Sleep disorders are very common in modern society. Mild forms are familiar to everyone, and up to 10 to 20 percent of adults suffer from organic sleep disorders. Diagnosing sleep disorders, however, often requires extensive and expensive sleep recording at a sleep laboratory. 

Researchers at two Finnish universities have developed a new technology for screening and even diagnosing sleep disorders. The first application of the new technology, a smart alarm clock for mobile phones, HappyWakeUp®, is now available. It is the first health-promoting mobile phone application in the world.

At Tampere University of Technology, MSc Väinö Virtanen started recording and analyzing snoring two years ago to develop a simple screening method for sleep apnea. "Very soon we noticed that a common microphone is very sensitive to any sounds produced by movements in the bed," says sleep specialist Tapani Salmi, MD, PhD. As a result, the phone can detect the sounds indicating that the sleeper is "almost awake."

If the sleeping subject is awake or "almost awake" due to the natural sleep rhythms, the smart alarm clock gives an alarm signal just before the ultimate alarm time. During these moments, the body and brain are already awake, and waking up is natural and easy. "It is an arousal clock rather than an alarm clock," says Salmi.

The alarm time is set normally with the mobile phone, and the mobile phone is located beneath the pillow or near the sleeping subject. The appropriate almost-awake moments are detected by the microphone. During the last 20 minutes before the ultimate alarm time, if there are movements indicating that the sleeping subject is "almost awake," the analysis is activated to give a soft alarm signal. If the subject is sleeping calmly, no alarm signal is given before the ultimate alarm time.

"An alarm signal during deep sleep is stressful and familiar to everyone, but with the smart alarm clock, this is avoided. After a trial period of some days or a week, you start to notice the benefits," promises Salmi. The continuous use of the clock helps the internal clock in your brain learn the proper sleep rhythms. 

"Pleasant mornings help avoid stress in your body and brain. Elevated stress levels are associated with several risk factors and even diseases, such as hypertension and problems with the heart and brain. HappyWakeUp is not a medical product or treatment to any disease, however. In case of sleep-associated diseases and symptoms, you should contact your doctor," says Salmi.

HappyWakeUp® is available for Nokia smart phones based on S60 3rd ed FP1 platform at happywakeup.com. 

Microphone to detect other sleep disturbances

The sensitive microphone recordings can also be used to monitor other aspects of sleep. The same technology can be employed to detect restless sleep, leg movements associated with restless leg syndrome, and snoring and sleep apnea. The new technology is extremely cost-efficient compared to existing special medical recording devices, and it can also be used to perform repeated all-night recordings and diagnose sleep disorders in areas without sleep recording facilities.

Source: EurekAlert, happywakeup.com