Systems and Methods for Optimization of Sleep and Post-Sleep Performance

• US 20100087701A1
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Brain Monitoring
• Original Assignee: Advanced Brain Monitoring
• Inventors: Davis, Gene, Yanagi, Matthew A., Popovic, Djordje, Berka, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,628,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0016 by the smell sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0022 by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0066 with heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0072 with application of electrical currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/06 Heartbeat rate only
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/10 Electroencephalographic signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/14 Electro-oculogram [EOG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/30 Blood pressure A61M2230/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/60 Muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/65 Impedance, e.g. conductivity, capacity

Abstract

Systems and methods for optimizing the sleep and post-sleep performance of individuals regardless of their environment and time available for sleep are provided. The systems and methods take into account factors that determine the effects of a sleep episode on dexterity, cognitive functions and the subjective feeling of fatigue after sleeping: duration and sleep architecture of the sleep episode, point on the circadian cycle at which the episode occurred, the amount of sleep debt accumulated prior to the episode and the subject'"'"'s susceptibility to sleep deprivation. The systems and methods include monitoring of sleep architecture over a longer period of time, measurement of accumulated sleep debt and assessment and/or tailoring of the sleep architecture for each subsequent sleep episode, determining a desired sleep state in which the subject should be in, and generating sensory stimuli for guiding the subject to the desired sleep state.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing sleep of a subject, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one physiological characteristic of a subject indicative of a sleep state;

determining a current sleep state of the subject from the at least one monitored physiological characteristic;

determining a desired sleep state for the subject; and

generating at least one sensory stimulus to guide the subject toward the desired sleep state if the current sleep state differs from the current sleep state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating at least one sensory stimulus to cause the sleeper to remain in the current sleep state if the current sleep state is the same sleep state as the desired sleep state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a sleep architecture record that includes current and previous sleep episode information for the subject;

wherein determining a desired sleep state for the subject further comprises;

executing a set of rules on the sleep architecture record for the subject to

determine the desired sleep state for the subject.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

attenuating at least one environmental disturbance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein attenuating at least one environment disturbance includes executing at least one of performing passive noise attenuation, performing active noise cancellation, and performing passive attenuation of light.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor stimulus for guiding the subject toward the desired sleep state includes performing at least one of:

decreasing sleep latency, increasing sleep efficiency, shortening the duration of a sleep cycle, and avoiding sleep inertia upon awakening.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring at least one physiological characteristic of a sleeper comprises monitoring at least one of:

brain waves, eye movements, muscle tone, respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, blood flow, blood oxygen level, blood chemistry, galvanic skin reaction, moisture, body position, and body motion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the thermal stimulus comprises heating or cooling at least one area of skin of the subject.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating a sleep period duration for monitoring the at least one physiological characteristic of a sleeper that is indicative of a sleep state; and

generating sensory stimuli at selected intervals throughout the sleep period duration to guide the subject through sleep stages so that the subject reaches a sleep stage near an awake stage of sleep during a predetermined time period at the end of the sleep period.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising

an environmental disturbance attenuation component configured to identify and attenuate or eliminate at least one environmental disturbance.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the physiological characteristic monitor is configured to monitor at least one of the following physiological characteristics of the subject:

brain waves, eye movements, muscle tone, respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, blood flow, blood oxygen level, blood chemistry, galvanic skin reaction, body position and body motion.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the stimulus generator is configured to generate at least one of an audible sound, a visible light, a thermal stimulus, a scent, a touch, a vibration, and an electric shock.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the thermal stimulus includes heating or cooling at least one area of skin of the subject.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the rules engine is configured to determine at least one sensory stimulus to cause the sleeper to remain in the current sleep state;

and wherein the stimulus generator is configured to generate the at least one sensory stimulus to cause the sleeper to remain in the current sleep state.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive feedback through the physiological characteristic monitor indicating whether the sleeper is moving toward or maintaining a desired sleep state;

adjust one or more characteristics of the sensory stimulus generated by the stimulus generator to further cause the sleeper to change to or remain in the desired sleep stage.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive an input indicating a sleep period duration for monitoring the physiological characteristic; and

generate sensory stimuli throughout the sleep period duration at selected intervals to guide the subject through a sequence of sleep states so that the sleeper is in a sleep stage near an awake state around an end of the sleep period duration.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein processor is further configured to generate sensory stimuli continuously throughout the sleep period duration to lead the sleeper through sleep.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising:

a memory; and

wherein the data processor is further configured to;

store information about the current sleep state in a memory upon determining the current sleep state.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the data processor is further configured to stores information about sleep architecture of the current and previous episodes of sleep in the memory.

10. An apparatus for optimizing sleep of a subject comprising:

a physiological characteristics monitor configured to monitor at least one physiological characteristic of a subject indicative of a sleep state of the subject and to generate physiological data representing the physiological characteristics of the subject;

a data processor for processing the physiological data, the data processor further comprising;

a sleep staging component configured to determine a current sleep state of the sleeper using the physiological data; and

a rules engine configured to determine a desired sleep state for the subject and configured to determine one more stimuli to guide the subject to the desired sleep state from the current sleep state; and

a stimulus generator configured to generate the one or more stimuli to guide the subject toward the desired sleep state.

21. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the environmental disturbance attenuation component is configured to perform at least one of:

performing passive noise attenuation;

perform active noise cancellation;

perform passive light attenuation.

22. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus comprises a standalone portable device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the apparatus comprises a standalone portable device that can be coupled to a control computer system comprising control software for programming the apparatus, the computer system being used to define thresholds and rules for determining a desired sleep state of the subject.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the apparatus comprises a standalone portable device that can be coupled to the control computer system using at least one of a wired connection, a wireless connection.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the apparatus may be in communication with the control computer system over the Internet, enabling the apparatus to be configured remotely using the control computer system.

26. A computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a computer system to perform actions comprising:

monitoring at least one physiological characteristic of a subject indicative of a sleep state;

determining a current sleep state of the subject from the at least one monitored physiological characteristic;

determining a desired sleep state for the subject; and

generating at least one sensory stimulus to guide the subject toward the desired sleep state if the current sleep state differs from the current sleep state.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, further comprising instructions, that when executed, direct the computer system to perform actions comprising:

generating at least one sensory stimulus to cause the sleeper to remain in the current sleep state if the current sleep state is the same sleep state as the desired sleep state.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26, further comprising instructions, that when executed, direct the computer system to perform actions comprising:

maintaining a sleep architecture record that includes current and previous sleep episode information for the subject;

wherein determining a desired sleep state for the subject further comprises;

executing a set of rules on the sleep architecture record for the subject to determine the desired sleep state for the subject.