Device from MIT Startup Helps People Fall Asleep–Putting Your Mind on ‘Do Not Disturb’

October 28, 2024 journo

A team of MIT graduates has invented a commercial device that will give an alternative to sleeping pills for those who struggle to sleep.

It’s a minimally disruptive headband that looks like something that would be sold at an Apple Store. Technically speaking it’s an electroencephalogram (EEG) that sends audio waves into the brain to better align the brain regions to help the onset of sleep.

In a small study of the effects of the EEG headband, called Elemind, individuals with sleep-onset insomnia were able to fall asleep 10 to 15 minutes faster when wearing the Elemind.

Elemind was founded by David Wang and Ed Boyden—both graduates of MIT, and along with helping people who have trouble sleeping, the method may also be effective for slowing or preventing cognitive decline.

“We wanted to create a nonchemical option for people who wanted to get great sleep without side effects, so you could get all the benefits of natural sleep without the risks,” says Meredith Perry, Elemind’s CEO.

“There’s a number of people that we think would benefit from this device, whether you’re a breastfeeding mom that might not want to take a sleep drug, somebody traveling across time zones that wants to fight jet lag, or someone that simply wants to improve your next-day performance and feel like you have more control over your sleep.”

The founding scientists got their start using transcranial electric stimulation to try and moderate essential tremor syndrome but later moved to a less-regulated, less-explored field: sleep.

“We have a theory that the sound that we play triggers an auditory-evoked response in the brain,” Wang told MIT press. “That means we get your auditory cortex to basically release this voltage burst that sweeps across your brain and interferes with other regions. Some people who have worn Elemind call it a brain jammer. For folks that ruminate a lot before they go to sleep, their brains are actively running. This encourages their brain to quiet down.”

Indeed, one of the marketing angles is “put your brain on Do Not Disturb” which is a pretty convincing pitch.

Those interested in the headband can preorder it through Elemind for $99 in advance of the $350 cost.

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