SOMNIA: Smart Use of Data
For scientific research, data from large numbers of patients is essential. Linking patient care with scientific research has proven to be an effective solution. We ask patients at the Center for Sleep Medicine, when appropriate, if we can anonymously store their sleep registration data in the SOMNIA database. Data obtained from diagnostic investigations can often be effectively utilized for scientific research.
In addition, some patients who undergo sleep monitoring are asked if a new sleep registration technology can be tested simultaneously. Until now, polysomnography has been the only truly reliable method for recording and evaluating sleep. However, polysomnography is cumbersome and not always comfortable for patients. Within SOMNIA, new measurement techniques for sleep monitoring are being evaluated. These techniques aim to minimally disrupt sleep, allowing them to be relatively easily integrated into standard sleep recordings. Examples include wrist heart rate monitors, pressure sensors under the mattress, cameras, or radar systems. Ultimately, many of these new registration techniques aim to make sleep studies feasible in home settings as well.