Multiple physiological inputs to optimise real-time biofeedback through artificial intelligence to improve sleep in insomniacs

The amount we sleep has been increasingly recognised as having an important impact on our health and well-being. Over recent years we have become increasingly aware of the effects that sleep has on both our physical and mental health. Even one bad night's sleep or late night can affect a person's mood, alertness and memory. The long-term effect of poor sleep can cause a range of life-threatening conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression. Sleep deprivation was recently identified by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a global epidemic.

The economic costs of poor sleep are huge and lead to a staggering annual productivity loss; US $411bn, Japan $138bn, Germany $60bn and UK $50bn. Unsurprisingly, the sleep aid market is global, demanding and growing, and expected to hit $101.9bn by 2023 with 6.5% CARG (RAND Europe, 2016).

Our mission is to rid the world of addictive sleeping tablets and provide a good night's sleep for everyone, improving health and well-being.

SleepCogni has identified an urgent clinical need for a solution that aids diagnostics, provides treatment and monitors adherence. The SleepCogni system provides an innovative technological solution to this problem. SleepCogni has developed and patented a wearable and bedside device designed to be used within a subject's home, which will provide support to sleep clinicians, through longitudinal data, enabling a fully informed diagnosis. It can also deliver a treatment for insomnia using light, sound and tactile cues personalised through a biofeedback system.

We now seek to optimise SleepCogni's capability of treating insomnia using SleepCogni's patented active biofeedback which is personalised through our artificial intelligence capabilities using the 20 physiological, behavioural and environmental sensors on the SleepCogni devices. We are working with leading experts in social psychology at Sheffield Hallam University to achieve our goal.

SleepCogni is entering a market where current treatment methods come at a substantial cost. Sleep lab testing costs between $1300 to $5000 - for one night. Sleep treatment equipment such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), machines for sleep apnoea, typically cost $700 to $4000. Through exports and local manufacturing SleepCogni would make a significant impact on the UK economy.