ADJUSTMENT OF SENSORY STIMULATION INTENSITY TO ENHANCE SLEEP SLOW WAVE ACTIVITY

摘要

A system is configured to provide sensory stimuli to a subject at a first intensity level, determine the effectiveness of the provided sensory stimuli, and incrementally increase the intensity level of the sensory stimuli based on the determined effectiveness. The effectiveness determination and the corresponding intensity increase are repeated one or more times during a given slow wave sleep episode. The system is configured to continue the effectiveness determinations and the corresponding intensity increases during the slow wave sleep episode until the intensity level reaches a maximum level, until an arousal level of the subject breaches an arousal level threshold, and/or until expiration of the period of slow wave sleep.

主权项

1. A system configured to manage a current sleep session of a subject, the system comprising:
one or more sensory stimulators configured to provide sensory stimuli to the subject; one or more sensors configured to generate output signals conveying information related to a current sleep stage of the subject during the current sleep session; and one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising:
a sleep stage module configured to determine the current sleep stage of the subject based on the output signals, the sleep stage module configured to determine whether the subject is presently in slow wave sleep;a slow wave sleep timing module configured to determine individual time periods of slow wave sleep during the current sleep session based on the sleep stage determinations by the sleep stage module;a control module configured to control the one or more sensory stimulators to provide the sensory stimuli to the subject during the individual time periods of slow wave sleep, the control module configured to control the one or more sensory stimulators to provide the sensory stimuli at a first intensity level during a first individual time period of slow wave sleep;an effectiveness module configured to determine an effectiveness of the provided sensory stimuli, the effectiveness being related to an increase in slow wave activity caused by the sensory stimuli, the effectiveness being determined based on the output signals, the effectiveness module configured to determine a first effectiveness of the sensory stimuli provided at the first intensity level during the first individual time period; andan adjustment module configured to cause the one or more sensory stimulators to increase the intensity of the provided sensory stimuli based on the determined effectiveness such that the intensity of the provided sensory stimuli is increased to a second intensity level based on the first effectiveness, wherein the effectiveness module and the adjustment module are configured to repeat the effectiveness determination and the intensity increase one or more times during the individual time periods of slow wave sleep until expiration of the individual time periods such that the effectiveness module determines a second effectiveness of the sensory stimuli provided at the second intensity level during the first individual time period of slow wave sleep and the adjustment module causes the one or more sensory stimulators to increase the intensity of the provided sensory stimuli to a third intensity level.