Summary
A smart sleep-environment control system that monitors both indoor and outdoor wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and automatically adjusts indoor thermal conditions to mimic natural outdoor nadirs or inflection points, thereby promoting more natural and restorative awakenings.
Background
Modern insulated, climate-controlled environments disconnect people from natural temperature and humidity rhythms, which can disrupt sleep and contribute to insomnia. Current aids such as wearables, light-based alarms, or basic thermostats fail to reproduce natural environmental cues. Pharmacological interventions are often relied upon, but these carry risks of side effects and dependency. There is an unmet need for a non-drug solution that uses environmental modulation to promote healthy sleep and natural wake cycles.
Innovation
This invention integrates real-time indoor WBGT monitoring, optionally paired with outdoor environmental data, to drive environmental actuators (such as HVAC systems, humidifiers, or air conditioners). The system is programmed to bring indoor conditions to a nadir or inflection point aligned with the desired wake-up time, effectively recreating the subtle environmental shifts that naturally cue waking outdoors. Through sensors, processors, and automated control, it provides a biologically aligned, non-intrusive means to enhance sleep quality and facilitate awakening.
Advantages
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Promotes natural wake-up rhythms by replicating natural environmental dynamics.
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Non-pharmacological approach, avoiding risks associated with sleep medications.
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Automated and adaptive system that responds to real-time data.
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Compatible with a wide range of HVAC and environmental devices.
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Customizable to individual preferences or environmental conditions.
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Applicable across multiple living and travel environments.
Potential Applications
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Residential smart-home systems for natural awakenings.
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Hospitality and wellness lodging to enhance guest sleep experience.
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Aviation and marine cabins to improve circadian alignment in transit.
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Clinical sleep therapy and insomnia treatment environments.
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Integration with wellness technologies, apps, and smart-home ecosystems.
Patent
US 11,519,621 B2 – Systems, Methods, and an Apparatus for Controlling a Sleep Environment and Waking a Sleeping Person.
Filed: October 11, 2019
Issued: December 6, 2022
Patent Record
Publications by the Inventors
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Malungo I.B., Gravett N., Bhagwandin A., Davimes J.G., Manger P.R. – Sleep in two free-roaming blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), with observations on the agreement of polysomnographic and actigraphic techniques. IBRO Neuroscience Reports (2021).
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Manger P.R., Bhagwandin A., Davimes J.G., Philander I.B., Siegel J.M. – A Preliminary Description of the Sleep-Related Neural Systems in the Brain of the Blue Wildebeest. Anatomical Record (2019).