Do you have trouble remembering things? Maybe you have dark circles under the eyes and are exhausted all the time with headaches now and then. These are some of the bad things you notice throughout the day. Everyone, including you, sees those symptoms.
When that vicious cycle of sleep deprivation begins, it’s impossible to stop it. You will constantly feel tired because your mind is racing. You’ll feel like you didn’t have any sleep at all. You’re often agitated and upset during nightfall. You climb into bed, hoping to have a deeply relaxing rest to have your mind start racing once again.
What is the Dodow?
The only thing worse than waking up after a rough night might be trying to fall asleep the night before. There are a number of reasons why you might have problems sleeping, including stress at work or that extra cup of coffee you had that afternoon. You may find that you have issues sleeping throughout the night too and that you keep waking up for no reason. Dodow is a handy device that you can use to finally fall asleep and get those precious hours that you so desperately need. This is a new gadget that is part of the emerging sleep technology field, which includes products designed for all types of sleepers.
Dodow is not that revolutionary or complicated, but that’s what makes it a great gadget. You’ll preferably have this small device the size of a coaster than a machine that makes sounds every so often with tricky settings. By emitting a gentle blue light which pulses up and down on the ceiling, it helps you get better at breathing, which relaxes you into a deep sleep.
You probably remembered someone saying that blue light should be avoided just before bed. That’s true for larger devices such as tablets, phones, and laptops. But that’s not the same with Dodow because the light is too dim to affect your body. Makers of this device chose the blue color because “it has shown that exposure to blue reduces stress.”
Dodow’s Build & Design
The physical build of the Dodow sits at 4.5 x 4.5 x 2-inches, comprising a highly compact disc-based design. It roughly resembles an alarm clock that’s been set on its side, fitting in with the décor of any bedroom relatively unobtrusively. Empty of the necessary batteries, it weighs about 7 ounces, which makes the Dodow quite portable.
I general, the Dodow is smartly designed. For example, as a sleep aid device, it runs completely silently at all points of operation. The tap-sensitive surface means the entire console is essentially one large button. Consequently, ease of use is exceptionally simple. Just place the Dodow next to your bed, in any place where you’re able to see the illumination. A nightstand would be perfect for the Dodow.
Once in position, tap the surface of the Dodow one time for a standard 8-minute cycle. For the longer 20-minute cycle, you just tap twice. The Dodow will come online and begin its slow breathing light. As you follow along with your breath and continue to relax, the Dodow will automatically shut off after the cycle is complete.
With that said, the Dodow isn’t an invulnerable fortress of new-age engineering. It’s built to survive a short tumble off your nightstand, and should even make it through spilt water. But it’s clearly not intended to take a beating, so don’t start using it as a doorstop while you’re awake. Left by the bedside, its durability is completely sufficient.
Battery Power
The Dodow Sleep Aid is powered by 3 AAA batteries. Fortunately, that means you don’t have to deal with adding a bunch of wires around your bed. Paired with the small lightweight design of the Dodow, being wireless allows it to be exceptional for taking with you on the road. Those you have problems sleeping on business trips or vacations might want to take notice.
Unfortunately, being powered by batteries means sooner or later you’re going to have to swap them out. Fortunately, the Dodow isn’t exactly a lighthouse. You can squeeze hundreds of sleepless nights out of your life on a single set of batteries. It’s a shame that Dodow hasn’t decided to include some kind of low-battery indicator to help you better prepare for when replacements are needed. Like other types of bulbs, LEDs begin to dim slightly when you’ve consumed about half of their maximum battery power. Thankfully, that gradual dimming provides at least some indication of the status of the batteries.
Features Of Dodow
- Uses rhythmically pulsing soft blue light to guide and slow your breathing rate
- Tap once for 8-minute session and twice for 20-minute session
- Automatically shuts off for ease of use and battery saving
- Small, compact unit runs off AAA batteries, making it an ideal travel companion
Benefits of Using the Dodow
How to use Dodow?
Once you put it on the countertop next to the bed, simply tap the surface once for the eight-minute program and twice for twenty-minute one. After that’s finished, the device will shut down automatically so you won’t worry about the battery draining.
Dodow uses AAA batteries so you won’t have to carry a charging cable with you. Its small size makes it perfect for traveling on business trips and vacations when you’re staying in a hotel room.
How Does Dodow Work?
Dodow comes with two settings, an eight-minute cycle and a longer twenty-minute one. It aims to control your breathing gently so you would only take six long breaths every minute. The site explains that by breathing longer at their rhythm, you stimulate the baroreflex, and that restores your balance of the autonomic nervous system.
It’s supposed to get you into a relaxed, drowsy state that helps you fall asleep. While you’re concentrating on your breathing and the blue light, you’ll shift your focus from other things that stop you from falling asleep. A lot of people stay awake at night having worries or feel anxious about something, and that’s where this gadget comes in.
Reasons for Sleep Problems
Stress is the most common reason why you can’t sleep at night. The stress that you feel at work can carry over into your personal life when you come home at night and lead to fights between you and your spouse. You may even find yourself taking out some of those frustrations on your children and friends. Some people experience sleep troubles because of the people they live with too. If you share a bedroom with someone who snores or talks in his or her sleep, the chances are good that you either aren’t getting the sleep that you need or that you can’t stay asleep all night. You might hear others moving through your house too such as your kids playing games or talking on their phones.
Hormone changes can also impact your sleep patterns. If your body slows down its production of the hormones that you need, you can expect to have problems falling asleep at night. You may want to talk with your doctor and undergo some tests before deciding on the right type of treatment for a hormonal imbalance. Even if there are multiple people living in your home who all have a different sleep schedule, you can still use the Dodow to fall asleep quickly.
- You had too much caffeine the day before
- There are too many electronics and blue lights in your bedroom
- You are still hungry
- The bed you sleep on isn’t comfortable
- There are too many noises in the room
The technicalities behind Dodow
During its development process, the folks at Dodow researched Pranayama, which is a yogic practice of controlling your breathing that results in slowing down your respiratory rate. When they tried it as a relaxing technique, it replicated the brain activity only shown in a deep sleep.
Many studies have shown that breathing slowly with control is the best outcome for easing stress and mental turmoil, which helps you fall asleep faster. Dodow achieves that with a relaxing effect that lowers your heart rate and makes you feel tired and sleepy.
Dodow’s Pricing
You can purchase the Dodow from the company’s website ($59) or Amazon ($59.90). The advantage to Amazon is that Prime members can get the item in two days, whereas purchases from the website can take up to 10 days.
Dodow has a 100-day money-back guarantee through which you can return your Dodow if you aren’t happy with it. You also have the ability to return the item via Amazon, as well, if you choose to purchase it there.
The Final Word: Pros and Cons of Dodow
Based on our research of this product, we believe that Dodow’s strengths lie in the fact that it provides a novel way for individuals to get into a nighttime routine that relaxes them and prepares them for sleep. And, many customers have noted that the machine actually works, a conclusion that has some scientific support, although not an extensive list of pertinent studies.
We believe that the downside to the product is the cost, as a $59 machine may be too expensive if you’re on a tight budget. And, because the machine acts as a breathing trainer, you may be able to find pre-sleep breathing routines that may or may not be as effective as the Dodow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Dodow gradually slows down your breathing to an optimal rate of 6 breaths per minute to put you in a state of rest and to re-balance your autonomic nervous system.
There are 2 available settings in the product: 8 or 20 minutes.
The blue light can indeed mess with your melatonin production, but thankfully Dodow thought of that and made the light’s halo too dim to have an impact on your bodily functions. Its intensity is lower than that of a pc or a mobile screen.
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