I decided to see if the Elemind headband was worth the price.
I'm a big advocate of power sleep, especially if you need an energy boost to get through a particularly long day. So when I was offered the opportunity to test the Elemind bandage, which is designed to help you fall asleep on demand, I couldn't pass by. Take a nap to work? Yes please.
Price at $399 (with an additional monthly subscription fee of $7 or more for access to sleep data), Elemind isn't cheap. However, it is equipped with technologies including an EEG (electroencephalogram) function to read brain waves, artificial intelligence to process this brain activity, and an audio output to create sleep-inducing sounds. The latter is a low-frequency, rhythmic buzzing sound that you can also feel. The sensation is not intrusive or distracting, but rather like a light massage.
“It's essentially noise canceling those brain waves that keep you awake,” Meredith Perry, co-founder of Elemind, tells me.
There are many Topics on Reddit about the intrigue around this device. The debate is centered on whether it actually works, with many people recommending it while others are holding off on the technology, saying it may be too early to have a market-ready device. To find answers, I decided to check it out myself.
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I've been in the sleep industry for many years and have seen and tested many gadgets and products that claim to help you sleep better. Honestly, I understand the skepticism about such a product because not many such devices live up to their promises. Naturally, I really wanted to see Elemind headband is among the hundreds that don't work, or if it will be the breakthrough the space needs. Here's what I found.
Elemind headband test
Elemind bandage.
I arrived at the Crosby Street Hotel in New York City to take a nap. Perry greeted me at the entrance of the room and explained the Elemind technology and showed me how to properly put on the headband and turn it on. She also showed me how the app worked and what data I could access while wearing the headband. Then she left me to sleep.
I'll briefly describe what happened next because—spoiler alert—I fell asleep. I remember lying there and hearing a low humming sound that sounded like bone conduction. I heard the buzzing, but I also felt it. The rhythm was fast at first, but as I started to slow down, I felt it slow down. The next thing I knew, I woke up to the sound of the room door opening. It was Perry with a big smile because she knew the bandage had worked judging by my half-open eyes and confused expression.
The sleep was quite short. We put the bandage on for 25 minutes. This was not my typical dream. Instead of deep sleep, I felt like I was in an alpha state—like light sleep, where I was still aware of my surroundings.
When I woke up, I felt exactly the same as I usually do after sleep, a little sluggish. This feeling only lasted a few minutes and I continued with my day without any side effects or drowsiness.
This is the first sleep device I've seen that captures brain waves and redirects them in real time. A study associated with Elemind states that 76% of people who wore the patch fell asleep fasterand that was certainly the case for me.
What the data says
According to my sleep data, which was tested by neuroscientists at Elemind, my alpha activity remained high during sleep, indicating that while I was resting and in light sleep, I had not entered the deep sleep stage. I suspected this would be the case with the 25 minute nap, and this also matches my experience wearing the patch. (I was aware of my surroundings, but during light sleep, like what you feel when you are about to wake up in the morning.)
What does my sleep data look like from Elemind.
The image above, which Elemind calls a graph, is a polar histogram showing the performance of the headband in tracking my alpha waves. The left of the graph shows the target onset phase and the distribution of all stimuli (gray bars). The right side is a similar graph, but for the offset phase of the target stimulus.
In other words, “the beginning [is] the brain wave phase where each sound pulse begins and shifts is the brain wave phase when each sound pulse ends,” said Ryan Neely, Vice President of Science and Research at Elemind. All this means is that the band worked as intended (more pulses at the beginning when my brain activity was high, then less often when my target brain activity, or 224 degrees, was reached).
The data confirms what I felt during sleep: I had a light sleep. I definitely felt like I was resting and also felt like I fell asleep pretty quickly (I felt like I only fell asleep for a few minutes). I'd say it was a pretty good sleep, especially since it only lasted 25 minutes at 2:00 p.m. I'm curious to see if this will encourage me to sleep deeper at night when I'm in the comfort of my home.
How does Elemind bandage work?
The headband is designed to help users fall asleep by targeting their alpha waves with sound pulses. This is the main feature of the proprietary algorithm developed at MIT and built into each band. Perry explained that the headband uses non-invasive neuromodulation technology to monitor brain activity on the EEG and provide acoustic stimulation synchronized with your brain's natural rhythms in real time. Every night you wear the headband, it learns more and evolves with you thanks to its artificial intelligence capabilities, becoming more efficient over time.
The artificial intelligence behind the headband, which Elemind calls Sleep Tailor, learns your unique brain activity and sleep patterns to improve your rest. It collects your sleep data and analyzes it to generate stimulation patterns to compensate for your brain activity.
The sling can be worn all night and is comfortable enough to wear in all sleeping positions. Users can use Elemind in any way that suits their needs. For example, you may only wear the bandage to fall asleep and take it off at night, or you may only wear the bandage if you wake up and need help getting back to sleep. You can also use Elemind to take a nap during the day.
To experience the full benefits of Elemind, it is recommended to wear it all night. You'll be able to use it to help you fall asleep, with real-time sleep stage detection resulting in a detailed post-session sleep report, as well as falling asleep faster if you wake up earlier than expected. Elemind will soon have a deep sleep stimulation feature that will enhance delta waves during slow-wave sleep.
Is Elemind comfortable?
I find the Elemind bandage to be comfortable. It's made of soft material and is adjustable at the back so you can make it tighter or looser as you please. It should be tight enough that it won't fall off, but not so tight that it's uncomfortable to sleep with. I mostly slept on my back, so I didn't have any problems with it slipping off. I lay on my side for a while and didn't feel it move or shrink.
For accurate readings, you just need to make sure that the sensors are in contact with your forehead. If you have long hair, Perry recommends wrapping it around your neck and under your hair, then gently brushing it toward your forehead and behind your ears.
I use Elemind for sleep.
Is Elemind worth the money?
Whether the Elemind bandage is worth $349 for you will depend on several factors.
You may like Elemind if:
- You travel frequently and struggle with jet lag.
- You have difficulty falling asleep.
- You often wake up during the night and struggle to get back to sleep.
Elemind may not be right for you if:
- You find the slight buzzing noise on your forehead too distracting.
- You have no problems falling asleep or staying asleep.
Where can I buy Elemind bandage?
You can order Elemind on its website. The product has passed the pre-order stage and is now available for purchase.
In addition to the $399 per device price, an optional membership is offered for access to sleep tracking, scores, and metrics. Without a membership, you will still be able to access the headband's core features, including getting you to sleep and getting back to sleep faster. When you purchase a headband, you get the first month free. You can pay for membership annually, which costs about $7 per month, or pay it in monthly installments of $13.
