Electronic Lullaby
Scientists have developed a device to improve the quality of sleep with the help of sound
Alexandra Medvedeva, Naked Science
Many people in the world face sleep disorders. In particular, the elderly suffer from this problem, as the phases of deep sleep become shorter and more superficial with age. Deep sleep is necessary to restore the energy consumption of the brain and the normal functioning of memory, in addition, it has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.
During deep sleep, the brain generates a slow delta rhythm (0.5-4 Hertz). Scientists have found that these waves can be maintained and amplified with the help of synchronized sounds that a person will listen to during sleep. Although the technique has proven itself well in laboratory studies where conditions can be fully controlled, there has not yet been a device for daily home use.
Now, as part of the SleepLoop project, researchers from the Swiss Higher Technical School of Zurich and the University Clinic of Zurich have developed a device that can be used at home. The SleepLoop device is a headband worn at night before going to bed. The bandage consists of electrodes and a microchip that constantly measure the brain activity of a sleeping person.
The obtained data are analyzed autonomously in real time using special software. As soon as the sleeper has the rhythms of the brain characteristic of the deep sleep phase, the system begins to generate sound signals that the user hears through headphones. The sleeper does not realize that he hears sounds, and they do not interfere with his rest in any way.
Scientists presented the results of clinical trials of the device in the journal Communications Medicine (Lustenberger et al., Auditory deep sleep stimulation in older adults at home: a randomized crossover trial). The study involved people aged 60 to 80 years who suffered from sleep problems. They used the device on their own, every night for four weeks. Moreover, sound stimulation occurred only two weeks from this period, but the subjects did not know which ones.
Most of the participants experienced an increase in theta rhythm during deep sleep. However, individual differences persisted: some responded very well to stimuli, while they practically did not affect the quality of other people's sleep. Scientists used this data to better predict a person's reaction to such therapy. This helped optimize the performance of SleepLoop.
Now researchers are working on preparing the device to enter the clinical market. SleepLoop will be exclusively a medical gadget that can be purchased only by a doctor's prescription and used under the supervision of specialists.
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