[ad_1]
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved an Apple Watch app to help with the treatment of PTSD, and NightWare is an app available only by prescription.
The app’s approval allows NightWare to be marketed as an aid in the “temporary reduction of nightmare-related sleep disorders in adults,” the FDA declared Friday, including those with a nightmare disorder or disturbed sleep. due to post-traumatic stress. disorder.
The app uses Apple Watch sensors to monitor body movements and heart rate during sleep, which are analyzed and used to create a sleep profile for the patient. If the patient is found to be experiencing a nightmare, by comparing the movements and pulse with the sleep profile, the Apple Watch vibrates to interrupt the user’s sleep and bring them out of the nightmare.
The app’s tests determined that it was successful in improving patients’ sleep quality, outperforming a control group as part of the “sham controlled trial.”
While NightWare is an application, it is not one that is available for anyone to use. Available by prescription only, designed to be used in conjunction with prescription PTSD medications and other therapies, and under the supervision of a healthcare provider.
Additionally, the FDA cautions that the app should not be used by patients who “misbehave” during nightmares of sleepwalking or being violent, nor should it be used while reading or watching television to avoid false alerts.
The app received the designation of “Breakthrough Device” for treating PTSD nightmares, a process that is designed to accelerate the development and review of hardware and services that could provide effective treatment or diagnosis for life-threatening or “irreversibly life-threatening diseases or conditions debilitating “. ”
While not directly usable by the consumer, the app is certainly an extension of Apple’s existing efforts to improve the sleep habits of its customers. Sleep mode and sleep tracking in iOS 14 and watchOS 7 provide users with reports on how well they sleep, as well as encouraging healthy habits to relax at the right times.
