Sound Oasis

One of my favourite memories from a trip to Amsterdam two years ago will surprise many of you; the discovery of a fabulous new alarm clock. We rented a houseboat, and in the bedroom was this nifty gizmo which had you waking to a variety of sounds, from birdsong or rain fall, to the soothing sound of the surf.

On our return home we bought a similar clock, but when we travel, however, we have a small travel alarm clock which has one sound which is a repetitive, annoying electronic beep. That is, until now.

I was recently introduced to the Sound Oasis Travel Sleep Sound Therapy System, a device which is not only a portable alarm clock, but doubles up as a treatment for jet lag, and helps you to block out annoying noises while you try to sleep. Reminiscent of a retro portable radio, it comes in two colours - silver and white - and has a blue LCD screen. It also comes with a power adaptor with removal plugs for use in different countries (USA, UK, Australia and Asia), and a sleeve to keep it in.

Using the Sound Oasis is easy. You have the option of plugging it in and running it off electricity, or popping in four AA batteries; there's also a backup battery system so your settings are saved when you need to change the batteries or if there's a power outage. Here are some of the features:

• There are travel time and home time settings
• 18 nature and relaxation sounds from ocean surf to thunderstorms and birdsong
• Four sounds can be used as alarm settings including one for jet lag reduction
• There's a white noise setting with a timer to help you drift off to sleep
• The timer has four positions from 30 minutes to continuous sound
• There's also a "gradual off" volume reduction feature

Not only does this unit look great, but it is also lightweight, portable, and an important sleep aid which tells the time and wakes you up on demand.

If you really want to get serious about your slumbers, you can consider adding a pair of optional SleepPhones to enhance your experience. In essence they're tiny speakers housed in a fleecy headband, which can be used with a variety of gadgets including an iPod or a Sound Oasis - anything which has a headphones jack. 

They are super easy to use. All you do is wear the headband John McEnroe style (to the uninitiated or too young, that's around the forehead and back of the head), adjust the speakers so they sit over your ears, then plug the jack into your device and set it to play.

Where the Sound Oasis is concerned, if you're having trouble sleeping but your partner isn't, you can tune into the white noise setting, or the jet lag reduction setting to help you get your zzzz's. They come in three colours - black, soft grey and lavender - and the headband is washable, with the speakers removable.