The Remee (The REM enhancing eyemask) began its life as a Kickstarter project that ended up receiving far more funding than originally requested. I didn’t jump in early – I ended up ordering one after it was fully funded and almost ready for production. My single order cost $95. This isn’t an item to order spontaneously if you’re expecting to have your own Inception going on.

So, what is it? Well, it’s a device intended to assist in achieving lucid dreams. Lucid dreams are ones in which you become aware that you’re dreaming – if you’d like to know more you can find plenty of information via Google search. It does this by flashing red LED lights at set brightness levels and with a programmed delay. The intention is for the flashing to bleed through into your dreams and effectively remind you that you are dreaming.

It’s a topic I’ve had a mild interest in for a couple of decades but I’ve never put much time or effort into (for example, keeping regular dream journals, etc). I’ve had a handful of spontaneous lucid dreams that I can remember but that’s about it. Many years ago I saw ads for similar devices but they cost far more than I ever wanted to spend.

Is this device just a scam? No. I don’t think so. The concept is based on scientific research that’s been on-going for decades. Will it work for everyone? Probably not. Some people will quit before they’re fully accustomed to it or have found their ideal settings. Others may find that it helps right away and I’m sure there will be many who simply never find any benefit from it. It’s best to think of this device as being an aid rather than the complete solution.

Has it worked for me? Not yet. But I’m not giving up any time soon. I’m well aware that any change in sleep habits or patterns can take a long time to become accustomed to and I’m working through the awkwardness of trying to wear the Remee and my CPAP mask at the same time. Fortunately, I use a mask that makes this possible because it doesn’t have a support running up to my forehead, unlike my older mask. Some nights I’ll sleep with it on but other times I’ll go without it.

If my experience changes I’ll add some notes to this post.

Updated 02/20/2013: I don’t have much to add. Every now and then I’ll try sleeping with it on but it’s rare that I’ll leave it on all night. It doesn’t work well with my CPAP mask. Most of the time the strap doesn’t go around my head the way it would for most, due to the mask, so it ends up resting on my ears. When going to sleep it doesn’t bother me but by morning it can actually make my ears sore from the small amount of pressure over the course of a night. Unfortunately, I usually remove it before I enter the longer REM stages.

Updated 05/22/2013: I’ve basically given up on this. I don’t think it’s a scam but I also don’t think it’s very useful since it can’t detect when you’ve actually entered REM sleep.