Time To Sleep Peacefully

A one-of-its-kind application which nods you off with its distinct and unique features

Science and technology are creating wonders for us–whether it be high-tech robots or simple yet effective smartphone applications. And this time they have once again created a product that makes you sleep in no time. mySleepButton is one app that prepares your brain to sleep. Luc Beaudoin, a Simon Fraser University adjunct education professor and associate member of the cognitive science program, with the help of an enterprising businessman, has created a new phone app that aims to shuffle thoughts around to help people fall asleep. It help the users stop thinking about the kinds of things that keep them awake and get their minds in a state that’s conducive to falling asleep, which is actually a little bit hard to do, sometimes.

The application basically works on the phenomenon of cognitive science, a multidisciplinary study of the mind and its processes. The app focuses on cognitive shuffling which means that it asks the user to imagine a series of unrelated objects or scenes in rapid-fire succession. It presents you with diverse and random content you are asked to imagine that prepares your brain to leave all the other functions and focus on the visiualisation part. This helps turn off executive functions such as planning, worrying and problem solving. These functions are all important when we are awake, but they become aggravating when we can’t turn them off while sleeping. This disturbs our sleep and makes us restless which indirectly affects our quality of work. But mySleepButton prompts users to visualise certain scenes or words which help in deactivating these executive functions. It is like shuffling music, but instead of shuffling music you are shuffling your thoughts to help sleep.

Overall, mySleepButton app is helpful for those who are insomniac in nature or are sleep-deprived due to some reasons. The app also helps increase cognitive productivity as well. The application is available for free for the Apple users.

By Rohan Pal