A tech start-up is working on a device that may increase your productivity whilst you catch some z's.
Imagine swapping the 7-8 hours we spend sleeping each night for something more productive - like the things on your to-do list.
One Rick and Morty episode reflected this perfectly. In Season Six, the Smith family creates a Night Family version of themselves to get extra chores and errands done during the night.
While the start-up tech company - Prophetic - may not be able to do your chores for you whilst you sleep, its device may help you get that extra work in.
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Prophetic, is developing a headband named Halo, which is designed by Afshin Mehin - the same mind behind Neuralink's N1 brain implant. The headband intends to induce lucid dreaming.
Lucid dreams are different to our usual dreams at night, in that we're able to control what happens in them. Think of it as a simulation where you shape the situation entirely, experiencing almost a different life - so to speak.
Research shows that lucid dreams can increase creativity, confidence and even allow life-changing experiences for some. With lucid dreaming, you're granted the time and flexibility to learn a new language, practice job interviews, or pick up a musical instrument.
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According to the founder and CEO of Prophetic, Eric Wollberg, 'the only limitation is your imagination.'
The Halo headband works by using a technology called transcranial focused ultrasound (TUS).
When you fall asleep, it releases focused pulses of ultrasound waves into the region of the brain that's responsible for lucid dreams. It also targets the decision-making part of the brain, giving you more control in your lucid dreams.
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However, some experts are reluctant to believe the gadget works that straightforwardly. Antonio Zadra, professor of psychology at the University of Montreal, expressed that 'it's just not that simple'.
This might be because experts emphasise that lucid dreaming is in fact a skill and takes more than a couple of tries to get the grasp of it. Though the TUS technology is set to make this process easier, by increasing the users' dream control.
What might potentially make you doze off faster than the headband itself however, is the price of it.
Wollberg says the devices are expected to cost between $1,500 (£1,188) and $2,000 (£1,584) each, and are expected to hit the shelved in 2025. Best start dreaming about that raise!
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