By R. Kirk Huntsman, Chairman & CEO, Vivos Therapeutics
LinkedIn: R. Kirk Huntsman
LinkedIn: Vivos
The rise of sleep tech is set to disrupt traditional sleep diagnostics, reshaping how we detect and manage sleep disorders. Valued at $62.54 billion in 2023, the wearable tech market is expected to triple by 2032, driven by a health-conscious consumer base. Once basic fitness trackers, wearables now feature advanced tools like sleep monitoring and stress detection. This shift is further fueled by the growing demand for preventive care and telehealth-driven remote monitoring.
FDA-approved wearables like smartwatches and rings mark a significant advancement in sleep apnea detection. These devices provide a non-intrusive alternative to traditional polysomnography (PSG), offering continuous overnight monitoring of heart rate and oxygen levels.
While PSG remains the diagnostic gold standard, its cost and inconvenience have spurred interest in wearable alternatives. Smart rings, wristbands, and AI-driven devices now offer early detection and real-time insights, helping bridge the gap in undiagnosed cases and empowering users to take charge of their sleep health.
The Rise of Wearables and AI-Driven Monitoring Technologies
The latest innovations in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) detection have introduced wearable devices that are reshaping sleep health management. These tools offer convenient, non-invasive solutions for tracking key sleep metrics such as heart rate, oxygen saturation, and breathing patterns. With advanced sensor technologies and AI-driven analysis, they provide users with valuable insights while ensuring clinical-grade accuracy. Below are some alternatives currently transforming OSA screening and early detection.
- Smart Rings: Equipped with PPG and motion sensors, these rings track sleep stages, heart rate variability, and oxygen saturation, offering real-time insights into sleep health.
- Chest Patches: These patches adhere to the chest and monitor vital signs such as respiratory effort, oxygen levels, and heart rate. Some AI-powered patches even use cloud-based algorithms for precise sleep apnea detection.
- Smartwatches: Modern smartwatches feature advanced PPG sensors that track wrist movements, heart rate, and breathing irregularities, helping detect potential signs of OSA. Some brands have integrated FDA-approved sleep monitoring features in their latest models.
- Smart Pillows: These pillows use IoT-based sensors to monitor respiratory patterns and adjust sleep positioning automatically, improving airflow during sleep.
- Fingertip Devices: Compact devices worn on the fingertip use PPG technology to continuously monitor blood oxygen levels and detect apneic events.
Revolutionizing Compliance, Cost and Convenience
A recent study revealed that 41.4% of wearable users worldwide have begun monitoring their sleep with sleep trackers, and more than one-third of Americans have used an electronic sleep-tracking device. This growing adoption of wearable devices demonstrates the increasing demand for accessible, non-invasive solutions for monitoring sleep health and underscores the potential of wearables to complement or even replace traditional diagnostic methods in many cases.
PSG requires patients to spend a night in a clinic, connected to bulky equipment that can be uncomfortable and disrupt natural sleep patterns. The process is also costly, time-consuming, and inconvenient, often leading to lower patient compliance and delayed diagnoses. Wearables, however, offer a more seamless and user-friendly alternative.
Key benefits:
- Improved compliance: Wearables offer a less intrusive and more comfortable alternative. This natural sleep environment ensures more accurate and consistent data, encouraging greater patient adherence.
- Lower cost: PSG studies can cost up to $4,000 per night, whereas many wearables provide comparable results at a significantly lower price point —from $30 to $800+. With wearables, you only need to make a one-time purchase, and you can continuously monitor your sleep data over time.
- Ease of use and convenience: Unlike bulky PSG setups, wearables such as smartwatches and smart rings are designed for daily use. These devices are lightweight, easy to operate, and do not disrupt users’ sleep routines.
- Scalable home-based screening: Wearables reduce the need for specialized facilities and personnel by enabling remote data collection and review, helping to alleviate healthcare system bottlenecks, and cut diagnostic wait times.
Empowering Healthcare with Wearables: A Smarter, More Accessible Approach
Wearables are no longer just a convenient alternative to traditional diagnostic methods; they are rapidly becoming indispensable in modern healthcare. With technologies like Cardiopulmonary Coupling (CPC) powering advanced sleep trackers, wearables can deliver diagnostic insights on par with traditional PSG. CPC enhances diagnostic accuracy by measuring both cardiac and respiratory activity in real-time, providing more granular data than standard sleep studies. This allows healthcare professionals to diagnose conditions with precision while making the process more accessible. As healthcare focuses on early detection and preventative care, wearables provide a practical solution for improving long-term outcomes.
The most critical implication of wearable technology’s rise is its impact on diagnosing Sleep Apnea. Today, 90% of OSA patients remain undiagnosed and untreated—a staggering gap in care. High-quality wearables are closing this gap faster than anything the medical community has ever done. By making sleep diagnostics more accessible, they are revolutionizing how and when patients receive life-saving interventions.
For healthcare administrators, the message is clear: broad adoption by the general public of higher quality wearable technology is rapidly expanding diagnostic confirmation of previously undiagnosed OSA in the general population. By incorporating wearables into existing treatment plans, institutions can streamline their diagnostic processes, lower costs, and improve patient compliance—all key factors in enhancing patient outcomes. It’s time to prioritize these tools, as they represent the future of sleep health management and a step toward more efficient, accessible, and patient-centered care.