No one’s gonna argue about the importance of a good night’s sleep but I have to raise an eyebrow when I see someone selling a $2,500 alarm clock that claims to give you a better sleep but isn’t covered in valuable gemstones. The NightCove from Zyken uses a combination of specially engineered lighting and sounds that not only help you fall asleep and wake up more naturally but also seems to encourage the body’s phases of light sleep, deep sleep and REM sleep.

The colored lighting apparently helps influence the brain’s production of melatonin which is linked to the body’s transitions between feeling awake and feeling sleepy. So when you use a regular light bulb for reading before bed you can throw off the levels of melatonin which in turn makes it harder to fall asleep. The lighting in the NightCove however is specially tuned to keep things in balance which should make it easier to drift off when you’re ready. In the morning it then wakes you up gradually with a combination of blue and white lights to ensure you feel awake instead of wanting to hit the snooze button.