Place your phone inside. Close the lid. Breathe in the cedar. Your mind registers: the day is over. Sleep follows naturally.
The Evening Ritual
Screens do not just steal your time — they keep your nervous system in a state of alertness long after you put them down. The problem is not willpower. It is the absence of a clear signal.
CedarSilence creates that signal. The act of placing your device inside the box, closing the lid, and breathing in the cedar is a three-part ritual that your brain quickly learns to associate with the end of the day.
Within two weeks, the scent alone begins to trigger a measurable shift toward parasympathetic activation — the physiological state required for sleep onset.
Your phone and tablet go inside the box. The physical act of putting them away — not just face-down — creates a clear boundary. Out of sight, out of reach, out of mind.
The soft click of the cedar lid is itself a transition sound. Deliberate. Gentle. Final for the evening. This tactile moment is a signal no notification sound can replicate.
Eastern red cedar releases cedrene and cedrol — terpene compounds shown to reduce cortisol and activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Three slow breaths. That is all.
The rest of the night is yours. No checking. No blue light. The box holds the day so you do not have to. Morning brings it back to you, along with a full night of rest.
The Science
Olfactory signals are the only sensory input that reaches the limbic system — the brain's emotional and memory center — without passing through the thalamic relay. This means scent bypasses the analytical mind and acts directly on the areas that govern stress, memory, and sleep.
Cedrol, a sesquiterpene alcohol abundant in cedar heartwood, has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to measurably reduce salivary cortisol levels within 15 minutes of inhalation in resting subjects.
Pavlovian conditioning via scent is among the fastest to form and most durable. Within 10–14 days of consistent use, the cedar scent alone begins to trigger the pre-sleep hormonal cascade — without any additional effort.
Placing devices inside an opaque wooden box eliminates blue-light exposure at the critical pre-sleep window. Even ambient display glow suppresses melatonin production. The cedar box creates a physical blackout for your devices.
The Collection
Each box is handcrafted from eastern red cedar in our Vermont workshop. The interior is lined with untreated soft cedar to preserve and intensify the natural scent. All hardware is solid brass. No stains, no varnish — the cedar breathes naturally.
Single Device
Sized for one smartphone. Fits all phones up to 6.7” with or without a case. Solid eastern red cedar, brass latch, cedar-lined interior.
Duo
Two chambers. For couples who want to close the night together. Each chamber sized for a phone up to 6.7”. One shared ritual.
Full Device
Sized for tablets up to 11” alongside a phone. One box to hold everything. For practitioners who want a complete digital sunset.
The Craft
Each CedarSilence box is made one at a time in our small workshop in Woodstock, Vermont. We use eastern red cedar sourced from sustainably managed forests in the Appalachian region. No MDF. No veneers. No shortcuts.
The interior is lined with raw, unfinished cedar planks to maximize scent release. The exterior is lightly sanded to 220 grit and left completely natural — no stain, no varnish, no sealer. The wood breathes. So do you.
Every piece of hardware is solid brass, hand-fitted and tested before the box ships. The lid is tuned to close with a specific weight and sound — deliberate, unhurried, final.
From Our Customers
I have tried every sleep app, every blue-light blocker, every meditation technique. None of them worked as consistently as simply putting my phone in the box. The cedar smell changed something. I fall asleep within minutes now.
We bought the Partner Box for our anniversary. We have a ritual now — phones in the box, lid closed, we look at each other. It sounds small but it has genuinely changed our evenings. The craftsmanship is extraordinary.
As a sleep researcher I was skeptical about the scent conditioning claim. Two weeks of personal use and I was converted. The olfactory pathway to the limbic system is real and cedar is an excellent vehicle. Beautiful object too.
Your phone will be there in the morning. Rested, charged, waiting. Tonight, the cedar holds it. You hold nothing.
Shop the CollectionQuestions
Anything not answered here — reach us at hello@cedarsilence.com. We respond within one business day, Monday through Friday.
Eastern red cedar is naturally aromatic and the scent lasts for years without any treatment. If the scent fades slightly over time, a light sanding with fine-grit sandpaper on the interior will refresh it immediately. No oils, no sprays — the wood does the work.
The Nightbox fits all smartphones up to 6.7” including in most standard cases. The Partner Box fits two phones up to 6.7” each. The Tablet Vault fits tablets up to 11” (iPad Pro, Samsung Tab, Surface Go) alongside one phone. Exact interior dimensions are listed on each product page.
No. Every CedarSilence box is left completely untreated. No stain, no varnish, no oil, no sealer. The exterior is sanded to 220 grit for a smooth feel. The interior is left rougher to maximize scent release. The cedar is its own finish — and its own scent source.
We offer 60-day free returns on any box in its original condition. Every box carries a 1-year craftsmanship guarantee against any defect in joinery, hardware, or finish. If the latch fails, the hinge loosens, or any joint separates within a year, we repair or replace it free of charge. Start a return at cedarsilence.com/returns.
Yes. Laser engraving is available on the lid of any box. You can add a name, a date, a short phrase, or a simple geometric design. Select the engraving option at checkout and enter your text. Engraved boxes ship in 5–7 business days. Engraving adds $24 to the order.
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. All transactions are secured with 256-bit SSL encryption. We do not store payment card details on our servers.