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I am a terrible sleeper. My mind defines “bedtime” as “the time in which I suddenly think every thought.” I need the room to be cold, without a shred of light to be found, and so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Once I’m asleep, I often wake up in the middle of the night if I hear any weird noises (looking at you, New York City apartment heater).
More difficult than falling asleep in the comfort of my own home? Trying to fall asleep anywhere else. If I’m lucky, a good night’s sleep in a hotel only evades me for the first one or two nights. And all of this naturally stresses me out, which — you guessed it — makes it harder to sleep.
I have tried a laundry list of sleep aids over the years: melatonin, meditation, “bedtime cocktails,” yoga, counting sheep, listening to music, white noise — you get the idea. (At one point I actually had so many white-noise machines going at once that my neighbor said it sounded like I was landing a plane in my apartment.) These sleep self-help techniques have sometimes made me tired or calmer, but I can’t say that a single one has literally made me fall asleep.
Enter: Lunette.
Lunette markets itself as “the first multi-sensory breathwork device built for better rest.” It intrigued me because it doesn’t require me to swallow anything, download an app on my phone or chug a 12-ounce beverage right before attempting to sleep through the night.
What Does Sleep Have to Do With Aging? Everything.
Sleep quality starts declining far earlier than most people realize — and understanding why could help you preserve itHow it works is simple: You lie in bed, place the device on your chest, press a button, and a light ring begins whirring in a pattern that imitates an inhale and an exhale. A silent vibration helps you time your breathing, and a subtle scent is released during your inhales. It lasts seven minutes before it turns itself off.
The only reason Lunette didn’t help me sleep the first time I tried it is because it made me so excited to write this review that I got up and took notes. But after that initial excitement wore off, here’s how it fared.
What Works
Maybe it’s because I just rewatched Wall-E, but I immediately anthropomorphized the thing. Lunette’s vibrations on my chest felt quite calming. If you’ve ever known the particular warmth and resonance of a cat purring on your chest, it’s a similar sensation. My chest often feels tight, and it genuinely felt released after using it.
The scents are relaxing, too. The starter kit comes with Rest scent pods that smell like lavender and chamomile, as well as Calm scent pods that smell like eucalyptus, lemon and lavender. You simply slide these into the device before starting a session.
While the Lunette is a device that you need to charge, its primary innovation is the fact that it’s phone-less and supplement-less. It emphasizes our body’s ability to simply use the power of breath to do so many things — in this case, to fall asleep.
What Needs Work
I’m a big side sleeper, and this device needs to be sitting on your chest to do its work. Can we make it sticky?
To that end, if it’s on your chest and you’re really getting into the inhaling and exhaling bit, it may also slide a little, which could lead the scent spray to go right up your nose as you continue that enthusiastic breath. (More points for sticky?)
Also, at the end of a session, it flashes white to signify that it’s done, which is jarring after all the nice, restful ambience. It feels like you’re getting your picture taken. I would prefer it to gently dim away into darkness.
Is It Worth It?
Lunette has become a regular part of my nightly routine. As someone who has only been let down by sleep aids in the past, I am frankly surprised that using it truly does make me fall asleep. If you’ve also been searching for a simple, tactile way to calm your nervous system, quiet your mind and get a good night’s rest, I recommend giving it a try for yourself.
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