This puffer jacket uses light and sound to lull you to sleep anywhere

In sleep-deprived Japan, designers have created the ZZZN Sleep Apparel System — a puffer jacket concept that doubles as an on-the-go napping solution. Its hood produces light and sound that its makers says lulls the wearer to sleep, and gently wakes them.

Often described as one of the world’s most sleep-deprived nations, Japan repeatedly ranks last, or near last, in international surveys and studies on sleep duration and quality. One design firm has developed a creative solution that it believes can give real power to naps. Its “smart” puffer jacket concept is intended to optimize short naps by providing bespoke sound and lighting based on the user’s biometric data, such as heart rate and body temperature, which is gathered by a wearable ring. “We realized that sleep is a very personal thing,” said Dai Miyata, creative art director of Konel, which developed the jacket in collaboration with the sleep technology division at NTT DX Partners, a digital consulting firm. “You can’t force someone to sleep, they have to fall asleep on their own. So, we started thinking, is there something we can create that helps people ease into sleep on their own terms?” The ZZZN sleep apparel is designed to be worn day-to-day as a normal jacket, albeit an oversized one, but users can also activate “sleep mode” by putting up the hood when they want a snooze on their commute home.