SLEEP 2024

Promoting impactful research to improve sleep quality

Sleep Number will present new research at SLEEP 2024 in Houston. Findings will show results of four studies leveraging smart bed data collected in a real-world, home environment, and the Smart Sleeper Panel, a cohort of hundreds of thousands of Sleep Number smart bed sleepers who’ve opted to participate in sleep science research. These studies further demonstrate the research capabilities of Sleep Number smart beds to understand the impact of sleep on health and advance sleep science without an in-lab sleep study.

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea association through the lens of a smart bed platform This research aimed to examine the relationship between snoring, sleep metrics, sleeper demographics and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The findings revealed a significant portion of people with sleep apnea snore, and detailed sleep data can help identify the risk of apnea more accurately among those snorers. Additionally, data from Sleep Number smart beds, combined with sleepers’ demographic information and snoring habits, can be used to screen for OSA risk from home, creating a non-intrusive and accessible way to alert individuals to possible health issues. Download Presentation

Is snoring associated with lower sleep quality? If yes, does that association depend on treated or untreated sleep apnea? Snoring is a common sign of sleep apnea and is strongly linked to daytime sleepiness and cardiovascular health. This research aimed to examine the relationship between snoring and sleep quality in sleepers with treated or untreated apnea. The research suggests that sleepers who snore—whether they are getting treatment for apnea or not—tend to have slightly worse sleep quality than healthy sleepers who don’t snore. And, sleep quality decreases as snoring becomes severe enough to be accompanied by diagnosed apnea. This could suggest that snoring may be a marker for sleep problems, even if the individual doesn't have a diagnosed sleep disorder. Download Presentation

Influence of sleep regularity, chronotype, and sleep duration on daytime sleepiness caused by sleep disorders This study looked at how keeping a regular sleep schedule, the total time spent sleeping and whether someone is an early bird or night owl can affect the link between sleep disorders and daytime sleepiness. The study found that daytime sleepiness is significantly linked with untreated sleep disorders. How regular, early or long individuals sleep doesn't change how sleepy they feel during the day if they have a sleep disorder. However, for healthy sleepers, going to sleep early and sleeping longer was linked to feeling more alert during the day. This suggests that not only is treating sleep disorders important for reducing daytime sleepiness, but for those without sleep disorders, maintaining good sleep habits can also make a big difference in how awake and alert they feel throughout the day. Download Presentation

Unobtrusive detection of heart-rate-dipping during sleep based on force sensors in a smart bed During sleep, one’s heart rate (HR) typically dips and goes up again in a regular pattern; the absence of this pattern is linked to a higher risk of mortality. Unobtrusive and longitudinal monitoring of HR patterns could be valuable for early detection of cardiovascular risk and to understand the health of sleepers with apnea. In this study, Sleep Number researchers developed an algorithm that estimates HR instantaneously about 92.6% of the time during sleep, allowing them to characterize HR patterns using data from a Sleep Number smart bed. This study demonstrates a novel method for unobtrusive, longitudinal and accurate monitoring of HR patterns during sleep using a Sleep Number smart bed equipped with force sensors. And, the development of an algorithm that estimates HR instantaneously allows for the characterization of HR patterns, which is valuable for the early detection of cardiovascular risk and intervention for individuals at risk for cardiovascular issues. Download Presentation