Withings has added new capabilities to its sleep sensor mat, the Withings Sleep, that it says will track and provide detailed information about breathing disturbances experienced during the night. Available to all current Sleep owners after performing an app update, the new feature charts their breathing disturbances over time and provides educational content to help users recognize the signs of sleep apnea.
The new feature acts as a first step towards Withings’ strategy to introduce even more advanced sleep diagnostics including sleep apnea detection. Withings aims to add these capabilities by the end of 2019, subject to FDA and CE clearances.
According to the company, the new Withings Sleep breathing feature provides users with an early warning system to allow them to identify hard to diagnose potential issues and where appropriate, seek medical advice.
Breathing disturbances is a free upgrade for Withings Sleep and was developed and extensively tested by sleep physician Dr Pierre Escourrou within the Paris-Béclère hospital sleep lab using polysomnography (PSG) analysis.
Withings Sleep is a mat that fits under the mattress and after a onetime setup automatically provides a look at users’ nights by monitoring sleep cycles, tracking heart rate, and detecting snoring. The new feature monitors vital signs such as respiration and heart rate, as well as motion and snoring to track and chart the intensity of breathing disturbances throughout the night. The Health Mate App rates the intensity of those disturbances from low to high and provides monthly charts where people can visualize occurrences and take any necessary actions, such as seeking medical care.
The app also provides educational content around breathing disturbances and their impact on sleep quality and overall health issues such as blood pressure, fitness, and weight. It also provides information on sleep apnea, its signs and correlation to more chronic conditions.
“Despite its prevalence and serious consequences, sleep apnea goes largely undetected as current tests are confined to the clinical and sleep lab environment,” says Eric Carreel, president of Withings, in a release. “By allowing people to track the intensity of breathing disturbances, we are helping them identify warning signs early. This announcement is very important as it furthers our mission to bring medical grade analytics into the home and is the first step towards the medical certification of sleep apnea detection which we aim for by the end of this year.”
Breathing disturbances is available from March 12, 2019 to all current and future uses of the Withings Sleep device. Updates to the Health Mate App are freely available at the App Store and the Google Play Store, and Withings Sleep is available for $99.95 at withings.com, Amazon, and in local retailers.
Launched in 2018, Withings Sleep is an affordable Wi-Fi enabled sensor mat that fits under the mattress. It uses the ballistocardiography method to monitor heart and respiratory rates, as well as detect motion and snoring to provide data and advice to help people track and improve sleep.
