Emerging sleep “enhancement” technologies

Sleep is essential for optimal health, well-being and performance, with NREM and REM sleep each playing a role in maintaining optimal brain states. Slow wave sleep (SWS) is the deepest and most restorative stage of NREM sleep and is critical for cognitive function and aspects of brain and physical health. Advancing age, some psychiatric conditions, and challenging/diminished sleep opportunities lead to a reduction of SWS levels. Recent technologies have thus been developed to restore or enhance SWS using non-invasive brain stimulation techniques. This article explores the use of these technologies in enhancing SWS, and the potential benefit on physiological and psychological functioning, across different populations. Although other aspects of sleep remain important for optimal function (e.g., REM sleep), technologies focused on these aspects of sleep are fewer and in their infancy. While current technological approaches to enhancing sleep are promising, more research is needed to understand their long-term effects and potential benefits.