Assessing Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for both physical and mental health, but it is hard to quantify the quality of sleep. Many studies that have shown that non-electroencephalography techniques are poor indicators of sleep/wakefulness to specific sleep staging (there is usually <70% agreement with polysomnography data). We are working with a novel sensor developed by Circadia to evaluate a new approach to non-contact sleep monitoring and sleep disorder assessment. This device sits beside the bed and uses sonar technology to track body movements, including respiratory motion, and estimates sleep/wake cycles. The validation of this innovative technology would permit remote, non-contact monitoring of individuals’ sleep and associated disorders in lieu of time-consuming sleep diaries and overnight outpatient studies. It would also allow data to be collected on patients using positive airway pressure therapy to gain more insight on non-adherence due to nocturia.