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- The Dreampad Pillow ($160), as seen on "Shark Tank," plays music only you can hear through bone conduction.
- The Dreampad app is pre-loaded with 10 songs engineered to combine ambient music, nature sounds, and the rhythms and frequencies most conducive to deep sleep.
- The company claims its pillow is more effective than external white noise machines because the music travels through you internally and should trigger your nervous system's relaxation response.
- I tried the Dreampad, and it really does work.
- For $160, there are cons to consider, but it's a good option for anyone who wants to listen to soothing music without bothering their partner, or who needs a low-risk or relatively low-cost solution to troubled sleeping.
I have always liked falling asleep to music. Many of my memories of living in my parent's house include waking up to my mom pulling earbuds out of my ears to chastise me for falling asleep with them in.
So when Dreampad sent one of their patented pillows that plays music over to our office, I was looking forward to trying it out.
If you haven't been initiated yet, the Dreampad Pillow ($160) is a "Shark Tank" alum that plays music through bone conduction - meaning that only you should be able to hear it. This way, you can be lulled to sleep by mellow noises without deciding both you and your partner are going to be listening to crashing waves or the TV on low all night.
The tones have been specially designed to reduce stress, induce relaxation, and promote longer and better sleep. And while there's a useful application for someone like me who simply prefers music while falling sleep but lives between four paper-thin walls, there's a more impactful usage. Dreampad says research studies, including those conducted in tandem with Columbia University Medical, have shown success for people who suffer from light stress-related sleep difficulties to clinically based sleep issues - a sentiment that's echoed in some of its more enthusiastically positive Amazon reviews.
In practice, the Dreampad worked surprisingly well. I was impressed to find that I could hear the music perfectly with my head on the pillow but heard nothing once I lifted my head off. There were a few exceptions of some songs that could be heard on a very low volume, but, all in all, it does what it claims to do.
The Dreampad app is pre-loaded with music engineered to combine ambient music, nature sounds, and the rhythms and frequencies most conducive to deep sleep. You can set any of the 10 sounds available to play for a few minutes or through the night to reduce the risk of waking up. You can also adjust the volume.
Aside from its obvious practicality, Dreampad says its pillow is more effective than external white noise machines. Instead of traveling through the airwaves to your outer ear, Dreampad music travels internally through your body, ideally triggering your nervous system's relaxation response.
In terms of comfort, I find myself preferring the Dreampad pillow in Medium Support ($160) to others in my bed just for its plush density. It's hypoallergenic, has a 100% cotton shell, and is, overall, a comfortable pillow on its own. You can opt for slim, medium, or firm support.
Dreampad
Some parents use it with an old iPhone to get their kids to fall asleep without issue, and some reviewers mention that it's even helped with insomnia.
Having said that, the Dreampad has some cons. Unless you pick up the Bluetooth receiver ($19), you have to plug your phone into the pillow at night, which could pose a problem if you have an iPhone 7 or above and charge your phone at the same time. In that case, you might need to pick up an adapter. For $160, I wish the Bluetooth receiver came with the pillow already.
Dreampad
While there is an alarm, I wouldn't rely on it as your main one, especially if you're a restless sleeper. I often found myself rolling off it throughout the night.
Lastly, though you technically can play your own music through the pillow, it's been specially designed to play only the low-frequency music designed for inducing sleep already in the app. If you're looking for something to induce a restful sleep rather than function as a more practical bedtime media player, this con really doesn't matter. But if you expect to play your Spotify "sleep playlist" on it, you'll be greeted by your playlist as it sounds underwater.
If you opt to get one and don't find that it works for you, or you have an issue with one of the other cons, you have 30 days to return.
All in all, if you're looking for a way to induce sleep and find that white or ambient noise helps you, the Dreampad works for the purpose it was designed for. It comes with some cons (some of which you can address with a Bluetooth receiver or adapter), but is overall a great option for anyone looking to get to sleep faster or deeper - especially those who might want to spare their partner from the same nighttime preferences.
Get the Dreampad Sleep Technology Music Pillow, available in Slim, Medium, and Firm Support, from Bed Bath & Beyond for $160
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