Sleep Gadgets So Weird They Just Might Work

What: The Sleep Infuser

How it works: Under the cover of "masking sounds," like falling rain or ocean waves, this machine emits a series of low pulses designed to mimic the brainwave patterns of healthy sleepers. The British inventors say the brain will unconsciously follow this pattern and allow itself to be naturally drawn into sleep.

Why we'd like to try it: White-noise machines (or even whirring fans) can muffle disruptive voices, cars, slamming doors, barking dogs, accelerating airplanes and other sounds that can keep us awake or jolt us out of sleep. Many people—including some experts—have told us they swear by them. This device adds an extra layer of distracting, brain-relaxing sound (the pulsing hum), which may help those who need something more to pull them under than machine-generated waves.

Price: $350–$450

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