'Breathing' Minnie Mouse Doll Helps Kids Fall Asleep

Little kids have a tendency to grow attached to their stuffed animals. Like a security blanket, their favorite soft, plushy toy may become an essential part of their everyday lives, and an absolute must when it’s time to go to bed. Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy capitalized on that fact, and has developed a toy that will help parents get their kids to sleep.

Hug and Dream Minnie Mouse is a plush doll that can soothe children to sleep with simulated breathing. If your kid is going to sleep with a toy anyway, why not give them one that will actually help them fall asleep?

Takara Tomy worked with cognitive and respiratory specialist Ikuo Honma to develop a doll designed specifically to be the ideal nighttime companion. Here’s how it works: When children go to bed holding the doll against their chest, they feel its slow-paced breathing pattern, which replicates that of someone sleeping peacefully. The doll doesn’t look quite like Minnie Mouse, mainly because it has muted colors designed to avoid stimulating the mind in a way that would keep someone awake.

Hug and Dream Minnie will be available in Japan on Nov.1, and costs just over 3,700 yen ($50 USD). For parents who aren’t living in Japan — don’t worry. You can import one from Japan Trend Shop, but it’ll cost you a hefty $101. Then again, if the doll works as well as it should, it would be worth twice as much for overworked parents…or insomniac blog editors.

Mike Epstein
Geekosystem