Consumer Sleep Technology: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Position Statement

Abstract

Consumer sleep technologies (CSTs) are widespread applications and devices that purport to measure and even improve sleep. Sleep clinicians may frequently encounter CST in practice and, despite lack of validation against gold standard polysomnography, familiarity with these devices has become a patient expectation. This American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement details the disadvantages and potential benefits of CSTs and provides guidance when approaching patient-generated health data from CSTs in a clinical setting. Given the lack of validation and United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance, CSTs cannot be utilized for the diagnosis and/or treatment of sleep disorders at this time. However, CSTs may be utilized to enhance the patient-clinician interaction when presented in the context of an appropriate clinical evaluation. The ubiquitous nature of CSTs may further sleep research and practice. However, future validation, access to raw data and algorithms, and FDA oversight are needed.

Causes and effects of lack of sleep in hospitalized children

“…Insistence about clinical observation and the probable use of mass technology applications, whose scientific validation has yet to be tested, may be aspects to be discussed and probably implemented in the near future and in certain type of patients. 38 Sleep in critically-ill patients is frequently interrupted due to several environmental factors, invasive procedures, nurse care, pain, drug administration, etc. Setting up the protection of sleep among all members of the health care team in the hospital setting, especially in the intensive care unit, is a shared responsibility.…”

Causas y efectos en la falta de sueño en niños hospitalizados

“…Insistir en la observación clínica, así como en la probable utilización de instrumentos (apps) de aplicación tecnológica masiva, cuya validación científica no ha sido todavía probada, podrían ser aspectos para discutir y tratar de implementar, en un futuro cercano, en cierto tipo de pacientes. 38 El sueño es interrumpido en forma frecuente en los pacientes críticamente enfermos debido a numerosos factores, ambientales, procedimientos invasivos, cuidados de enfermería, dolor, fármacos, etc. Instalar en todos los miembros del equipo dentro de las paredes del medio hospitalario y, en especial, en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos la protección del sueño es una responsabilidad compartida.…”

Will Consumer Sleep Technologies Change the Way We Practice Sleep Medicine?

“…There exists substantial variability in the amount of validation of CSTs, yet the AASM position statement lumps these technologies together. 2 If the sleep community wishes to promote validation, we must recognize those entities that both share and reject the AASM focus on validation. 2 Specifying these differences will encourage entities allocating substantial resources to validation and challenge entities eschewing validation to either step up or fade away.…”

“…The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's (AASM) recent formation of a Technology Presidential Committee and publication of a position statement on CSTs highlights the importance of this issue to our collective future. 2 These actions demonstrate the AASM intends to shape this future rather than react to these imminent changes.…”