Sleep researchers uncover mechanism for better sleep without more hours in bed
Decades of research into auditory stimulation point to new possibilities for enhancing the restorative function of sleep.
Researchers have found reliable ways to amplify the brain’s most restorative functions during sleep. The discovery challenges the long-held belief that the only path to better sleep is spending more hours in bed.
Scientists have been pursuing this goal for decades, and in the 1960s, researchers postulated that external stimulation could influence brain activity during sleep. Over the years, electrical currents and magnetic fields were tested, but the breakthrough came with precisely timed micro-pulses of sound, often referred to as phase-targeted auditory stimulation (PTAS).
By delivering PTAS at the right instant, scientists discovered they could increase delta activity, the synchronous firing of neurons that underpins the restorative function of sleep. This finding has reshaped how researchers think about what defines healthy sleep function.
In the past decade, research institutions across the US, Europe, and Australia have demonstrated powerful effects of this technology. PTAS has been shown to improve cognitive function[1,2], boost heart rate variability[3], and increase immune system response[4], among other benefits. Together, these results suggest that enhancing delta activity during sleep may be one of the most important frontiers in sleep science.
Now, a Sydney-based startup has created a sleep wearable that builds directly on this body of research. Affectable Sleep has overcome the challenges that held back previous attempts to make slow-wave enhancement accessible outside the lab. With patent-pending technology, the company has packaged the breakthrough in a consumer-ready product that delivers UltraSleep™, with the goal of enhancing sleep’s restorative function. Pre-orders opened in August, and demand quickly exhausted the initial discounted pricing tiers. First units are expected to ship in early 2026.
Affectable Pty Ltd is a wearable technology company based in Sydney, Australia. The company is developing consumer neurotechnology that enhances sleep’s restorative function. Its first product, Affectable Sleep, delivers UltraSleep™ through patent-pending technology packaged in a lightweight sleep wearable.
https://affectablesleep.com
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A small selection of sources. More than 50 published peer-reviewed studies available at https://www.affectablesleep.com/how-it-works
[1] https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13385
[2] https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afad228
[3] https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13545
[4] https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02170-3