Wearable Ultrasound Patch Non-Invasively Boosts REM Sleep and Stress Regulation

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a soft, wearable bioelectronic patch, named NEUSLeeP, that non-invasively enhances REM sleep. In a study of 28 participants, the device, which combines ultrasound stimulation with brain activity tracking, shortened the time to REM sleep by 43 minutes and extended it by approximately 16 minutes. Published in Nature Communications, the findings also indicate improved stress regulation and changes in brain circuits related to emotion, offering a drug-free and non-surgical approach to sleep disorders.