The Food and Drug Administration in the United States has approved a new device, which is meant to reduce sleep disturbance related to nightmares and disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD).
The FDA has approved the marketing of an Apple Watch app called Nightware. It uses an Apple Watch and an Apple iPhone to help treat nightmares “in adults over 22 years who suffer from nightmare disorder or have nightmares from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),” according to an official release.
The app uses “gentle vibration through touch” to reduce sleep disturbance caused due to nightmares.
Nightware uses Apple Watch sensors to monitor body movement and heart rate during sleep.
The data is then sent to the Nightware server. Nightware, using an algorithm which utilizes this data to create a unique sleep profile for the patient.
“When Nightware detects that a patient is experiencing a nightmare based on its analysis of heart rate and body movement, the device provides vibrations through the Apple Watch while the product is in use,”
Nightware is available by prescription only and is intended for home use, the FDA said.
Nightware was studied in a 30-day randomized, sham-controlled trial of 70 patients before approval, it said.