#biohack box subscription

For our 2015 Holiday Biohack Box, Ben Greenfield teamed up with some of our other performance gurus to deliver one amazing elevated holiday for their subscribers. 

Read up on Ben’s sleep hacks below:

I have, for nearly four years now, been quite passionate about using sound to hack my sleep. Sometimes, I use free downloadable sound files on iTunes that allow me to lull my body into relaxing delta brain waves (a search on iTunes will reveal a plethora of such tracks). Other times, I play easy-to-use apps such as Sleepstream and Pzizz, which allow me to do everything from blocking out noise, to selecting tracks for power naps or deep sleep, to enhancing meditation.

It’s very important to understand that any of these apps that incorporate sound to change your brain waves or enhance your sleep are dependent upon you using headphones. Problem is, the “average” pair of headphones, such as earbuds, tend to dig into your ears if you try to sleep with them, especially if you’re a side-sleeper. You know exactly what I'm talking about if you’ve ever woken feeling as though an earbud was about to puncture your eardrum. You also know, if you listened to the Ben Greenfield Fitness podcast with sleep expert Nick Littlehales, that you definitely should be a side-sleeper if you want the deepest, most restorative sleep possible.

Then there’s big, bulky noise-blocking headphones that cover your whole ear. I’ve found these to be OK for use on an airplane, but when I’m sleeping (and especially when I’m side-sleeping) these can also be extremely cumbersome and inhibit deep sleep. The other problem with this style of headphones, and any other wireless option, is that they rely upon a Bluetooth signal, which exposes you to radiation the entire time you’re sleeping. Granted, there is no research in human subjects proving Bluetooth to be a carcinogen, but it has indeed been shown to cause blood-brain barrier leakage in rats, even at low intensities. So I’m not taking any chances.

So, what’s the solution to being able to use sound to hack your sleep, without the sound delivery mechanism disrupting your sleep?

Enter SleepPhones. SleepPhones are simply headphones that have been made sleep-friendly. As you can see, they are basically headphones that have been embedded in a headband, and they make listening to audio in bed a complete dream, pun intended. I first discovered these when I was looking for headphones that would keep my ears warm while running in cold weather, and then I quickly realized that they worked very, very well for sleep too. SleepPhones were designed by a family doctor and provide wearable comfort that's literally music to your ears while you sleep, travel, or meditate.

Each set of SleepPhones features innovative SheepCloud™ fabric and are woven from a luxurious, hypoallergenic smooth fleece material for the most comfortable fit during each and every use. You’ll be amazed at how well they block ambient noise, conversations, traffic sounds and snoring, all without the use of painful ear buds or awkward headphones.

Now you can relieve stress and block out noise by listening to your favorite tunes, soothing meditation sounds, radio, sleep-enhancing rhythms, audiobooks or any other preferred music…and get a good night's sleep naturally, without medications. In addition, for free sleep sound downloads and more, visit SleepPhones at GreenfieldFitnessSystems.com/SleepPhones. And, as I mentioned, you can also go running in them if you’re out on a brisk, cold jaunt and want to keep your head warm. Satisfaction guaranteed. 

Enjoy!

Ben Greenfield