There is an app on the AppStore that claims to do something similar using only built-in phone hardware (accelerometer). Anybody got any experience with it? Seems like some reviewers claims that the readings are bogus. Is the accelerometer on the iPhone sensitive enough to register movements as claimed by the app? http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sleep-cycle-alarm-clock/id320...

I use Sleep Cycle when I absolutely need to be up at a certain time. I also like the no-alarm mode just for tracking sleep. When you first run it, they have a calibration mode where it makes a noise when it detects motion, so you can roll around in bed and listen for where you need to place it.

It probably depends on your mattress how well it works. If you've got a foam mattress or one of those ones with commercials of dropping bowling balls next wine glass towers, then yeah, maybe your phone won't pick it up. But it seems to work well enough with my cheap mattress.

In the morning, I can definitely see spikes on the graph for times I know I woke up to pee, so it's definitely detecting something. I don't know about those reviews that say they still get graphs with it left on the dresser; I've not tried that test.

I tried that out too, but it didn't seem to make it any easier for me to wake up (still felt sleepy/groggy). I decided to buy the Zeo since they had it at my local best-buy and I could easily return it. I honestly didn't expect it to work any better.

How do you handle having a band strapped to your head? Does it come off at night and most importantly does it feel comfortable?

It's pretty comfortable, I read complaints about it being too tight. It seems to come packaged at the tightest possible level (mostly I think this is to save space in the box it comes in). It took me a few nights of fiddling to loosen it enough, haven't had an issue comfort-wise since the first few days.

I'd say it comes off maybe twice a month or so. Mostly I think this is me moving around at night but it hasn't caused me any issue waking up, I have a pattern where I wake-up around 3am to go to the bathroom (and/or let my cat out) so when it has happened, I notice I'm not wearing it and throw it back on when I get back into bed. I've never had it come off and wake up in the morning without it on.

The only other issue to be aware of, the software can be a bit buggy. I updated it last week on a trip and it killed the app (would open, but as soon as I put the headband on it closed itself). I ended up having to remove it entirely from my iPhone and pull it down 'clean' from the appstore. Minor, but I lost my settings which were pretty easy to re-add.

Edit: I forgot to mention I use to be a caffeine addict in the morning, starting my day with a mountain dew, and in recent more healthy years, switched to green-tea. I no longer drink anything other than water with my morning vitamins. This is probably the most striking thing I've noticed about waking up at the 'right time'.