Following four years of development and an initial year-long beta program, URGOTECH has announced, at CES 2020, the final features and commercial availability of its ground breaking device –URGOnight. Leveraging neurofeedback therapy, it is the world’s first daytime sleep training system that trains the brain to produce the brainwaves clinically associated with sleep.
Comprised of a wearable Electroencephalogram (EEG)-headband and app, it helps people naturally learn to increase the brainwaves that impact sleep, using technology that has been clinically proven to help people to fall asleep 40% faster and cut nighttime interruptions by half.
The Science of Sleep
Neurofeedback therapies use real-time displays of brain activity, audio and visual cues and reward strategies to teach people to identify and modify behavior to influence a desired outcome. They are used to treat and manage conditions such as sleep, ADHD, improve critical thinking, athletic capabilities and even musical performances. Until now, they are carried out in a clinical environment with medical professionals, however for the first time, URGOnight brings this medical-grade capability into the home.
During the night, our brains emit waves known as “sleep spindles” that control multiple aspects of sleep including how fast we fall asleep, progress through various sleep cycles and how sleep is protected from environmental disturbances such as sounds. The frequency of Sleep Spindles can be increased in the unconscious brain by increasing the frequency of sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) brainwaves we produce during the day. It is these SMR waves URGOnight is able to detect and people can learn to control, leading to better sleep by increasing the speed at which people fall asleep and reducing the number of times they wake up during the night.
How It Works
Worn and used during the day, rather than at night, the adjustable headband is easy and comfortable to wear and uses sophisticated sensors to measure brainwave activity. Advanced hardware and software engineering were needed to transform a traditional EEG system, which is typically large, cumbersome and comprised of multichannel (typically 8) using multiple wet electrodes, into an aesthetically pleasing and comfortable headband people would want to wear.
The system is designed to be used 20 minutes a day, three times a week. People place the headband comfortably over their head and connect it to the dedicated iOS and Android app. Within the app, users can see their brainwaves in real-time before they start the dedicated 20-minute brain training exercises.
The sleep training programs consist of playful exercises inspired by various themes. Within the games, users are assigned tasks (that are triggered when SMR waves are produced) and see their results, scores and in real-time. There are several themes to choose from with tasks ranging from growing leaves on trees, herding jellyfish and drawing relaxing patterns.
The app also allows users to access stats and achievements and share successes and progresses on social media. A virtual coach in the app guides them throughout their journey, explaining the exercises and providing advice on improving scores. Programs continually adjust to the individual user to ensure their brains are in a constant learning curve and results continue to improve over time. With just minutes a day, people begin to see results after 10-15 sessions and sustainable results after 40 sessions.
“Just as you can train your body to run faster, jump higher, swim further or become more flexible, clinical studies have shown neurofeedback therapy can help people learn how to improve the quality of their sleep,” said Guirec Le Lous, Founder of URGOTECH, the company behind URGOnight. “The technology has been used in clinical sleep centers around the world for decades and now with URGOnight, we are making it more fun and accessible and conveniently usable in the comfort of the home.”
