By Dr. Angshuman Das
New Delhi: The Rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its application in everyday life is becoming one of the most revolutionary innovations in the history of mankind. This lends credibility to the definition offered by IBM, which describes AI as computers, machines, and programs that have the ability to solve problems and make decisions just like the human mind. Put simply, AI means the ability of computers and machines to have and use the kind of intelligence that the human mind has.
All over the world are emerging AI startups focusing its innovations on mental health and behavior patterns. From programs that help people better express themselves and deal with anxiety issues, to those that help track and improve sleep patterns. For many people, putting their mind to sleep is a challenge and they suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders. For some, no amount of sleep is too much.
Anxiety about work, a planned trip or task, stress, a poor eating schedule, and a poor nighttime schedule can lead to poor sleep or no sleep at all. With AI adoption on the rise, there are now apps and machines that can help people deal with the causes of poor sleep habits and ensure they get the rest they need.
Emerging AI technologies in sleep medicine
While AI is rapidly gaining ground around the world, the penetration rate differs from country to country. In India, for example, a new AI-based smart base from a start-up is gaining popularity. The crib uses sensors to detect a baby’s sleep patterns and nuances. But that’s not all, the device is programmed to detect even the slightest waking movement and quickly lull the baby back to sleep. This innovative piece of preventative and corrective AI technology may help address the troubling sleep challenge among babies.
The use of big data in AI has become very important in sleep medicine in recent years in several other ways. Wearable sensors have become a growing topic of discussion and experimentation in an attempt to help people and their doctors keep track of health records and link digital biomarkers to the health status of patients. Instead of trusting electronic medical records (EMR), AI can leverage big data to produce higher levels of electronic health records (EHRs) through first-level synchronization of health parameters, time series, and multi-level biopotentials.
In the broader medical field of sleep disorders and their treatment, AI has also made important advances and inroads. with modern AI applications, healthcare professionals can better understand, diagnose and manage sleep disorders. AI can augment the process and replace the hectic, repetitive, and time-consuming tasks involved in the polysomnogram scoring process. Not only that, research on the role of sleep and why it is difficult for some people to get adequate sleep may also be more effective due to the vast amount of data AI can retrieve and analyze.
Better sleep for better health
Good sleep is not only necessary for excellent physical health, but also supports mental well-being. Insomnia is known to affect focus and orientation and can greatly affect productivity. Therefore, the emergence of AI-powered apps is a game changer towards quickly detecting sleep disorders and finding ways to treat them. Additionally, people can better structure their schedules, trigger AI reminders, and plan their sleep patterns more effectively with the help of AI-powered solutions.
Dr Angshuman Das, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, Apollo Multispecialty Hospitals, Kolkata
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