One in three U.S. adults is sleep deprived, one in seven has a sleep breathing disorder, and half often have trouble falling asleep. The consequences of poor sleep can be significant, even life threatening. Regular poor sleep increases an adult's chance of dying by 15%, and increases the risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, and depression. As a result, solutions that help people get a better night’s rest could substantially improve health — and several will hopefully be available soon on a nightstand near you.

Recently, Amazon obtained Federal Communications Commission approval to develop radar-enabled devices for automated determination of sleep patterns. This announcement follows on the recent launch of Google's Nest Hub, which uses Google's Soli chip (low energy radar technology), microphones and other sensors, as well as machine learning, to conduct contactless sleep monitoring and allow for data-driven personalized sleep recommendations.

Google's Soli uses millimeter wave technology to detect the position and velocity of nearby objects. When this type of device is placed in your bedroom, it can record a complex array of signals about sleep patterns. 

Researchers developed a machine learning model to interpret the device’s data. It uses the radar signals to accurately determine your sleep status. 

The information is then combined with other sensor data, such as sounds, light levels, and temperature, to correlate sleep disturbances with environmental factors. Ultimately, it will provide data to explain why we’re not sleeping well. This data will help people and their doctors to develop an action plan for getting a better night’s sleep. 

While the technology is consumer-grade — and not yet approved for medical use — it’s another great example of how researchers and technologists are finding ever more creative ways to use technology to measure biometrics continuously, non-invasively, and conveniently. 

By generating actionable insights to help people sleep better, the technology has the potential to improve the health and wellness of millions.

There are dozens of potential causes of sleeplessness and insomnia. If you’re staring at the ceiling and counting sheep more than occasionally, or if you are consistently getting less than seven hours of sleep each night, reach out to your primary care doctor for help. Don’t have a doctor? Get a great one with HealthTap. Choose your own doctor and see them for all your virtual visits right from the comfort of your home.