Sleep is big business these days. It’s one of the basic needs we all have in common, yet something we never seem to get enough of. And the more we learn about how important getting enough rest is, especially during times of high-stress or anxiety, the more elusive it seems to become.
Sure, there are a wide range of medications, aromas, and essential oils that have a claim on helping people take a trip to dreamland, but some of those may have undesired side effects. One of the least invasive and time-tested methods for preparing one’s mind for sleep is meditation. Morphee is an innovative device that brings meditation right into your bedroom, or anywhere you’re wishing to fall asleep or get an extra dose of calmness.
Morphée is housed within a smooth beechwood case that also serves as a base when opened. This natural container is about the size of a large muffin and offers an up-to-date approach to a time-tested method of relaxation. It’s small enough to be placed on a nearby bedside table, or right next to your pillow. The three brass-colored knobs on top of the device recall the styling of a classic alarm clock that many of us had to wind up each night, and then fell asleep to its tick-tick-tick rhythmic sounds. But that is where the similarity ends – Morphée’s sole job is to guide you to sleep rather than wake you, similar to that of its pseudo-namesake Morpheus, the god of sleep and dreams.
One of Morphée’s knobs points to the seven different types of sounds you can choose to listen to, including nature sounds, relaxing music, gentle breathing sessions, and visualizations. The pictographic settings make it easy to determine which sound you’ll be treated to (although you may find you’ll need to select the setting while the lights are still on, as the dial was not made to be seen in dim light). Another knob lets you choose from eight options with each sound setting. The third smaller knob designates the meditation duration of either 8 minutes or 20 minutes.
For spoken settings, choose either a male or female voice, all of which were carried out by sleep experts. I’ve tried various sleep podcasts, meditation apps, and ASMR recordings to help me chase those elusive 40 winks at night. I can honestly say Morphee ranks among the most effective and simplest to use methods to relax the mind and get settled in at bed time. In fact, I tested out a wide variety of its settings combinations, and I never made it to the end of a session – Morphée really did the trick!
Because it is a non-digital device, Morphée’s creators say it will never be available as a smart phone app. Smartphones may be essential during the day for many tasks, but can be disruptive to your sleep when kept in the bedroom at night, due to the stimulation and interruptions they bring when you forget to silence them or place them on airplane mode, not to mention the effects of their blue light.
Morphée has a port for corded headphones, although it is not compatible with Bluetooth headphones. It ships with a USB cable, and charging time is about 20 minutes, for over three hours of operating time – since it automatically shuts off when the session is complete it will last you for many nights. And at a price point of $99.00, Morphée won’t make you toss and turn worrying about its impact on your bank account. We found Morphée to be compatible with our bedtime routine, and very effective. Highly recommended!
Nancy Burlan, posted 6/6/2022
