Use of a wearable device to improve sleep quality

Area of Science:

• Sleep Science
• Environmental Health
• Digital Health Technology

Background:

• Environmental noise is a common disruptor of sleep.
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep due to noise affects many individuals.
• Digital wellness devices offer potential solutions for sleep disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a digital wellness device in improving sleep by mitigating environmental noise.
• To analyze the impact of the device on sleep onset latency (SOL) and overall sleep quality.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-five light to moderate sleepers with noise-related sleep issues participated.
• Objective sleep data were collected using wireless electroencephalogram (EEG) monitors.
• Subjective data included sleep diaries and user experience surveys.

Main Results:

• The digital wellness device significantly reduced both perceived and objectively measured sleep onset latency (SOL).
• Participants reported subjective improvements, with 100% feeling the device blocked noise and 86% falling asleep more easily.
• No significant objective differences were found in other primary sleep architecture outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The digital wellness device aids in faster sleep onset, particularly in noisy environments.
• While subjective sleep quality improved, objective measures did not show significant changes in all parameters.
• Noise-masking digital wellness devices show promise for enhancing sleep in disruptive environments.