up 35% on last year.
Looking at Google trends, I'd say it might have a bit further to run:

And of course, when it comes to sleep there are no shortage of gadgets and sleep wearables designed to help you record and understand your sleeping patterns every night of the week.
Whilst I haven't personally tried any yet, I'm looking at the Jawbone Up, Misfit Shine and the
Continue Reading »
Posted by Chris Thomas on March 17, 2014. 0 Comments
By Chris Thomas
It's an age-old question, why do we sleep? It is an odd phenomenon, especially when you consider how vulnerable we are when we're sleeping. From an evolutionary perspective it doesn't really make a lot of sense! There have been countless theories over the years as to why we sleep. However, several news outlets have recently reported a new 'sleep theory' which concludes that we sleep simply to allow the brain to cleanse itself of toxins built up from a day of activity (thinking!).
Just like our bodies' Lymphatic System cleans waste from the by-products of exercise, the theory is that the brain also cleans itself during sleep, so we wake up with a clear head ready for normal waking activity.
What scientists have discovered is that the fluid-filled spaces between brain-cells swell from about 5% during awake...
Continue Reading »
Posted by Chris Thomas on November 24, 2013. 0 Comments
By Chris Thomas
We like sleep. A lot. and we do a lot of research about sleep.
Here's one of the best compilations of interesting facts about sleep we've stumbled across...
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/science/sleep/facts.htm
- The average human will spend 1/3 or their life sleeping, which equates to about 20 - 25 years over 75 Year life span
- The record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes during a rocking chair marathon. The record holder reported hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses.
- It's impossible to tell if someone is really awake without close medical supervision. People can take cat naps with their eyes open without even being aware of it.
- Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you're sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes,...
Continue Reading »