The AI-Driven Personalized Sleep Therapy Revolution Is Near (Editor’s Message) adminJuly 28, 2023 Sree Roy[email protected] While these ideas are ambitious, there are iterations of therapy-side sleep AI in use today. For example, in Australia, Ambulance Victoria and the Victorian Level Crossing Removal Program have implemented a shift work scheduling system dubbed “AlertSafe” into their workflows. Developed by Monash University researchers and optimization tech company Opturion, AlertSafe’s algorithms use a mathematical model based on the underlying biology of sleep to estimate the impact of work schedules on alertness levels. “AlertSafe generates rosters using artificial intelligence-based optimization, which infers the consequences of each assignment of a shift to a person who can and cannot be assigned to other shifts. The platform then determines smarter ways to improve a roster time until it meets the preference needs of the roster and the people working within it,” says Mark Wallace, PhD, of the Faculty of Information Technology, in a release. AlertSafe was developed alongside a personalized sleep schedule app, called Zest, which optimizes individual sleep to improve mental health outcomes. The mobile phone app, which is currently in the testing phase, has already shown improvements among shift workers who have reported improved sleep and overall mental well-being. While some people fret that more AI in sleep medicine will push sleep medicine professionals out of their jobs, I think artificial intelligence applications will always need humans behind them. “The best systems are supplemented by human access at some point,” Cerebra’s Crampton says. He cites diabetes management company Livongo as an example. Livongo gathers user input, such as weight, in a patient app to drive behavior change. But, ultimately, when patients’ blood sugar readings are out of range, a Livongo expert coach reaches out to them. Comparably in sleep medicine, a sleep coach must be on hand to speak to patients. Ultimately, having AI assist on the therapy side of sleep medicine would be advantageous for patients and professionals. As Crampton notes, “That’s a huge area of opportunity for sleep in the future.” I, for one, am looking forward to a sleep revolution. Sree Roy is editor of Sleep Review. Illustration 172909805 © Vs1489 | Dreamstime.com
