OptimizingSleep

NickCorcoran&JoshRichardson
PlatteCountyHighSchool

Sleepisanecessity,sleepissanity.Sleepcontrolseverythingfromphysical
bodyrepairstomentalacuity.Itisoneofthemostimportantprocessesofthebody,asit
providesafoundationofhomeostasisfortherestofthebody.Withoutsleep,ourbodies
shutdownphysicallyandmentally.ThiscanbeseenintheresearchofTheUnited
StatesAirForceinthe20sthrough70s.
Muchofsleepiswastedontheaverageperson.Theaveragepersonspends
about85%oftheirsleepcycleinstage2sleep(StagesOfSleep
www.sleepdex.org/stages.html),whichdoesnothingforfeelingwellrested.Stagesone
through3arephysicalbodyrepairslikemuscletears.Stage4andREMsleepare
thoughtofasmentalrepairsbecauseyoufeelwellrestedafteryouhaveanadequate
amountofdeepsleep.
Thisproductaimsatreducingunnecessarysleepfortheaverageperson.Our
goalisreducestageoneandtwoandelongatestages4andREM.Thisisseen
naturallyinapolyphasicsleepstudybyDr.PiotrWozniak.However,itcanbe
dangeroustogototheextremesofsleep.
AccordingtoaGalluppoll,40%ofAmericansdontgettherecommended
amountofsleep.Thisisdirectlycorrelatedwithdrivingaccidents,medicalhazards,and

occupationalhazardsbytheNationalInstituteofHealth.Thisproductwillaltersleep
andallowpeopletowakeupfeelingwellrested.

AlternateSolutions
ReTimer

ReTimerisapairofglasseswithLEDlightsdesignedtowakeyouupand
resetyourcircadianrhythm.Itutilizesvisualcuestoentrainyourbrainwaves.Itusesa
patentedgreenlighttoresetyourcircadianrhythm.
However,ReTimerisaimedonlyatseniorcitizens(50+)becauseitonlyseems
toworkwiththem(ReTimerwww.retimer.com).Thatexcludesalargeraudienceand
isnotauserfriendlydeviceasitistoointrusiveinthesensethatitshinesdirectlyinthe
userseyesratherthantheperipherals.

F.lux

F.luxisapieceofsoftwaredesignedtoreducebluelightincomputerscreensby
applyingaredfilteroverthescreentocounteractthebluebacklight.
Attheendoftheday,however,F.luxisjustapieceofsoftwareinsteadofa
product.Itdoesnotaltersleepitsimplyaidsabadhabitofusingelectronicsbeforebed.
Whatthepeopleneedisaproducttoaidactualsleepandmakethemfeelbetterinthe
mornings.

OurSolution
TheSleepOptimizerwillutilizeaudio,visual,andvibrationalcuestoentrainthe
braintofollowacertainfrequencyrangebytakingadvantageofFrequencyFollowing
Response(FFR)madepopularbyRobertA.Monroe(PatentUS5356368Google
Patents),fatherofbrainentrainment.Itwillbeacomfortableproductwornaroundthe
headtohelplowerSleepOnsetLatencyandalterthestagesofsleep.
FrequencyFollowingResponseisabrainresponsetoachangeinfrequency.By
playinga10Hzfrequencyinoneearanda20Hzfrequencyintheotherear,yourbrain
willcreateathirdtoneonlyyoucanhearwhichwillbethedifferencebetweenthetwo
tonesplaying.Inthiscase,itwillbe10Hz.Yourbrainwillfollowthefrequencyand
utilizedifferentbrainwaveswhenthetonesarechanged.
Thevisualcueswillbecertainwavelengthsoflight(i.e.555nmthepeakof
luminosity)flashedinfrontoftheeyesatcertainfrequencies.Thefrequencyrangewill
bothincreaseanddecreaseonadefinitiveinterval.Wewillbeusingvibrationsto
artificiallyinduceKComplexes.KComplexesarenaturalpeaksofbrainwavesthat
suppresscorticalactivitytofurtherdeepsleep.
OurproductwilllowerSleepOnsetLatency,alterthelengthsofthedifferent
stagesofsleep,andallowtheusertofeelbetterrestedwhentheywakeupinthe
morning.Ourproductwillbeacombinationofthreedifferentsolutionstocreatethe

ultimatesolution.Thisisamonumentalimpactasthiswilllowertherateoffallingasleep
andcreatingahazard.TheNIHdefinesinsufficientsleepasanoccupationalhazard
andapublichealthhazard.

Conclusion
InsufficientsleepisapublichealthhazardinAmericaasstatedbytheCenterof
DiseaseControlandPrevention.33%ofadultswhotookasurveybyDrowsyDriving.org
answeredthattheyhavefallenasleepatthewheelatleastonceintheirlife.This
numberisprobablylargerassomepeoplearetooembarrassedtotalkaboutsucha
blunder.TheSleepOptimizerwillreducetrafficaccidentsandoccupationalhazards.
Asimplepieceofsoftwarewillnotcauseameasurableimpactonpeopleslives.
Thesoftwareislesseningaproblemcausedbytheveryhardwareitrunson.ReTimer
willnotbeeffectivebecauseitisonlyeffectiveatresettingyourcircadianrhythmand
notaidinginfallingasleep.Itisdirectedatpeopleovertheageof50,theeraofthe
technologicallyilliterate.Thisisamajorproblemastheyarenottheonlydemographic
tofallasleepatthewheel,ifanythingtheyoungergenerationismoreatriskbecauseof
thingslikecollegeorwork.

References
2011SleepInAmericaPollCommunicationsTechnologyintheBedroom.(n.d.).
RetrievedNovember12,2015,from
https://sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/sleepinamericapoll/SIAP_2011_Summary_
of_Findings.pdf

AASMNewsArchive.(2008,May14).RetrievedNovember16,2015,from
http://www.aasmnet.org/articles.aspx?id=873

BluelighthasadarksideHarvardHealth.(2012,May1).RetrievedSeptember1,
2015,fromhttp://www.health.harvard.edu/stayinghealthy/bluelighthasadarkside

FactsandStats.(2015).RetrievedNovember16,2015,from
http://drowsydriving.org/about/factsandstats/

Figueiro,M.,&Rea,M.(2010,March2).TheEffectsofRedandBlueLightson
CircadianVariationsinCortisol,AlphaAmylase,andMelatonin.RetrievedSeptember1,
2015

HowtheHumanEyeWorks|CorneaLayers/Role|LightRays.(n.d.).Retrieved
November13,2015,fromhttp://www.nkcf.org/howthehumaneyeworks/

InsufficientSleepIsaPublicHealthProblem.(2015,September3).Retrieved
November12,2015,fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/features/dssleep/

Jones,J.(2013,December16).InU.S.,40%GetLessThanRecommendedAmountof
Sleep.RetrievedSeptember1,2015,from
http://www.gallup.com/poll/166553/lessrecommendedamountsleep.aspx

PatentUS5356368Methodofandapparatusforinducingdesiredstatesof
consciousness.(n.d.).RetrievedNovember16,2015,from
https://www.google.com/patents/US5356368

SleepandDiseaseRisk.(n.d.).RetrievedNovember16,2015,from
http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences/sleepanddiseaser
isk

SleepandmentalhealthHarvardHealth.(2009,June1).RetrievedNovember17,
2015,fromhttp://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Sleepandmentalhealth

Wozniak,P.(2005).PolyphasicSleep:FactsandMyths.RetrievedSeptember1,2015,
fromhttps://www.supermemo.com/articles/polyphasic.htm