Head Encircling Sensory Deprivation Pillow

Abstract

A sleep-enhancing device comprising an elongated pillow that wraps around the eyes and ears of the user and is thick enough to enable the user to rest their head on a hard surface without any part of their face touching the hard surface.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 13 / 389,240, filed Feb. 6, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention generally relates to pillows; more particularly, the present invention relates to sleep-enhancing devices for resting a user's head while occluding light and sound during use.[0004]2. Background[0005]A full and restful sleep period is necessary to a full and productive waking period. However, an individual often sleeps in a situation that is uncomfortable, bright and / or noisy. For example, traveling businesspeople often find it necessary to sleep in loud, bright and uncomfortable airplanes, and college students often find it necessary to nap and / or sleep at their library tables, desks or student centers. Unfortunately, the sleep achieved in such situations is often interrupted by light, noise and discomfort, thereby limiting ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is a sleep-enhancing device that provides comfort for a user who is resting their head on a hard surface. This device has several technical effects. Firstly, it blocks light from entering the user's eyes, so they don't feel uncomfortable during rest. Secondly, it blocks some sound from entering the user's ears, which further improves the quality of sleep. Lastly, this device is designed to cover the user's eyes and not allow any light to leak in, which makes it more comfortable for the user.

Problems solved by technology

However, an individual often sleeps in a situation that is uncomfortable, bright and / or noisy.

For example, traveling businesspeople often find it necessary to sleep in loud, bright and uncomfortable airplanes, and college students often find it necessary to nap and / or sleep at their library tables, desks or student centers.

Unfortunately, the sleep achieved in such situations is often interrupted by light, noise and discomfort, thereby limiting the benefits of the sleep period.

While the device of Laporte occludes both light and sound, the device requires that unsanitary and uncomfortable earplugs be inserted into the user's ears, and further fails to provide any means of padding for the user's head, thereby necessitating the user to use a separate expensive and bulky pillow device to attain comfortable conditions for sleep.

Although this device can occlude sound, its elastic means of attachment is impractical and uncomfortable.

However, the “U” shaped device is limiting in the variety of sleeping positions it affords a user, and would be of little use if it were to be displaced in sleep.

Further, having two separate units is inconvenient to pack and transport, expensive to manufacture and complicated to use.

However, this device is bulky, expensive to manufacture, complicated to wear and impractical to transport and use.

Further, this device is supplemented by a “U” shaped pillow portion to support a user's head, thereby limiting the variety of the user's possible sleeping positions.

While de Cordova teaches a means of light and noise occlusion and a means of padding for the sides and back of the user's head, its construction is complicated and expensive to manufacture.

Further, its design requires that it be worn in strict orientation on a user's head, and as such, its effectiveness is compromised when displaced during sleep.

Most importantly, the device of de Cordova fails to provide a means of padding for the front portion of a user's head, rendering the device ineffective and uncomfortable for a user sleeping in a position in which the front portion of the user's head and face, such as the user's forehead, ocular regions, nasal regions, cheekbones and temple regions, are resting against a firm surface (e.g., desk).

Generally, there are limitations associated with prior art sleep-enhancing devices.

For example, prior art sleep enhancing devices are uncomfortable and complicated to use, inconvenient to transport, expensive to manufacture, can be rendered ineffective if shifted during use, and can fail to provide sufficient padding for a user's head during use.

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