Effects of Smart Goggles Used at Bedtime on Objectively Measured Sleep and Self-Reported Anxiety, Stress, and Relaxation: Pre-Post Pilot Study
Authors: Danoff-Burg Sharon , Gottlieb Elie , Weaver Morgan A , Carmon Kiara C , Lara Ledesma Duvia , Rus Holly M 
Published: October 2024

Background

Insufficient sleep is a problem affecting millions. Poor sleep can trigger or worsen anxiety; conversely, anxiety can lead to or exacerbate poor sleep. Advances in innovative consumer products designed to promote relaxation and support healthy sleep are emerging, and their effectiveness can be evaluated accurately using sleep measurement technologies in the home environment.

Objective

This pilot study examined the effects of smart goggles used at bedtime to deliver gentle, slow vibration to the eyes and temples. The study hypothesized that objective sleep, perceived sleep, self-reported stress, anxiety, relaxation, and sleepiness would improve after using the smart goggles.

Methods

A within-participants, pre-post study design was implemented. Healthy adults with subclinical threshold sleep problems (N=20) tracked their sleep nightly using a polysomnography-validated noncontact biomotion device and completed daily questionnaires over two phases: a 3-week baseline period and a 3-week intervention period. During the baseline period, participants followed their usual sleep routines at home. During the intervention period, participants used Therabody SmartGoggles in “Sleep” mode at bedtime. This mode, designed for relaxation, delivers a gentle eye and temple massage through the inflation of internal compartments to create a kneading sensation combined with vibrating motors. Each night, the participants completed questionnaires assessing relaxation, stress, anxiety, and sleepiness immediately before and after using the goggles. Daily morning questionnaires assessed perceived sleep, complementing the objective sleep data measured every night.

Results

Multilevel regression analysis of 676 nights of objective sleep parameters showed improvements during nights when the goggles were used compared to the baseline period. Key findings include sleep duration (increased by 12 minutes, P=.01); duration of deep sleep (increased by 6 minutes, P=.002); proportion of deep sleep (7% relative increase, P=.02); BodyScore, an age- and gender-normalized measure of deep sleep (4% increase, P=.002); number of nighttime awakenings (7% decrease, P=.02); total time awake after sleep onset (reduced by 6 minutes, P=.047); and SleepScore, a measure of overall sleep quality (3% increase, P=.02). Questionnaire responses showed that compared to baseline, participants felt they had better sleep quality (P<.001) and woke feeling more well-rested (P<.001). Additionally, participants reported feeling sleepier, less stressed, less anxious, and more relaxed (all P values <.05) immediately after using the goggles each night, compared to immediately before use. A standardized inventory administered before and after the 3-week intervention period indicated reduced anxiety (P=.03), confirming the nightly analysis.

Conclusions

The use of smart goggles at bedtime significantly improved objectively measured sleep metrics and perceived sleep quality. Further, participants reported increased feelings of relaxation along with reduced stress and anxiety. Future research expanding on this pilot study is warranted to confirm and expand on the preliminary evidence presented in this brief report.