It was only a matter of time for another anti-snoring smart pillow to come on the market. When I discovered the Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snore Pillow, I knew I had to try it out and see if it was effective.
The Company
Nitetronic is a German company that started in 2011. The company has been successful in Europe, selling over 10,000 units and has now entered the U.S. market.
How the Nitetronic Pillow Works
The Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snore Pillow monitors your breathing sounds and head position on the pillow throughout the night. It has air chambers and sensors built into the pillow which detect snoring and will gently turn your head to the side to stimulate the relaxed muscles that are causing you to snore. These pillow movements are gentle enough that they do not wake the user or your bed-partner. If snoring begins again, the pillow simply inflates again.
Setting Up the Nitetronic Pillow
Setting up smart devices isn’t always easy, but this pillow is straightforward. Just switch out your current pillow with the Nitetronic pillow and plug the pillow into your nearest outlet. Place the base on a nearby nightstand or near you on the floor and download the two Nitetronic apps that work with the pillow.
The Nitetronic Apps
Nitetronic has developed two apps to work with its Anti-Snore Pillow. The first app is the Nitelink App from Nitetronic. This app is used to record your snoring using the microphone on your mobile phone. I downloaded the Android version of the app and it worked well. It was on par with other sleep apps like SnoreLab. This app does appear, however, to still be in development, as the app shows some Chinese characters.
The second app developed by Nitetronic for its Anti-Snore Pillow is the Nitelink2. The Nitelink2 app monitors your snoring by connecting the pillow with your phone through Bluetooth. For those of us who like to see the numbers, the app produces a sleep efficiency score for you to view in the morning. This app has good data results, such as head position charts and information on your sleep.
Nitetronic developed the Nitelink2 app to enable you to get a baseline snore percentage that can be tracked over time. Nitetronic suggests using just the app (and not activating the pillow) for three nights, to set your baseline snore percentage. After getting your baseline, Nitetronic recommends turning the pillow on so you can track whether your snore percentage decreases with continued use.
My Experience
First, I have to say that the only real problem is this is a firm pillow and overall uncomfortable at first.
First Night of Use
The first night, I only used the Nitelink app (I started using the Nitelink2 app later on) without the pillow activated to see what my snoring percentage was. I ended up with a 14% snore rate. This about the same as my long term average using the SnoreLab app on Android of 15%. This pillow is very firm, and it was difficult to fall asleep.
Second Night of Use
During the first part of the night, I woke up once when the pillow inflated. I do not know if that was the only time it inflated. The inflation on the pillow was slight and hardly noticeable. The engine does make a little noise when it is inflating. I also woke up at 3:45AM and was unable to fall back asleep for the rest of the night. I suspect it was because I was not used to the pillow. During the time I was awake, the pillow inflated even though there was no snoring. I suspect that running a heater or fan nearby or having your partner get out of bed in the middle of the night triggers the pillow to inflate. The app said I snored 5% of the night. This is really good, and compared to my SnoreLab long term average of 15%, the Niteronic did reduce snoring.
Subsequent Nights of Use
I decided to continue using the pillow using the SnoreLab app as this is my standard for snore testing. After several nights I was used to the pillow firmness.
My snoring rate was approximately 50% lower with the Nitetronic. Snore snore was 12 on SnoreLab, my lowest ever. My snore recordings with the Niteronic sound like heavy breathing instead of snoring, so the pillow does work to reduce both snore quantity and volume. In the future I will be testing this pillow in combination with mouthpieces, nasal dilators and other anti-snore devices. Stay tuned for blog posts on that.
Here’s a snapshot of the Nitelink2 app:
Pros of the Nitetronic Pillow
Cons
[rwp-review id="0"]
Final Thoughts
If you like a firm pillow, then the Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snore Pillow might be the pillow for you. Snoring rates are lowered. The sensors work very well and the apps provide informative insight to your sleeping habits. Order at the Official Nitetronic website here.
Several sleep aids include apps that maximize the use of the sleep device. We have reviewed the Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snore pillow, which we found to be a superior pillow that inflates when it detects snoring. The pillow has two apps you can download to provide you with detailed and accurate information about your snoring habits.
This post reviews the free Nitetronic Nitelink app.
The Nitetronic Nitelink App
The Nitetronic Nitelink app was originally published by Nitetronic Hong Kong Ltd. In July 2015, and is available for various Android and Apple products. The software only takes 19MB of storage and is available in English. This software is intended to determine the effectiveness of the Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snoring Pillow but can be used to record snoring with or without the Nitetronic pillow. The app records the amount of snoring during the night by activating your device’s microphone for recording.
This app has received limited publicity - as of this writing there are only 14 reviews on Google Play for the Android devices and zero on iTunes. Of the Google Play reviews, the app has received a 3.5-star rating. The app’s relative obscurity, however, is not an indication of poor functionality. This app provides accurate data and does so for free.
You do not need to purchase the Nitetronic pillow to download and use this app. You can use this free app with any other sleep aid to help you determine the effectiveness of the sleep aid in reducing your snoring.
You can maximize the Nitelink app’s full functionality when you connect it to the Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snoring pillow. It continuously records sleeping data in the background as long as your phone or tablet is connected by USB to the Nitetronic pillow. If there is an unexpected disconnect between your phone and the pillow, the app’s software will automatically resume recording once the USB connection is restored.
Further, to limit the amount of tinkering you must do with the app each night, you can preschedule the start and stop time of recording by the app by connecting the device to the pillow. Recognizing that the app might drain your battery since it runs the entire night, the software allows you to turn off the app’s screen while it still records in order to conserve your battery life.
Although the Nitelink app does not save and archive all nightly recordings, it does allow you to compare snoring rates across days, weeks, months, and years. The app has strong charting capabilities.
The raw data the snoring software collects includes sleeping time, start time, stop time, snoring time, and snoring percentage. The app can present all your sleeping records in a one-page summary, which is a useful and easy way of interpreting the data.
You can also have your sleeping data shown in list form. When the data is presented in this way, the app allows you to delete and edit entries. I found this useful when I needed to delete erroneous recordings, which in turn, helped ensure the data I was looking at was an accurate portrayal of my nighttime snoring.
My Experience
I used this app the first night without any sleep aids to get my benchmark snoring percentage. Without any sleep aids, my snoring benchmark percentage was 14%. This put me in what the app determines is the mild snoring range. I then used the app with the Nitetronic pillow connected to it. The app demonstrated that with the pillow, my snoring percentage dropped down to 5%. So not only was the pillow effective in reducing my snoring percentage, but also the app demonstrated exactly how effective the sleep aid was.
By having the raw data available to me through the app, I could see a demonstrable change. This helped with my decision to keep using the Nitetronic pillow.
Pros
Cons
The Nitelink app is a handy app that takes minimal space on your phone but provides top service. At zero cost, this app provides accurate data on your snoring patterns and can be a great companion device as you test out either your Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snoring pillow or any other pillow for snoring.
Nitetronic is a company founded by German engineers, with a patent founded in November 2011. Hubertus von Janecek owned the patent and had the idea behind creating an interactive snoring pillow with a smart mobile app. The first goodnite™ pillow sample was completed in December 2011. By May 2012 production had started on the pillow and sales began in June. The company started growing, and by March 2015 the pillow was launched in China.
Second Generation Pillow
Soon After, in January 2016, a next generation pillow was announced. A nitelink2 app was also developed which works in tandem with the 2nd generation pillow and gives users the ability to manage their success in reducing snoring.
The Nitetronic company has offices in Hamburg, Los Angeles, and Shangai.
2014 Sleep Study
The Nitetronic pillow is the only smart anti-snoring pillow with clinical sleep studies to back up results. The clinical sleep study was conducted in December 2014 in Mannheim, Germany with over 150 patients. The results were a roaring success for the Nitetronic anti-snoring pillow.
With every single patient, a reduction in snoring occurred while using the Nitetronic pillow. None of the sleepers reported being disturbed by the inflation or deflation occurring with the pillow. All patients had no change in sleep time with the activated Nitetronic Pillow.
Contact Nitetronic
email: [email protected] or phone: 888-SNORE-66 (888-766-7366)
Nitetronic Returns
Unfortunately, all sales are final with the Nitetronic Pillow. This is an unfriendly consumer policy, and we do not endorse this return policy. If the pillow does not work to reduce your snoring, you are not able to return for a refund. There is a one year warranty for defective parts on the pillow.
Nitetronic Anti-Snore Pillow - Discount Coupon Code
From time to time SnoringHQ can offer exclusive coupon codes for you to use for to use for the Nitetronic anti-snoring pillow.
About the Nitetronic Pillow
The Nitetronic is the only snoring pillow that has a sleep study to back its success to prevent snoring. The pillow also includes Bluetooth connectivity to an app on your phone to monitor your nightly snoring rates. The Nitetronic pillow is one of the highest rated snoring pillows we have reviewed.
Nitetronic Coupon Code
Currently, there are no coupons being offered. However, check with the official Nitetronic website and try subscribing to their newsletter.
Please let us know how the Nitetronic goodnite™ pillow works for you.
Your pillow is one of the most important items to help you get a restful and snore-free sleep. There are innumerable types of pillows in the market, but when you start talking about anti-snoring pillows, there are two that stand out in the field: the Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snore Pillow and the Smart Nora pillow. I’ve tested each of these pillows and compared them here to give you my take on each pillow and which one I think is the winner.
How Do These Smart Pillows Work?
Both the Smart Nora and the Nitetronic pillow use the same technology and concept to prevent snoring. When the pillow detects snoring sounds, each pillow gently inflates by 2-3 inches for a short period. This change in pillow position causes the sleeper’s head to adjust slightly upward and then lower while the pillow deflates. By changing head position, both pillows give the snorer a breathing reset, which eliminates snoring for 5 to 30 minutes. This inflation and deflation process repeats itself throughout the night as the pillow detects snoring sounds. The inflation in each pillow is gentle enough not to wake the snoring sleeper.
Each pillow uses a different method to detect the snoring sounds. The Smart Nora uses a small device, called a Pebble, that can be mounted on your headboard, wall, or sit on your nightstand. It is wireless but does require charging for power. The Nitetronic pillow uses sensors that listen for snoring. These sensors are built into the custom pillow. Both pillows have advantages and disadvantages to the type of sound sensor they use.
The method these two pillows use for inflation is also different. The Smart Nora uses the Air Tube, which is a pillow insert that works in conjunction with your existing pillow. Getting to use your current favorite pillow, instead of adjusting to a new pillow, is a big bonus to the Smart Nora pillow. The Nitetronic is a custom inflatable pillow, with sensors built in. It is a hard pillow, which at first is a little uncomfortable and it can take you some time to adjust to the feel of it. Unlike the Smart Nora, the Nitetronic pillow connects to two apps (Nitelink and Nitelink2) via Bluetooth to help track your snoring levels and head position.
My Experience with the Pillows
Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snore Pillow
The Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snore Pillow was very easy to use and had a simple and straightforward setup process. You plug the pillow into the closest outlet and connect the pillow to the two apps via Bluetooth. The two companion apps (Nitelink and Nitelink2) are useful for tracking your head position on the pillow and capturing the sounds of your snoring. If you need to use additional anti-snoring devices while sleeping you can use the apps to see if they are effective in reducing your snoring.
Ordering the pillow is very easy, and with the SnoringHQ discount, costs $220. The Nitetronic is a hard pillow, so it does take some time to get used to sleeping on it, particularly if you are used to sleeping on a softer pillow. Unlike the Smart Nora pillow, there is no delay on the inflation, so it might inflate when you are talking to your bed partner right before falling asleep. You can adjust the goonite™ pillow’s sensitivity settings using the Nitelink2 smartphone app. The pillow is designed to respond when three conditions are met: snoring detection, snoring vibration and head position. It shouldn’t react to any surrounding sound like fans or air conditioners.
Smart Nora Pillow
The Smart Nora Pillow was an easy to use pillow that put a stop to my snoring with little effort on my part. It was relatively easy to set up, although it did take me a couple of nights to find the right sensitivity setting. The Smart Nora uses an Air Tube, which is an inflatable pad that goes underneath your personal pillow. I did find that if the Air Tube is not positioned precisely underneath your pillow, it will not reposition your head properly when it inflates.
The first couple of nights the pillow did inflate based on extraneous sounds in the room. Because the pillow picked up other noises in the night, if you are a quiet snorer, this pillow might not be the best solution for you because the pillow is likely to be activated by other noises in the room. Unlike the Nitetronic, the Smart Nora has the Pebble. The Pebble has a microphone built into it to detect snoring and communicates with the Air Tube to inflate when triggered. I found the Pebble to be one more item to keep track of among my electronics that I must keep charged. It needs to be charged every 5-7 days, which I found to be a little too frequent. The Smart Nora has a delayed start to its sound detection, allowing you to talk to your spouse (or yourself!) before you fall asleep without triggering the inflation.
The Smart Nora regular cost is $300. Often, they run promotions and as of May 25th, 2017 the price was $259. You do need to test the pillow 7 to 14 days but it is returnable up to 30 days if it does not work out for you. Nora has a 30-day, 100% money back guarantee policy. They even pay for the return shipping label.
[table id=30 responsive=collapse /]
[table id=31 responsive=collapse /]
Winner: Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snore Pillow
After extensive testing of both anti-snoring pillows, we’ve determined the Nitetronic goodnite™ Anti-Snore Pillow to be the clear winner. A combination of price, warranty and features clearly indicates the Nitetronic provides the best value for your money. As of May 26, 2017, the Nitetronic is less expensive than the Smart Nora.
We found the technology for the Nitetronic goodnite™ much easier to understand and use. The inflation on Nitetronic is also quieter. Depending on how often you snore at night, quieter inflation could mean the difference between a restful night of sleep and one that is constantly interrupted.
The ability to use the Nitetronic apps for iPhone or Android makes it more attractive to potential users also.
The only downside to the Nitetronic is that it is not quite as comfortable as the Smart Nora. It took a few nights to adapt to it.
The Smart Nora requires some set up of the base and continued charging of the Pebble. The Nitetronic only requires plugging the pillow into the closest outlet and connecting it to the companion apps via Bluetooth.
The availability of the Nitelink and Nitelink2 apps for the iPhone and Android add a lot of value to the Nitetronic pillow. Both apps provide quality data on your sleeping patterns.