There are all kinds of products promising to keep you (or your partner) from snoring. From nasal strips to tubes and masks that could double as a Halloween costume, the anti-snoring industry is worth billions.
Nora hopes to get a little slice of that pie with its new smart device. If you are tired of being on the giving or receiving end of an elbow when the snoring kicks in, the Nora claims to do that job more gently — and before anyone wakes up.
The system includes a white wireless mic that looks a bit like a mouse, and that sits next to the snorer’s bed. A pump hides under the bed, while an inflatable device goes under the pillow. Unlike something that promises to completely stop you from snoring, the Nora, perhaps more realistically actually relies on the snarfs and snorts you make at night to work.
When the mic picks up the sounds of you snoring, it sends a message to the pump, which kicks on and delivers air via a tube to the inflatable cushion under your pillow. That shifts your pillow, changing the position of your head. This, in turn, stimulates your relaxed neck and throat muscles, opening the airway further and stopping the snoring. All this is supposed to happen quickly enough that neither you nor your bedmate wakes up.
Naturally, there is an accompanying app, though the creators say it is not necessary for the device to work. However, it will let you hear audio records of your snores, so you can see what your poor sleeping partner has been going through all these years. The company also hopes to analyze the data and alert you if your snoring is something you should consult a doctor about.
After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Nora is now out in the wild. Promising that the proof is in the pudding, Nora has plenty of case studies that show noisy sleepers (and their partners) finally getting a respite from their snores. In 2017, the Nora managed to ship “tens of thousands” of units, and you can join the crew by purchasing a Nora system for $299.
Update: After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the Nora is available to purchase for $299.
