Sleeping with anxiousness isn’t any joke. When you’re like me and wrestle to go to sleep at night time, you is likely to be searching for a product to assist loosen up you. Hug Sleep gained reputation with its debut on Shark Tank in late 2020. It is a comparatively easy product — a sleep pod that cocoons you whilst you sleep. It is made of specialised four-way stretch cloth tight sufficient to hug you however stretchy sufficient to provide you room to maneuver. Consider a Hug Sleep Pod as an enormous swaddle that applies gentle strain throughout your complete physique.
It is some of the distinctive sleep merchandise in the marketplace, and I needed to get my arms on it to check it out. My expertise testing and writing about sleep, paired with my base stage of hysteria, makes me the proper individual to check the Hug Sleep pod. It is one of many weirder ones I’ve examined, so buckle up; I’ve obtained ideas.
What’s the Hug Sleep Pod?
Hug Sleep works off the identical idea as weighted blankets — deep contact strain stimulation. Sustained, gentle strain throughout the physique creates a chilled impact that reduces emotions of stress and anxiousness. It really works by triggering the parasympathetic nervous system and boosting serotonin and dopamine ranges within the mind.
If the idea of a weighted blanket is acquainted to you, then consider Hug Sleep Pods as a skinny weighted blanket that swallows you up at night time. It is tight, however entering into it’s simple sufficient. All it’s a must to do is step into it and pull it up round you. Your garments will get bunched up as you slip into the sleep pod, so you may want to regulate these earlier than you get in mattress. The pod is tighter round your chest and looser because it goes down. I am not an individual who likes their ft constricted, and I can vouch that there’s greater than sufficient room within the foot pouch.
Hug Sleep gives 4 sleep pods — Hooded Sleep Pod Transfer ($150), Sleep Pod Transfer ($120), Sleep Pod ($90) and Sleep Pod Transfer Children ($90). I examined the hooded model.
Hug Sleep specs:
- Created from 89% polyester and 11% spandex
- 30-night trial interval with a money-back assure
- Mechanically cleanable. Hug Sleep suggests flipping it inside out when washing
- Made within the US
That is the excessive stage. Let’s dig deeper into what sleeping within the Hug Sleep Pod is like.
What’s it like sleeping within the Hug Sleep Pod?
I examined the Hooded Transfer mannequin for just a few weeks, which features a hood and ft holes. The very first thing we should tackle is how a lot of a studying curve there may be with this product. Not a lot learn how to put on it, however there are some psychological gymnastics for adjusting to being unable to maneuver with the traditional vary of movement.
The primary time I put it on, I didn’t prefer it. Whenever you first open it, it is tight, particularly across the high band, which is okay you probably have it pulled all the way in which up, however you probably have it down round your chest to free your arms, I discovered it to be a little bit an excessive amount of strain for me. This meant I spent a whole lot of time with one arm inside, which was way more comfy so long as I did not wish to roll over.
Then after the primary few days, one thing occurred. I am unable to say how a lot of it was getting used Hug Sleep or the material stretching after I moved round in it sufficient, but it surely obtained simpler and extra gratifying to put on. I discovered that it was enjoyable.
Here is the vary of leg motion within the Hug Sleep Pod.
I obtained a number of the greatest naps within the Hug Sleep Pod. I attribute this to how little I transfer whereas napping and the truth that I slept on my aspect. Sleeping within the Hug Sleep Pod at night time was a special story totally. It is presupposed to be tight, however shifting and stretching sideways was more durable than I wished. Most nights, I awoke with the Hug Sleep Pod pushed to my knees and my arms fully out, which equated to an excellent tight bodycon gown. At that time, it wasn’t probably the most comfy factor to sleep in. If I ordered once more, I’d measurement as much as give myself extra room to maneuver round.
Hug Sleep efficiency
OK, the Hug Sleep Pod had good and dangerous elements. Keep in mind, everybody has totally different physique sorts and sleeping kinds, so what did not work for me might not be a difficulty for you. In that spirit, let’s break down how Hug Sleep carried out in the important thing areas of motion, temperature and rest.
Motion
The Hug Sleep Pod is supposed to be tight in your physique; in any other case, it will not ship the supposed calming impact. That stated, you may considerably transfer contained in the pod. It is extraordinarily stretchy. You are not restricted to the purpose that you may’t transfer your legs and arms round.
Nonetheless, regular sleep motion is not simple, which was a bit irritating, particularly in the course of the first few nights. I examined the Hooded Hug Sleep Transfer with a hood and foot gap. I hate having my ft confined, so the foot gap got here in helpful, although it isn’t simple to get out and in of the foot gap with out utilizing your arms. The outlet is on the entrance of the pod, lined by a flap it’s a must to peel again. Greater than as soon as, it felt like I’d rip the material to free myself. Although the extraordinarily stretched cloth by no means tore. It is designed this manner to ensure your ft do not unintentionally slip out at night time, so it isn’t a design flaw, simply one other factor it’s a must to get used to.
I did not use the hood in any respect whereas sleeping. Every time I flipped over or modified sleeping positions, it twisted round my head. For me, it was extra hassle than it was value.
General, it is arduous to maneuver round within the Hug Sleep Pod you probably have your arms inside. It is tight across the shoulders and chest, which makes it tough to vary sleeping positions at night time. When you do not transfer all that a lot at night time, you then will not expertise this.
Temperature
Within the sleep house, temperature is likely one of the most necessary components. Due to this, “cooling” has develop into a buzzword that just about any mattress or sleep product makes use of. However that does not imply that the merchandise are cool to the contact. Like most of the greatest cooling mattresses, Hug Sleep merchandise aren’t actively cooling. As a substitute, they regulate temperature, that means they will not entice warmth at night time. The material is extraordinarily skinny, which is nice for summer time. I by no means obtained too heat whereas sporting it; I had the alternative drawback. I obtained too chilly.
That is doubtless as a result of my pajamas are a T-shirt and shorts, no socks. The sleep pod is difficult sufficient to get on and located with out the added bulk of lengthy pants or a sweatshirt. Different folks might be able to fortunately put on pants and socks with the Hug Sleep Pod and sleep comfortably and keep away from this drawback totally. However I wasn’t prepared to sacrifice any of the house inside the pod for further garments.
I had so as to add a blanket on high of the pod once I obtained chilly in a single day. The mixture took away the calming impact and made it really feel restrained. It is not one thing I’d advocate in the course of the colder months until you are blasting the warmth or able to put on lengthy garments whereas utilizing it.
Leisure
As I discussed, I by no means slept via the night time with my complete physique within the Hug Sleep Pod as a result of constriction and my must starfish throughout my mattress. That stated, I loved the calming impact of this product. I wore it whereas studying earlier than mattress, and it amplified the relief of my nightly routine. Sure, it was a little bit work to determine learn how to maintain a guide with my arms pinned to my chest, however I obtained drained faster than regular once I figured it out.
As an anxious individual, I can vouch for the bodily rest I felt with Hug Sleep. That half is actual, even when I did not love sleeping in all of it night time.
Who ought to use the Hug Sleep Pod?
Let’s discuss sleeping place as a result of this determines whether or not you should purchase a Hug Sleep Pod. I’m a mix sleeper, spending a lot of the night time on my abdomen. Although in case you can think about a rotisserie rooster rotating whereas being cooked, you get how I sleep at night time. I toss and switch all night time. Which the Hug Sleep Pod does not allow you to do — even with the ft holes. The pod is simply too constricting to bend your legs whereas sleeping in your abdomen, and in case your arms are within the pod, you do not have the leverage to show over with out waking up.
When you sleep just like the lifeless, then the mummy-style compression of the Hug Sleep will likely be nice for you. As I stated, the compression was good, and it relaxed me whereas I used to be in it. I merely transfer an excessive amount of to proceed reaping the advantages for a full night time.
Strict again and aspect sleepers who do not transfer round a lot will get pleasure from sporting Hug Sleep to mattress. Anybody who sleeps on their abdomen or rolls round an excessive amount of will doubtless be pissed off, which counteracts the calming impact.
Remaining verdict: Is Hug Sleep value it?
After just a few weeks of testing, I’ve concluded that Hug Sleep is a type of merchandise that folks both love or hate, just like the Hyper-Elastic Grid of the Purple mattress. Not everybody will like how confining it’s, and relying on how a lot you toss and switch, it is likely to be arduous to maneuver round in. That stated, once I was awake whereas sporting it, I loved the Hug Sleep Pod. I felt calm and cozy.
At $150, the Hooded Hug Sleep Pod is simply too costly to purchase on a whim. I like to recommend this product provided that you recognize you do not transfer in your sleep and like being swaddled. Otherwise you’re prepared for the training curve of getting used to it. My appreciation for Hug Sleep did develop the extra I used it, and I obtained used to sleeping in it. It simply took some time.
It could even be an incredible product in case you’re severe about coaching your self to sleep in your again or aspect since you merely can not sleep comfortably in your abdomen. I attempted.
