Home // International Journal On Advances in Life Sciences, volume 13, numbers 1 and 2, 2021 // View article

Regulating Interoception Through Low Frequency Mechanical Dermal Stimulation to Improve Sleep

Authors:
Gina Sensale
Sahithi Garikapati
Angelina Distefano
Jean Toher
Hanna Villa
Sean Hagberg

Keywords: sleep; neurostimulation; interoception; affect; c-tactile afferents

Abstract:
More than 50 million adults living in the United States suffer from disordered sleep. Yet few safe, effective, drug-free interventions are available. In this 30-day open-label home study, participants (n=25) reporting poor sleep were recruited to test a novel wearable mechanical stimulation device. The device is designed to modulate the interoceptive network by producing gentle, slow mechanical stimulation. After using the device each night before bed for 30 days, significant improvements in sleep quality were reported. Additionally, participants reported improvements across multiple dimensions of interoception as measured by the Multidimensional Assessment for Interoceptive Awareness. On average, participants (n=22) reported a 43% improvement in the overall quality of their sleep, measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Participants (n=15) contacted 3 to 7 months after completing the study, maintained improvements in sleep quality and interoceptive regulation. These findings indicate that mechanical stimulation may offer an effective, safe, non-drug alternative to improving sleep via interoceptive regulation and suggest a novel approach to treatment.

Pages: 92 to 103

Copyright: Copyright (c) to authors, 2021. Used with permission.

Publication date: December 31, 2021

Published in: journal

ISSN: 1942-2660