The future is coming a lot faster than you may have thought.

[image error] For those of you who have read my debut novel, Post-Human, you might recall that I open the story with the protagonist, James Keats, being awakened by the nanobots in his body "just before the end of his most recent REM sleep, so that the host would arise alert and feeling well rested." 

There is a new app for the iPhone called "Sleep Cycle App," and here's what it says about it on the app store: "Sleep Cycle always tries to wake you in your lightest sleep state -- the natural way to wake up where you feel rested and relaxed."

Yep. It's already here. I wish I'd thought of it. Oh wait. I guess I did. Well then, I wish I'd actually made the app. This is how it works:

"Since you move differently in bed during the different sleep states, Sleep Cycle can use the sensitive accelerometer in your iPhone to monitor your movement to determine which state you are in. Science instead of chance."

It is the top selling app in several countries, having sold over 100 000 copies, and is extremely well-reviewed. I haven't used Sleep Cycle yet, but I'll be trying it out tonight and letting you know how it goes.