Sleep Cycle Partners with Cambridge and UCL for new Alzheimer's Study: Exploring the Link Between Sleep and Early Alzheimer’s Risk

Sleep Cycle, the leading sleep technology company, is thrilled to announce its partnership with researchers from the University of Cambridge and University College London (UCL) on a pioneering Alzheimer’s study. This collaboration combines Sleep Cycle’s comprehensive sleep data with the team’s previous findings to explore potential links between navigation (sense of direction), sleep disruptions, and the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease.

The study will explore the potential of using mobile-based sensing data to assist in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease through analysis of navigation and sleep patterns. This study is expected to provide key insights into how changes in sleep, captured using an app designed for use in people’s own homes, may help identify people with early Alzheimer’s disease prior to the onset of dementia. This research is especially important given that nearly 1 in 9 Americans aged 65 and above has Alzheimer’s disease*, and early diagnosis is crucial for early treatments aimed at delaying symptom progression and improving quality of life.

Dr. Abhirup Ghosh, a researcher on the team, shared his expectations for the trial, stating, "It is well known that navigational ability and sleep are affected from the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease, but neither of these behaviors can be measured using the traditional pen and paper cognitive tests used in memory clinics.  Phone apps offer a new approach that allows changes in these behaviors to be captured in and around people’s own homes, which is less burdensome for people, potentially usable at scale, and also relevant to real-life activities. As such, this research could greatly aid efforts to detect Alzheimer’s disease from its earliest stages."

As part of the collaboration, Sleep Cycle provides premium access to its app with a dedicated backend solution that guarantees privacy for all trial participants. They will combine sleep data with navigational data collected from a separate app developed by the research team. Together, these data streams will be used to create machine-learning models to aid identification of early Alzheimer’s disease. 

 "At Sleep Cycle, our mission is to improve health worldwide through sleep, and this partnership is an incredible opportunity to make a real difference. By leveraging our proprietary technology and vast sleep data collected from users' homes, we hope to support this important research and deepen the understanding of Alzheimer's," said Mikael Kågebäck, Chief Technology Officer at Sleep Cycle, Ph.D. Machine Learning and AI. 

The study commenced in August 2024 with the initial cohort of 50-60 participants, all identified as having mild cognitive impairment. Data collected includes key metrics such as time asleep, sleep efficiency, and snoring, which will be analyzed alongside navigational data alongside a battery of other cognitive tests and amyloid/tau molecular biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease. The first phase of data collection is now underway, with researchers prepared to analyze its potential role in identifying cognitive decline. 

Beyond demonstrating Sleep Cycle’s technical capabilities, the study reinforces the company’s commitment to improving health on a global scale.

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For more information please contact:
Jonna Grenfeldt | PR & Communication Manager at Sleep Cycle
[email protected] | +46 70 735 7539

University representatives
Professor Dennis Chan, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London
Professor Cecilia Mascolo, Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge

Wellcome Trust (Grant Number 213939)

*https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures#:~:text=Seventy%2Dthree%20percent%20are%20age,older%20(10.9%25)%20has%20Alzheimer's.

About Sleep Cycle
With millions of daily active users and over three billion nights analyzed in more than 150 countries, Sleep Cycle is the leading sleep tracking application and one of the most widely used solutions worldwide to improve sleep health. Sleep Cycle’s mission is to improve global health by empowering people to sleep better. Since its launch in 2009, Sleep Cycle has helped millions of people understand their sleep habits and improve their sleep.  The mobile application helps users fall asleep more easily, tracks and analyses sleep during the night, wakes the user in a light sleep phase and provides insight into how sleep quality is best improved. Sleep Cycle is one of the world’s most comprehensive sources for statistics on sleep and contributes to research and reporting on sleep worldwide. Sleep Cycle is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker SLEEP. The head office is located in Gothenburg, Sweden.