Here are some questions that we've been asked regarding How To Use The SleepPhones System. If your technical question is not answered here, please email customerservice@sleepphones.com.

• Are the speakers relatively flat?

• While browsing your site I think I read that the speakers can be re-positioned?
• Will the sleepphones put pressure on the sides of my head preventing me from falling asleep?
• Do you plug them in somewhere?
• Does the wire actually come out the front?
• Can you plug these headphones into a normal radio too?
• I listened to the CD that came with the SleepPhones and tried to figure out why there is a humming in the background. Is it suppose to be there or do I need to turn the volume down?
• I would like to know if one always hears binaural beats while using the SleepPhones? Or, do you have the binaural beats because they are incorporated into the CDs or mp3 downloads?? I'd prefer having the option of NOT having binaural beats, if possible.
• I will often listen to talk radio shows from a radio that only puts out a mono signal, thus only one side of the headphones will function. Do sleep phones have a mono-stereo switch?
• The speakers are less loud the further from the ears. What do I do about that?
• What I'm worried about is that it seems that the iPod is attached to the head band. Because I sleep on my side and turn over through the night, how do I deal with the iPod flopping all over the place with me?
• Is it marked clearly which is the right and left ear? I need to know that for what I intend to use them for.
• Is the CD MP3?
• Can you tell me whether I need an iPod in order to use this system?
• Do you have to use an ipod or does the headband work to get rid of sounds?
• My wife and I would both like to sleep with your SleepPhones. Do we have to use two different iPods?
• I just purchased the sleepphones and have a question about how to properly set up playing the CD. The 2 sleeping tracks are 30 minutes long. Then there's the awake track. So if i just hit play on the cd player, there's only about 70 minutes of sleep inducing sounds followed by something to wake me up. How am i supposed to get it to play the sleep tracks for 7 or 8 hours followed by the wake up track?
• Do you have any data to indicate that this is an effective way to sustain sleep?
• If one does continue to listen to the binaural beats tracks throughout the sleep session, does this factor result in difficulty waking?
• If a person is listening to binaural beats tracks with the SleepPhones product, will they be unable to hear the alarm offered to awaken by a usually adequate alarm clock?
• How do I program my iPod?

Are the speakers relatively flat?
Very. We had our speaker supplier custom make our speakers to be as flat as possible while delivering excellent sound quality.

While browsing your site I think I read that the speakers can be re-positioned?
The right speaker can be repositioned. The left one is fixed. So after making sure the left speaker is over the left ear, you can adjust the right speaker to the best spot for you. That's why there are the little strings with beads - so you can adjust the speaker back and forth.

Will the sleepphones put pressure on the sides of my head preventing me from falling asleep?
Hopefully not enough pressure to prevent you from sleeping. It's important to get the right size so that it's not too tight around the head. At the same time, if it's too loose, it may slip around too much when you sleep or the speakers may be too far from your ears. If in doubt, order the smaller size, since SleepPhones tend to stretch a little over time. It may take a couple of night to get used to sleeping with a headband on.

Do you plug them in somewhere?
They do not need a separate power source. You can just plug them into your CD player or MP3 player. They are just basic headphones that will play anything you would like.

Does the wire actually come out the front?
Yes. It is normally worn in this way. The speakers do not fit if the wire is behind your head. We designed the wire to be in the front because most people sleep on their sides and backs. That way, you would not have to lie on the wire. The wire is usually pulled above your head. It then attaches to the music player which can be placed under the pillow or between the headboard and the bed.

Can you plug these headphones into a normal radio too?
Yes, you can plug them into a normal 1/8"/3.5mm jack for the radio. It's the normal headphone plug size.

I listened to the CD that came with the SleepPhones and tried to figure out why there is a humming in the background. Is it suppose to be there or do I need to turn the volume down?
The humming is actually the binaural beats. Try to ignore it. We made them as soft as possible but still audible so that they would work. If you listen to them very closely, however, they are very fast beats in the beginning and towards the end of the sleep tracks, they are much slower. If you can't hear the humming at all, then you may not be getting the full effect of the binaural beats. Studies have shown that they can still work at 1% of the total volume, but in our experience, it seems to work slightly better when louder than that. Ideally, they should be barely audible when you concentrate on them.

I would like to know if one always hears binaural beats while using the SleepPhones? Or, do you have the binaural beats because they are incorporated into the CDs or mp3 downloads?? I'd prefer having the option of NOT having binaural beats, if possible.
The SleepPhones will play any music and sounds supplied by the audio device. They do not automatically play the beats. The music in the included CD has the beats, but you don't need to listen to the CD. Feel free to use the SleepPhones like any other pair of headphones!

I will often listen to talk radio shows from a radio that only puts out a mono signal, thus only one side of the headphones will function. Do sleep phones have a mono-stereo switch?
Here is an adaptor you can use.

The speakers are less loud the further from the ears. What do I do about that?
True statement, due to basic physics. Smaller size SleepPhones will help the speakers be closer to the ears. This does help to increase volume slightly. Let me know if you would like to exchange for a smaller size.

What I'm worried about is that it seems that the iPod is attached to the head band. Because I sleep on my side and turn over through the night, how do I deal with the iPod flopping all over the place with me?
The wire is at least 4 feet long, so we've actually included a velcro tie to reduce the wire length as needed. I just stuff the iPod under my pillow. There is a button at the top that you can use to disable the click wheel and buttons. So once I start my playlist, set the auto sleep timer, and check the morning alarm, I flip the switch and stuff everything under the pillow (the side closer to the headboard). The wire comes out the front so you wouldn't have to lie on it, and it stays out of the way of hair, hands, and blankets.

Is it marked clearly which is the right and left ear? I need to know that for what I intend to use them for.
Although it is not marked, they are designed with the left and right where they ought to be because we intended for them to be used with binaural beats and possible subliminal messaging for certain applications (where each ear hears different inputs). Worn with the sheep eyelet standing on its feet with the wire in the front, SleepPhones should work well for your purposes.

Is the CD MP3 ?
The CD is in a traditional CD format. I don't think that there are any compatibility issues for CDs overseas. MP3 music can be downloaded from our website if you prefer.

Can you tell me whether I need an iPod in order to use this system?
You do not need an iPod to use this system, although having one would be able to take full advantage of all of the features for binaural beats. You can easily use a CD player with the CD that comes in the System. Just set your CD player to loop one sleep track the entire night, or you can set it to play just the sleep induction track once. If you want to listen to other CD programs for helping you sleep, that's perfectly fine too. SleepPhones will plug into any standard 3.5mm (1/8") jack.

Do you have to use an ipod or does the headband work to get rid of sounds?
The headband does not have any special equipment to get rid of external sounds. It would be like wearing 2 layers of fleece of your ears, which doesn't block out too much. But if you use an iPod or CD player or anything that will play music, you can drown out other sounds.

My wife and I would both like to sleep with your SleepPhones. Do we have to use two different iPods?
If the two of you both listen to the same track to fall asleep and you want to use just 1 iPod or CD player, you can just plug in a splitter. I'm sure you can get some for about $3 or less at other places, but for your reference, this is the splitter at radioshack.

I just purchased the sleepphones and have a question about how to properly set up playing the CD. The 2 sleeping tracks are 30 minutes long. Then there's the awake track. So if i just hit play on the cd player, there's only about 70 minutes of sleep inducing sounds followed by something to wake me up. How am i supposed to get it to play the sleep tracks for 7 or 8 hours followed by the wake up track?
Unfortunately CDs only hold about 74 minutes of music, and we wanted to include enough tracks on the CD for people to have some options. Using a programmable MP3 player is best (such as an iPod), since you can then control for tracks that help you fall sleep, stay asleep, and wake up. Some CD players have a sleep function where it automatically turns off at a specified time. To get both the sleep and wake up capabilities, your music player would need to be programmable.

Do you have any data to indicate that this is an effective way to sustain sleep?
A well-conducted medical experiment takes hundreds of thousands of dollars, clearance by many scientific and ethics boards, and many years. We are planning to conduct a well-designed double-blind placebo-controlled trial in the future, but we are a small company right now and do not have the resources (that is, money) yet. Dr. Lai is a clinical family doctor - the type that you see for a physical or a cold, not a medical researcher. She does not conduct medical experiments. SleepPhones have not been approved by the FDA for treating sleep disorders.
However, previous research on binaural beats shows that it is quite effective. There are many competitors in the binaural beat field who have done independent research, but they do not also offer the sleep headphones. We welcome you to do your own research online regarding binaural beats. We have heard from many very satisfied customers, and their comments are listed in the testimonials section of our website.

If one does continue to listen to the binaural beats tracks throughout the sleep session, does this factor result in difficulty waking?
Not if a waking track is used for the period just before the alarm. The included CD has a track that helps you to wake up. If you can program your music player, you may be able to set the track as your alarm.

If a person is listening to binaural beats tracks with the SleepPhones product, will they be unable to hear the alarm offered to awaken by a usually adequate alarm clock?
You will be able to hear the alarm clock fine. It will only be slightly attenuated by the fabric around the ears.

How do I program my iPod?
If you have an iPod or an iPod nano, you can program it to shut off in 30 minutes of sleeping and set an alarm for the morning. download ipod_clock_programming.pdf

• On your computer...
  1. Load up iTunes
  2. Insert your CD and import the songs to iTunes, or download the MP3's from this website
  3. The track information should automatically load from iTunes. If not, you can rename the tracks.
     • Track 1: Harriman Birds
     • Track 2: Waveny Rain
     • Track 3: Wake Up!
  4. Add a playlist by clicking on the + sign on the bottom left. Name the playlist for the sleep tracks, such as "Sleep Brainwaves."
  5. Add another playlist for the morning tracks, such as "Morning Brainwaves."
  6. Drag Harriman Birds and Waveny Rain into the sleep tracks playlist.
  7. Drag Wake Up! to the morning tracks playlist.
  8. Safely disconnect your iPod by ejecting it from iTunes.
• On your iPod...
  1. From the top menu, click on Extras then Clock.

  2. If you have not set your clock, you may set it now. Once set, click on Clock.
  3. Take note of the Alarm Clock and Sleep Timer features.
  4. Click on Alarm Clock to turn it on, set the time you want, and select your morning playlist as the sound to play.
  5. Next, set the Sleep Timer to 30 minutes.
  6. Click on the Menu button to get to the top menu.
  7. Select Music then Playlists then your sleep playlist then the song you want to help you sleep!
  8. You're done!
• In the future, all you need to set is the Sleep Timer, unless your alarm time changes.