aging in place | boomers | universal design | mHealth | sandwich generation | home mods | zoomers | robot helpers | independent living | smart homes | PERS | Barks |digital health | monitors | CAPS


AIP Bulletin January 2012

 Age in Place at Home - it's where you want to be. - www.aipathome.com

Like AIPatHome on FaceBook Join AIPatHome on Twitter. Subscribe to AIPatHome's YouTube Channel
AIPatHome.com - Helping you AIP in your home, your way.

Quote of the Month
"The amount of sleep required by the average person is five minutes more."
Wilson Mizner, American Playwright, Raconteur & Entrepreneur

A Good Night's Sleep, Is It Just A Dream?

As we age our sleep habits change and more than half of men and women over the age of 65 have at least one sleep problem. Contributing factors include poor sleep habits, medical conditions, medications, sleep apnea, and retirement (Ha! who knew?). Good, restorative sleep is important to our physical health as well as our emotional health. Can monitoring your sleep, especially in the comfort of your own home, help you sleep better? Here are a few companies* that think so:

Somnus Sleep shirt measures sleep in a comfortable way in the privacy of your home.Nyx Devices has a Somnus sleep shirt made of extremely lightweight, breathable material embedded with thin, flexible sensors. Add in the SleepLogger and you can record the quality and the quantity of your sleep.

ActiSleep SleepMonitor provides sleep quality measurements such as sleep onset, sleep latency, total sleep time, number and duration of awakenings and sleep efficiency. Can be worn around ankle, wrist or waist.

The FitBit Ultra tracks activity as well as sleep. Put the wireless device into the sleep wristband and it tracks your body's movements, how often you wake up and actual sleep time.

did you know...

Scientists have not been able to explain a 1998 study showing a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain's sleep-wake clock.

Zeo is a comprehensive system to help you improve your sleep. They offer a mobile and a bedside option. The bedside system is composed of a lightweight wireless headband, a bedside display, a set of online analytical tools, and an email-based personalized coaching program. They also have a quick online questionnaire to find out your sleep age.

iPhone users can use their phone as a sleep monitor. The newer phones have an integrated sensor that lets apps like "Sleep Cycle" monitor sleep by simply placing it on your bed. And for .99 (U.S.) it certainly is an inexpensive way to learn how you sleep.

Maybe a Polar Bear is all you need for a good night's sleep? This pillowbot is designed to stop chronic snorers or those who suffer from sleep apnea by a gentle brush on the cheek. Click here to watch a demo.

Or could your mattress be keeping you from the sleep you need? Check out The Better Sleep Council website for information about selecting and buying a mattress.

did you know...

Anything less than five minutes to fall asleep at night means you're sleep deprived. The ideal is between 10 and 15 minutes, meaning you're still tired enough to sleep deeply, but not so exhausted you feel sleepy by day.

* We are not affiliated in any way with these companies.

The Road Ahead: In-Car Health Monitoring

advertisement

Logo: Abilities OT Services & Seminars.

Helping individuals and organizations understand the impact of the environment and attitudes on functional performance and independence at home, on the job, in the community, and at school.
www.aotss.com

Ford Motor Company joins with Microsoft, Healthrageous and BlueMetal Architects to study how connected devices can help people monitor and maintain health & wellness. "People are spending more time in their cars, and with the tremendous growth in mobile healthcare solutions, Ford is dedicated to understanding the value of being able to connect to health and wellness-related services while driving," said Gary Strumolo, manager of Infotainment, Interiors, Health and Wellness at Ford Research and Innovation. “Our connectivity platform – Ford SYNC – provides easy, voice-controlled access to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and therefore it makes sense to research areas that are important to our customers."

As people spend more time in their cars, the ability to manage health and wellness on the go becomes more important. There are several reasons why the automobile is an ideal platform for research and development in this area:

  • It’s convenient and private

  • It facilitates personalized access to the information, products and services people need

  • And it’s a logical place for them to manage their health while they are more often stuck in traffic

did you know...

A Research2Guidance report finds that mobile health applications generated about $718 million in revenue in 2011, a sevenfold increase from the amount generated in 2010.

The goal is to figure out how to extend health management into the personal vehicle in a nonintrusive fashion.

How does it work?

The system would capture biometric and vehicle data as the basis for real-time health and wellness advice and monitoring. The driver can also tell the app aspects of his or her health routine – such as the number of glasses of water consumed during the day, or what pills have been taken. That information is then uploaded into Microsoft's HealthVault personal health record platform, processed with other health data, and used to create graphical reports the driver can access after having left the vehicle. The technology is not considered a medical device nor intended to be a diagnostic tool.

Talk With Us

Your rants, raves, suggestions and stories are always welcome! Tell us what we can do to help you age-in-place, in your home, your way.

You can send an email:
talktous@aipathome.com

Write on our Facebook wall:
www.facebook.com/AIPatHome

Or Tweet us at:
twitter.com/aipathome

Visit Us
Home   Blog Home Modifications Universal Design AIP Professionals  Showcases
Videos AIP Tech Center AIP Business Pages Media Partners   Advisors About Us

Thank you for reading  and contributing to the AIPatHome Bulletin. We welcome, appreciate and encourage forwarding of our Bulletin, in entirety or in part, with proper credit.  Lysa McCarroll, Publisher

Click here to get your own subscription to the AIPatHome.com Bulletin