We've all been there. Your four year old bounds out of bed at 4:30 in the morning and insists that it's time to get up. REMI, a smart alarm clock for kids, is here to help. This connected device displays a sleepy face at night and a smiling, wakeful during the day. It also monitors the noise your child makes so you know when he or she is actually snoozing.
I had a chance to see REMI in action and was smitten not only by its innovative premise but also by its cute and colorful design. The device's bell shape, smooth surface and cartoonish face make it look exactly like a Pac-Man ghost. Both the facial features, eyes and a mouth, and the time are white lights that shine through the plastic. The $99 clock will come in pink, yellow, gray and, my favorite, teal blue when it ships later this year.
Using a phone app, you set which times are sleep times, during which the eyes appear closed. You can also program REMI to reward your chlid for sleeping through the night by showing a winky face when it's time to get up.
Young children can't tell time so seeing the sleepy face when they wake up at 5 a.m. could convince them to go back to sleep, without jumping on your bed. You can even set nap times.
Whether your child is a toddler or a newborn baby, REMI tracks their sleep patterns by measuring the amount of noise in the room. If your child starts crying or whining, REMI shows that as a spike in noise on its timeline.
Of course, if you're a parent and your child is crying, you probably noticed the noise and woke up. But, even if you know your baby started crying at 3 a.m. every night for a week, tracking that pattern over time could help you make adjustments to your routine.
REMI also works as a full-fledged baby monitor. You can listen in on it in real time and you can even talk through it to deliver a message to your child. You can play stories or music through the device, because it's also a Bluetooth speaker. And, with its bright white face, REMI is also a night light.
If you're interested in pre-ordering your own REMI, you can do so on its Indiegogo page. Early backers can get it for $69 or $30 off of its retail price.
