Closed-Loop Auditory Stimulation to Guide Respiration: Preliminary Study to Evaluate the Effect on Time Spent in Sleep Initiation during a Nap

Various stimulation systems to modulate sleep structure and function have been introduced. However, studies on the time spent in sleep initiation (TSSI) are limited. This study proposes a closed-loop auditory stimulation (CLAS) to gradually modulate respiratory rhythm linked to the autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity directly associated with sleep. CLAS is continuously updated to reflect the individual’s current respiratory frequency and pattern. Six participants took naps on different days with and without CLAS. The average values of the TSSI are 14.00 ± 4.24 and 9.67 ± 5.31 min in the control and stimulation experiments (p < 0.03), respectively. Further, the values of respiratory instability and heart rate variability differ significantly between the control and stimulation experiments. Based on our findings, CLAS supports the individuals to gradually modulate their respiratory rhythms to have similar characteristics observed near sleep initiation, and the changed respiratory rhythms influence ANS activities, possibly influencing sleep initiation. Our approach aims to modulate the respiratory rhythm, which can be controlled intentionally. Therefore, this method can probably be used for sleep initiation and daytime applications.