Devices and systems for promoting continuous sleep of a subject and methods of using same

A system for promoting continuous sleep of a subject by eliminating and/or preventing sleep associations, the system comprising:

• an apparatus comprising at least one sensor and at least one output device;
• and
• a processor in communication with the at least one sensor and the at least one output device and, during an entrainment phase, configured to:
• (a) monitor a state of the subject;
• (b) determine the subject is in an awake state based on data received from the at least one sensor;
• (c) based on determining the subject is in the awake state, direct the at least one output device to initiate and maintain an output that is configured to be detected by the subject, wherein the output comprises audio output;
• (d) determine the subject is in a sleep state based on data received from the at least one sensor;
• (e) direct the at least one output device to halt the output including the audio output based on determining that the subject is in the sleep state in a manner that the apparatus does not produce any output while the subject is in the sleep state;
• and
• (f) repeat at least operation (a) during a sleep session,
• wherein, during a sleep training phase that is directly subsequent to the entrainment phase, the processor is configured to modify an intensity of the output over time until the intensity reaches zero to eliminate a sleep association,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• determine a total amount of time the subject is in the awake state per night;
• and
• switch the apparatus from the entrainment phase to the sleep training phase based on determining that the total amount of time the subject is in the awake state is less than a predetermined amount of time on a particular night or on each night of a series of consecutive nights,
• wherein the processor is, during the sleep training phase, configured to eliminate the sleep association based on sleep patterns of the subject by repeatedly, until the intensity of the output is zero:
• determine a total amount of time the subject is in the awake state per night;
• and
• direct the at least one output device to decrease the intensity of the output based on the total amount of time the subject is in the awake state is less than a predetermined amount of time on a particular night or on each night of a series of consecutive nights.

An apparatus for promoting continuous sleep of a subject by eliminating and/or preventing sleep associations, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one sensor;
• at least one output device;
• and
• a processor in communication with the at least one sensor and the at least one output device and, during an entrainment phase, configured to repeatedly:
• determine the subject is in an awake state based on data received from the at least one sensor;
• based on determining the subject is in the awake state, direct the at least one output device to initiate and maintain an output that is configured to be detected by the subject, wherein the output comprises audio output;
• determine the subject is in a sleep state based on data received from the at least one sensor;
• and
• direct the at least one output device to halt the output including the audio output based on determining that the subject is in the sleep state in a manner that the apparatus does not produce any output while the subject is in the sleep state,
• wherein, during a sleep training phase that is directly subsequent to the entrainment phase, the processor is configured to modify an intensity of the output over time until the intensity reaches zero to eliminate a sleep association,
• wherein the processor is configured to:
• determine a total amount of time the subject is in the awake state per night;
• and
• switch the apparatus from the entrainment phase to the sleep training phase based on to determining that the total amount of time the subject is in the awake state is less than a predetermined amount of time on a particular night or on each night of a series of consecutive nights,
• wherein the processor is, during the sleep training phase, configured to eliminate the sleep association based on sleep patterns of the subject by repeatedly, until the intensity of the output is zero:
• determine a total amount of time the subject is in the awake state per night;
• and
• direct the at least one output device to decrease the intensity of the output based on the total amount of time the subject is in the awake state is less than a predetermined amount of time on a particular night or on each night of a series of consecutive nights.

A method for promoting continuous sleep of a subject by eliminating and/or preventing sleep associations, the method comprising:

• (a) providing an apparatus comprising at least one sensor and at least one output device;
• (b) monitoring a state of the subject using the apparatus;
• (c) determining the subject is in an awake state using the at least one sensor;
• (d) based on determining the subject is in the awake state, initiating and maintaining an output that is configured to be detected by the subject using the at least one output device;
• (e) determining the subject is in a sleep state using the at least one sensor;
• (f) halting the output based on determining that the subject is in the sleep state in a manner that the apparatus does not produce any output while the subject is in the sleep state;
• (g) repeating at least step (b) during a sleep session,
• wherein the method further comprises modifying an intensity of the output over time until the intensity reaches zero to eliminate a sleep association,
• wherein the method is carried out over an entrainment phase and a subsequent sleep training phase, and wherein the step of modifying the intensity of the output over time is carried out during the sleep training phase,
• wherein the method further comprises, while in the entrainment phase:
• determining a total amount of time the subject is in the awake state per night;
• and
• switching from the entrainment phase to the sleep training phase based on determining that the total amount of time the subject is in the awake state is less than a predetermined amount of time on a particular night or on each night of a series of consecutive nights,
• wherein the method further comprises, in the sleep training phase:
• determining a total amount of time the subject is in the awake state per night;
• decreasing the intensity of the output based on determining that the total amount of time the subject is in the awake state is less than a predetermined amount of time on a particular night or on each night of a series of consecutive nights;
• and
• eliminating the sleep association based on sleep patterns of the subject by repeating the determining and decreasing steps until the intensity of the output is zero,
• wherein at least one of:
• (i) the entrainment phase has a duration of greater than zero days and 30 days or less;
• and (ii) the sleep training phase has a duration of greater than zero days and 30 days or less.