The Weirdest Product at MWC 2022 Is a Sleep-Aid Gas Dispenser

Gosleep says it knows the optimal setup for getting you off to the land of nod as it uses sound-tracking to monitor your total sleep time, number of snores, deep sleep, sleep diet (when you wake up in the morning and how much REM , light, or deep sleep you get), and sleep improvement (how your snooze time progresses while using the product). If you think there seems to be some crossover between these categories, we agree. Gosleep says the marketing literature is not finalized.

As no good sleep is complete without a pleasant morning wake-up, Gosleep has that covered too. At your set time to rise, the arm will give off a fresh air aroma — including added oxygen and a scent — and raise the light levels in the arm to gently rouse you, hopefully refreshed.

Gosleep says its device is for general commuters, shift workers, parents, and students — but we’re unsure why older generations and everyone else aren’t deserving of a refreshing night’s sleep. Further, as an electronic device without need for prescription, Gosleep says it could offer assistance with sleeping difficulties and disorders.

But, hang on. Wouldn’t the thought of having extra carbon dioxide whirling around your mouth and nose while you sleep keep you up at night? It’s an extremely worthy concern, as high levels of CO₂ can cause permanent brain damage and lead to comas, or even to death. And even if it isn’t potentially dangerous, will it even work?

On the latter, WIRED spoke to the same Stephen Snow, postdoctoral research fellow from the University of Queensland, whom Gosleep cites in its own literature. But Snow says there is a lack of correlation between his paper and what Gosleep’s leaflet says it demonstrates.

“I see they have cited this paper as saying that CO₂ in an indoor space ‘stimulates the medulla oblongata in the brain, making people hazy and drowsy.’ This might be true, but we don’t mention the medulla oblongata in this paper, ”Snow says. “So it’s not technically a correct attribution to this specific paper.” Further, Snow says both this paper and another he has authored sought to test the effect of CO₂ on “work ability (ie, drowsiness).” This is particularly important as, according to Snow, drowsiness isn’t quite the same as sleepiness, and, furthermore, his paper didn’t reach any strong conclusions on the subject.