SleepSmart Project

Investigators: Hisato Kobayashi, HF Machiel Van der Loos, PhD, Maurice LeBlanc, MS, Joe Norman, BS, and Joel S. Ford, MS

Summary: Inadequate sleep is a chronic problem for a significant portion of the population. Consequently, everyday activities, level of function and safety are negatively impacted. In a joint project between the Center for Design Research and the Rehabilitation R&D Center, we are developing SleepSmart , a product to monitor people unencumbered and unattached to any devices while asleep, with the goal to use the acquired information to improve quality of sleep. Having developed a prototype, we seek funding to continue this work which we think has both important social value and large market potential.

Problem: Quality of sleep has a direct effect upon waking performance, attitude, and quality of life. Causes of poor, unrestorative sleep are ubiquitous yet often unknown to or unheeded by the sleeper.

Description: SleepSmart is a home-use product designed to provide feedback in a completely non-intrusive manner on the effect of lifestyle and sleeping environment upon quality of sleep. This information can then be used to improve sleep characteristics and thereby quality of life.

Approach: The current design of SleepSmart includes methods for assessing surface body temperature, body position and movement, interface pressure, and breathing rate. Possible future extensions of the SleepSmart's capabilities include monitoring of heart rate, stress level, environmental temperature, snoring sound level, ambient light, and blood oxygen content.

Significance: One-third of the day is spent sleeping. During this period, there is no way presently to monitor the changes continually in the environment and body that affect how long and how restorative sleep actually is. SleepSmart will provide feedback to indicate a person's quality, length of sleep, and other factors that affect rest at night. Based upon the characteristics of the data collected, SleepSmart will suggest possible strategies for improvement and provide biofeedback on the effects of medication or lifestyle changes.