Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have developed a soft, wearable sleep patch that helped participants reach REM sleep faster during real-world testing—without medication or surgery. Called NEUSLeeP, the innovative wearable device combines gentle ultrasound brain stimulation with electrodes that continuously monitor brain activity. This noninvasive approach allows the patch to target deep brain regions involved in REM sleep while tracking how the brain responds in real time.
“This is the first time we’ve been able to noninvasively target deep brain regions involved in REM sleep while simultaneously monitoring brain activity,” said Kai Wing “Kevin” Tang, a recent UT biomedical engineering Ph.D. graduate who led the research. “Our skin-attached NEUSLeeP patch opens up new possibilities for studying sleep and treating sleep disorders in home settings,” added Huiliang “Evan” Wang, assistant professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. Wang supervised Tang’s research and served as the project’s principal investigator.
Wearable Sleep Patch Helps Participants Reach REM Sleep Faster
The researchers evaluated NEUSLeeP in a study of 28 participants, with findings published in Nature Communications. On average, participants entered REM sleep 43 minutes earlier and spent approximately 16 additional minutes in the sleep stage.
The improvements were observed in both healthy sleepers and people who reported sleep difficulties. Participants also described the soft wearable patch as comfortable and safe, while the study recorded minimal adverse effects.
REM Sleep Stimulation May Support Stress and Emotional Health
Among healthy participants, NEUSLeeP stimulation increased heart rate variability, a measure often associated with the body’s ability to respond to stress. Brain imaging also showed changes in neural circuits linked to emotional processing, suggesting that the technology may eventually support mood regulation and psychological resilience.
“REM sleep is not just about dreaming—it is also important for emotional reset and stress adaptation,” explained Gregory Fonzo, assistant professor in the Dell Medical School’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and one of the project’s co-principal investigators. “By enhancing REM sleep, we may help people cope with stress more effectively and improve their overall well-being.”
Disrupted REM sleep has been linked to depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Existing treatments for sleep problems, including medication and behavioral therapy, can cause side effects or may not directly address the biological factors that interfere with REM sleep.
Future Clinical Trials Will Examine Insomnia, Depression and PTSD
The research team plans to conduct larger clinical studies to confirm the initial findings and determine whether NEUSLeeP can improve sleep in people with PTSD, depression and chronic insomnia. The wearable technology could also have applications in at-home sleep monitoring, neuroscience research and personalized sleep treatment.
“Our vision is a future in which patients with mental health disorders can optimize their sleep through a safe, noninvasive treatment,” said Vincent Mysliwiec, M.D., a professor at UT Health San Antonio, a leading sleep-disorders expert and another co-principal investigator. “This technology could help millions of people access the restorative sleep they need.”
Researchers Explore Commercial Development of NEUSLeeP
The research team is working with Discovery to Impact, UT’s commercialization unit, to advance the NEUSLeeP sleep patch toward potential market development. The researchers have also filed a patent application for the technology.
Additional team members include William D. Moscoso-Barrera, Mengxia Yu, Mengmeng Yao, Jinmo Jeong, Ilya Pyatnitskiy, Anakaren Romero Lozano, Jiachen Wang, Ju-Chun Hsieh, Tony Sungjin Chae, Daniel Song, Julieta Garcia, Rithvik Mittapalli and Adam Bush of the Department of Biomedical Engineering; Benjamin Baird of the College of Natural Sciences’ Department of Psychology; and Wynn Legon of Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.
Source: www.sciencedaily.com