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Apps in sleep medicine

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Abstract

Purpose

Users of mobile devices such as iPhones or iPads are offered a wide range of applications (apps) regarding sleep and sleep medicine. This article will give an overview about the apps that are available. Moreover, it will present how they work and determine if they can be used in therapy.

Methods

The apps’ competence to count snoring noises had to be evaluated. This was done with a three-piece test set-up to analyze the apps’ ability to distinguish between snoring sounds and disturbing noises such as cars driving past the window, conversations in the bedroom, or even just the rustling of sheets and blankets.

Results

The tested apps monitor and record snoring noises well as long as they are used in a soundproof environment. In a real-life environment with various disturbing noises, the apps show difficulties in telling snoring sounds and other noises apart.

Conclusions

The tested apps are not accurate enough to replace the common diagnostic standard in therapy. However, they can be a helpful addition. Especially, singles could use them who do not know if their snoring has improved with an OA and do not have anybody to ask.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Praxis für Kieferorthopädie, Hauptstraße 5, 77652, Offenburg, Germany

    Andreas Stippig & Ulrich Hübers

  2. Universitätsklinik für Hals-, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde, Killianstraße 5, 79106, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

    Markus Emerich

Authors
  1. Andreas Stippig
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  2. Ulrich Hübers
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  3. Markus Emerich
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andreas Stippig.

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Stippig, A., Hübers, U. & Emerich, M. Apps in sleep medicine. Sleep Breath 19, 411–417 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-014-1009-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-014-1009-6

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