Health & Wellbeing

If you're a problem snorer, try sleeping with Nora

If you're a problem snorer, try sleeping with Nora
The Nora wireless mic (bottom left) detects snoring and sets out to stop it
The Nora wireless mic (bottom left) detects snoring and sets out to stop it
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The Nora pump, mic and pillow bladder
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The Nora pump, mic and pillow bladder
The sensitivity of the Nora mic can be adjusted, depending on how light of a sleeper your partner is
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The sensitivity of the Nora mic can be adjusted, depending on how light of a sleeper your partner is
The Nora wireless mic (bottom left) detects snoring and sets out to stop it
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The Nora wireless mic (bottom left) detects snoring and sets out to stop it
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We've certainly seen a number of snoring remedies over the years, ranging from shock therapy to wearables to robotic bears. If you'd like to keep using your regular pillow in your regular bed without being zapped, however, then Nora might be more to your liking.

The Nora system consists of a smooth "pebble-shaped" wireless mic that sits on your bedside table, a mini pump that's located beneath the bed, and a hose-connected flat rectangular padded bladder that's inserted between your pillow and pillow case.

When the mic detects the sound of snoring, it activates the pump. It, in turn, quietly inflates the bladder. This causes your head to subtly change position, which stimulates and thus tightens your upper throat muscles – it is these muscles that typically cause snoring when they relax, collapse and constrict your airways.

As a result of those muscles firming back up, you reportedly stop snoring, without awakening.

The Nora pump, mic and pillow bladder
The Nora pump, mic and pillow bladder

Of course, Nora still can't stop you from starting to snore in the first place. If you're curious to see how you're doing on that front, a companion iOS app will show you how you slept (and how noisy you were) over the course of the previous night, and how that changes over time.

Nora is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, where a pledge of US$179 will get you a system – assuming it reaches production. The planned retail price is $299.

Hammacher Schlemmer's existing Snore Activated Nudging Pillow works on a principle similar to that of Nora, although it incorporates everything into one product-specific pillow ... so you can't just keep using your favorite pillow, or whichever one is handy.

Source: Kickstarter

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3 comments
3 comments
Glen Jacobsen
Except the H-S pillow is no longer available.
Wolf0579
Sleep alone. Problem solved.
bajessup
If you have a lot of snoring, particularly with stoppages of breathing during the snoring, extreme morning fatigue and chronic tiredness (e.g. sitting down and falling asleep), you may have sleep apnea, a significant medical condition. If you have those snoring symptoms you would be wise to describe your experiences to your M.D., who should refer you to a sleep lab to be monitored overnight.
Treatment of sleep apnea consists of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine which can make a remarkable improvement in the life of someone with sleep apnea.