The majority of sleep-deprived parents (65%) across Europe with children aged two and under have less than five hours of sleep at night. Sixty percent of these parents also admitted that they resort to “dream driving” their children to sleep, 75% of whom say they do so at least once a week.
“Dream driving” refers to short journeys in a car with an internal combustion engine (ICE), the humming frequencies of which create a hypnotic soundscape that helps children go to sleep.
These findings came after the new consumer research conducted by Explain the Market and commissioned by Nissan among 7,500 consumers across England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Norway, and the Netherlands in November 2019.
Nissan also discovered that 70% of parents believe that dream driving depends on the vehicle’s movement, when in fact it is the soothing sound frequencies of the ICE that make a child fall asleep in a car.
While frequent dream driving helps parents pacify their kids, it leads to an increase in carbon footprint. The combustion engine in cars used in dream driving can emit up to 70,000g of CO2 emissions every year.
However, using electric vehicles (EVs) eliminate this dilemma as they utilize clean, renewable energy sources, instead of fossil fuels that produce CO2 (carbon dioxide) and GHG (greenhouse gases) emissions. Seventy percent of the parents in the study believe that EVs reduce their guilt around dream driving and want to become environmental models for their children.
As the world’s largest EV manufacturer, Nissan leads at the forefront of the automotive industry’s movement toward clean energy with the Nissan Leaf.
“An EV like the Leaf is a better choice for dream driving; although we are aware that the quiet soundscape might not be as effective as ICE cars. Combustion engines transmit a sound frequency, a combination of white, pink and brown noise varied in tone—creating an orchestral soundscape that is especially soothing and comforting to children,” said Paul Speed-Andrews, Noise and Vibration Development Manager at Nissan.
Offering a solution, Nissan has collaborated with renowned Sound Designer and Sleep Coach Tom Middleton in creating the Nissan Leaf Dream Drive. The first zero-emission lullaby, the Nissan Leaf Dream Drive is an album designed for inconsolable babies and children, containing five three-minute tracks that work with the advanced in-car technology within the Nissan Leaf.
“It is the world’s first collaboration with a car as a featured artist. In addition to the combustion engine frequencies that only children can hear—which help lull them to sleep—every sound you can hear comes from building an orchestra of sounds and rhythms from interior and exterior recordings of the Leaf,” said Middleton.
Dream driving with the Leaf also makes parents feel relaxed with the car’s e-Pedal functionality which allows for seamless driving and braking with a single pedal, resulting in a smoother ride. Another feature, ProPilot Assist, helps parents maintain a steady speed and a safe distance from other vehicles, reducing driver stress and keeping the passengers safe.
Combining early auditory development research with advanced in-car technology found within the Leaf, Dream Drive’s hypnotic soundscape makes babies and children fall asleep, helping parents relax and focus on the driving. Parents can connect their smartphones to their Leaf through Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, to enjoy Dream Drive on Apple Music, Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, and Deezer.