A new dawn: The next frontier in AI-driven sleep enhancement through gradual awakening

Background: Given the prevalence of sleep issues, their impact on overall health and the potential of gradual awakening in mitigating part of the negative effects, innovative solutions can be leveraged to facilitate this awakening process. Objectives: The current study aims to present in detail and validate a novel system that utilizes advanced AI algorithms for sleep tracking, sleep stage prediction, and a "smart alarm" component for optimal gradual awakening. Methods: A clinical trial was conducted to assess the system's effectiveness, namely its influence on several key daily aspects. Participants wearing consumer wearable devices in their sleep were required to self-assess their quality of life, sleep quality and perception of their own waking process through several questionnaires. Results: The integrated system is developed and works as intended. The clinical study findings demonstrate statistically significant benefits in quality of life, sleep quality, user satisfaction with the waking process and mental status upon awakening. On average, an increase in WHOQOL-BREF score from 88.44 to 94.75, a decrease in Sleep Quality Scale scores from 65.66 to 58.19 and in awakening scores from 10.81 to 8.95 (the latter two scores decrease as outcome improves) were observed. Conclusion: Our system shows promise for enhancing individual well-being and productivity by detecting the optimal sleep stage for awakening and providing a more natural waking experience, indicating a valuable direction for future sleep health technologies. Research should be directed at expanding the search for more potential uses, optimizing algorithms and improving user experience.