An absolutely surreal week for Sleepout
Giveaways, sleep scientist Q&As, DRAGONS' DEN, oh my... {Hannah writing}
Hey everyone, Hannah here. We said we’d only send you the really important updates — it’s been three weeks since we announced Sleepout (portable blackout curtains company) and Mark and I can’t believe how much has happened.
We wanted to share a few highlights with you. We wanted you to be the first to know we’re partnering with Jaspr Air to giveaway a $2,000 medical-grade HEPA Air purifier for free. We’re doing this to raise awareness for our Kickstarter launch coming shortly in June! Read on for details on how to be first to enter below and please help us by sharing the contest on social media (you’ll get extra entries for doing so).
Coming up:
Dragons’ Den
Jaspr Air Giveaway
“Science of Sleep” series
1. We got invited to audition for Dragons' Den!
We can’t believe it. We both grew up watching the show since it first aired in 2006. We weren’t going to try until next year, but when another Dragons’ Den alumni Co-Founder told us to go for it, we took his advice and sent in a tape with no expectations of hearing back.
But we did hear back. Here’s the email:
This week is pitch practice bootcamp. We’ll be going over this pitch in our sleep by the end of it… To get as much preparation as possible, we’ve lined up a bench of 3 Dragons’ Den and 2 Shark Tank alumni companies to grill us this week!
2. We’re giving away a $2000 Jaspr Air Purifier in April!
As a fan of ours you’ll get a chance to win a $2000 medical-grade Jaspr Air purifier before anyone else! (Read the Jaspr Air story)
Jaspr Air is a medical grade HEPA air purifier capturing 99.97% of harmful pollutants, including viruses, bacteria, pollen, allergens and mold spores. The Jaspr Air has commercial grade sensors to track air quality 24/7 and a smart mode to automatically adjust based on how many pollutants are in your home (trust us, you will be surprised!). Air purifiers can help you sleep too! Many of us have allergens in our home that can actually cause us to wake in the middle of the night.
Businesses, hospitals, dentistries, and schools have been using Jaspr Air to kill COVID and reopen, and most people notice that cleaner air = better sleep.
There’s never been a better time to own a HEPA-grade air purifier!
Want to enter first? Use the button below or click here.
3. Introducing “Science of Sleep” - a free Q&A series with the world’s top sleep researchers.
Mark and I are huge nerds so we were very excited on the calls we had this week with the sleep scientists who’ve offered their time and expertise for our sessions.
We’ll host sessions on all kinds of sleep-related topics: child & infant sleep, light & circadian rhythms, sleep & other medical disorders, and more.
Our first session is on Sleep & Performance with Dr. Michael Grandner.
Really neat tidbit: Dr. Grandner, who’s hosting our first session, has given sleep advice to Barack Obama! Tune in on April 27th to hear the full story.
Mark and I are going to stay on after the first session to answer questions about the business, so we’d love for you to come hang out with us! I’ve included a link where you can sign up: Attend the webinar!
4. Sleep facts
According to the National Sleep Foundation, light is the most important external factor affecting sleep.
The connection goes deeper than what’s intuitive — light plays a central role in regulating your 24-hour circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock that signals when to be alert and when to rest. Light also affects the production of melatonin, an essential sleep-promoting hormone.
Many of us know blue light from cell phones and computer screens can be harmful to sleep, so use blue light blockers on our devices as the sun sets. But according to Jamie Zeitzer from Stanford University (who will be speaking at another of our Sleep Science sessions about light and circadian rhythms), the psychological stimulation from these devices can be just as disruptive to your sleep as the light itself.
To improve your sleep, think of your relationship with light on a 24-hour cycle. Get bright light in the morning and darkness at night, and take note of artificial light sources that can complicate things.
Thanks for reading everyone. As always, we appreciate your support and would love your thoughts - please let us know what you think!
If you have anyone who might be interested in what we’re doing, we’d love your help spreading the word.
Until the next one,
Hannah & Mark