GoKawiilIf you’ve ever used a pillow spray or lotion designed for sleep, you understand the power that scent can have on rest. So does Kimba, a new sleep technology company whose clinically validated, AI-powered Kimba device is now available for preorder in the US. The Kimba tracks your health metrics to release scents while you snooze, aiming to guide you into a deeper, more restorative sleep without the need for pills, the company said in a press release.
Unlike wearable devices that passively track your sleep, the Kimba seeks to actively improve it. It does so with built-in ambient sensors that monitor breathing patterns, movement, room disturbances, light levels and snoring, along with the ability to connect to wearables such as the Whoop, Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Fitbit and wearables by Garmin. Then it delivers personalized scents using three capsules contained in the device.
Kimba was founded by Ben Fuxbruner, a former special forces commander who dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic insomnia after a near-death injury. Sleep and brain science researchers, including olfactory and neuroscience expert Anat Arzi, who holds a doctoral degree in neurobiology, helped develop the Kimba device.
“The influence of sensory input during sleep is significant,” Arzi in a statement. “Olfactory stimulation is uniquely beneficial for this because it can influence brain activity without waking the individual.”
Inside the Kimba, you'll find three scents. Kimba
Once the Kimba is released, I plan to test the product to see if it lives up to its promises and the price of about $600 a year.
It begins with a sleep assessment
It all starts with a sleep assessment on the Kimba app. This assessment helps the sleeper “to understand their sleep challenges, goals, preferences and lifestyle factors,” Fuxbruner told CNET. Those who preorder a Kimba will take the sleep assessment to create a personalized sleep profile and determine which three scent capsules they receive first.
There are currently 12 water-based, plant-derived scent formulations packaged in proprietary scent capsules that are replaced every three months. Scents include Soft Blue, created with Roman chamomile to support sleep initiation; Golden Grove, made with Austrian sandalwood to ground the body; and Lemon Calm, built with Bulgarian melissa (also known as lemon balm) to downshift anxiety.
New capsules are scheduled to ship before replacements are needed, and these shipments are part of the Kimba membership.
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