JPH04348760A - Sleeping inducing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To apply the stimulus for inducing a living body to a deeper sleeping state according to the state of the living body by providing a respiration detecting section which detects the respiration of the living body and a stimulus output device which applies the stimulus of the prescribed period based on the detected respiration period of the living body to the living body. CONSTITUTION:The light emission brightness of the stimulus output device 6 is so adjusted as to comply with the rhythm of the respiration in an awakening period. Namely, the light emission brightness is so controlled as to be gradually increased at the time of inhalation and to be gradually decreased at the time of exhalation. Then, the light emission brightness is controlled in synchronization with the output of a low-pass filter 12 at the time of awakening. The relative brightness of the light stimulus decreases in correspondence to the ventilation rate by the respiration. The ventilation rate by the respiration indicates a large value at the time of awakening and reposing but degreases gradually on deepening of the sleeping. The ventilation rate attains a nearly specified value and stabilizes after the living body goes to stable sleep. Then, the light emission brightness is gradually darkened in correspondence to a decrease in the ventilation rate.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sleep inducing device which provides optimal stimulation to induce sleep in a living body based on the breathing of the living body.

0002

[Prior Art] In recent years, in a society that has become more complex, psychological and mental stress such as anxiety, dissatisfaction, anger, and impatience has increased, and these stresses have become the cause of insomnia, etc. There is. One way to relieve stress is to take deep breaths and regulate your breathing. In other words, regulating your breathing is an effective way to relax and help relieve stress.

0003

[Problem to be solved by the invention] In this way, regulating breathing can be done through self-control and is considered a simple and good way to relieve stress, but breathing is done unconsciously. Therefore, the problem is that continuous conscious breathing actually increases the level of consciousness, making it difficult to transition to a sleep state.

[0004] The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it functions as a kind of pacemaker to regulate breathing before falling asleep, so that it can regulate breathing and relax. In order to move the body to a deeper state, it outputs a stimulation cycle that matches the breathing state of the living body at that time for each of resting, light sleep, and deep sleep, and also changes the magnitude of the stimulation depending on the breathing state. The present invention aims to provide a sleep induction device that allows the user to transition to a deep sleep state in a shorter time by fading out the sleep state.

[0005] The present inventors detected abdominal breathing,
It is also proposed that the detection signal be used directly as a dimming signal to induce sleep by controlling the brightness and darkness of the light in synchronization with breathing. However, since this method does not change the cycle of the detection signal and the dimming signal, it is not possible to shift the sleep state to a deeper state by changing the breathing cycle. Furthermore, changes in the respiration detection signal caused by turning over in bed may be output as flickering light, which may bother the patient and prevent him or her from sleeping. It has also been proposed to fade out the intensity of the stimulus over time, but this method does not always ensure that the brightness is at a level that is compatible with the state of decreased consciousness when falling asleep, and may cause the stimulus to feel too bright. It is possible for the level of consciousness to rise, or even though the level of consciousness is high, to become too dark. The present invention attempts to solve these inconveniences at the same time.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the sleep induction device according to the present invention includes a respiration detection section 1 that detects respiration of a living body, and a respiration detection section 1 that detects respiration of a living body. The apparatus includes a stimulation output device 6 that applies stimulation to the living body at a predetermined period based on the respiratory cycle of the living body detected by the detection unit 1. Note that it is preferable that the period of stimulation be close to the average breathing period detected at regular intervals. In addition, the magnitude of the stimulus is determined by the average amplitude of breathing detected at regular intervals,
It is preferable to gradually decrease in accordance with an index corresponding to the amount of ventilation due to breathing calculated from the average respiratory cycle.

[0007]

[Effect] If the above configuration is adopted, stimulation according to the current state of the organism (stress state, relaxed state, falling asleep state, light sleep state, deep sleep state, etc.) or the state of decreased consciousness at the next stage. Since it is possible to provide stimulation according to the body's needs, calm and orderly breathing can be achieved naturally, promoting a state of relaxation in the body and allowing the transition to a sleep state to occur quickly and smoothly. .

The principle will be explained in detail below. In living organisms, the amount of ventilation caused by breathing generally decreases as the level of consciousness decreases, that is, as the level of consciousness changes from a resting state during wakefulness to a relaxed state, a state of falling asleep, a state of light sleep, and a state of deep sleep. This indicates that ventilation also decreases as a result of decreased metabolic rate. Therefore, if the magnitude of the stimulus is gradually decreased as the ventilation rate decreases, the stimulus will be more strongly recognized during wakefulness, and the transition from a relaxed state to a sleep state will be accelerated, and the During sleep onset and light sleep, when the body is sensitive to sleep, a stimulus with a strength that matches the degree of decline in the level of consciousness is output, which can speed up the transition to deeper sleep and help stabilize sleep. can be achieved. The more detailed structure and operation of the present invention will become clearer in the following description of the embodiments.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a block circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a respiration detection section, 2 is a respiration cycle detection section, 3 is a time measurement section, 4 is an arithmetic/control section, 5 is a drive circuit section, and 6 is a stimulation output device.

The configuration of each part will be explained below. The respiration detection section 1 includes a respiration sensor 11 and a low-pass filter 12. The breathing sensor 11 is of a type that is attached to the abdomen or chest, for example, and is designed to detect changes in swelling caused by breathing using a strain gauge or the like. In addition, the breathing sensor 11 may be of the same strain gauge type as a sheet, or a type that uses a thermistor attached near the nostrils to detect temperature changes. The low-pass filter 12 passes only low frequency components of approximately 2 Hz or less, and cuts out noise and fine movements other than breathing. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, the signal (broken line) is obtained by removing noise components from the output signal (solid line) of the respiratory sensor 11.
is obtained as the output of the low-pass filter 12. Here, the signal output from the low-pass filter 12 has a phase lag with respect to the output signal from the respiratory sensor 11.

The respiratory cycle detection section 2 is composed of a waveform shaping circuit 21, a differentiation circuit 22, and a comparator 23. The waveform shaping circuit 21 amplifies the output signal of the low-pass filter 12 in the respiration detection section 1 and shapes it into a rectangular wave. The differentiating circuit 22 generates a positive output when the rectangular wave output from the waveform shaping circuit 21 changes from negative to positive, and generates a negative output when the rectangular wave output from the waveform shaping circuit 21 changes from positive to negative. The comparator 23 compares only the positive or negative output generated from the differentiating circuit 22 with a predetermined reference level, thereby outputting a pulse for each cycle of respiration. Note that the respiratory cycle detection section 2 may have any configuration as long as it is a circuit that outputs a pulse for each respiratory cycle.

The time measuring section 3 includes a clock circuit 31 and a counter circuit 32. The counter circuit 32 is reset by an arithmetic circuit 41, which will be described later, and thereafter, each time one clock wave is input from the clock circuit 31, the count value increases by one. It goes without saying that the clock value must satisfy the Nyquist theoretical value depending on the breathing cycle.

The calculation/control section 4 includes a calculation circuit 41, a timer 42, and a stimulation level control section 43. Arithmetic circuit 4
1 has a memory function and calculation function, and calculates a value corresponding to the ventilation volume from the average value and amplitude of multiple breathing cycles, calculates the variance value, etc., and performs this calculation. Based on the results, the time of falling asleep is determined, and a stimulation level that gradually decreases is set in accordance with an index value corresponding to the amount of ventilation caused by breathing. When the pulse from the comparator 23 is input to the arithmetic circuit 41, the arithmetic circuit 41 reads the count value from the counter circuit 32, and then resets the counter circuit 32. When a reset signal is input from the arithmetic circuit 41 to the counter circuit 32, the count value of the counter circuit 32 returns to zero. A timer 42 provides a time signal to the arithmetic circuit 41 every 20 seconds, 30 seconds or 60 seconds. The calculation circuit 41 calculates the average value of 5 to 6 memorized breathing cycles and the average value (average amplitude) of the amplitude of the breathing curve from the breath immediately before the time when this time signal is input, and calculates the ventilation Calculate the index value corresponding to the amount.

This will be explained with reference to FIG. In the figure,
t1 and t2 are times at which time signals from the timer 42 are obtained. For example, when a time signal is input from the timer 42 to the arithmetic circuit 41 at time t2, the arithmetic circuit 41
is the 5 memorized breathing cycles T1 from the immediately previous breath.
~T5 and the amplitude P1 ~P5 of the respiration curve are read out from the memory and their average value Tav(t2)=(T
1 +T2 +T3 +T4 +T5 )/5 and Pa
v(t2)=(P1 +P2 +P3 +P4 +P
5)/5 is calculated. Then, the calculated average value Tav(Xn) of the respiratory cycle and average value Pav(Xn) of the respiratory amplitude are calculated.
), calculate the index corresponding to the respiratory ventilation amount. (However, since breathing cannot be detected for the first 20, 30, or 60 seconds, an index value corresponding to the respiratory ventilation amount calculated from the standard breathing cycle and amplitude stored in advance is output. ) The stimulation level control unit 43 sets the stimulation level so that the stimulation level gradually decreases in response to a change (decrease) in the amount corresponding to the respiratory ventilation amount. Note that the timing to stop the stimulation is, for example, when it is determined that the living body has fallen into a stable sleep, which can be determined from changes in the ventilation amount due to breathing. In other words, as sleep progresses to deeper levels, ventilation volume decreases, but once it has decreased to about 70 to 80% of the awake and resting state, it does not decrease any further, and deep sleep continues stably. Since the period of time remains constant and stable at approximately this level, it is possible to determine the timing of stable sleep.

The stimulation level control section 43 adjusts the stimulation level given to the living body, and the stimulation level is amplified by the amplifier 51 of the drive circuit section 5 to drive the stimulation output device 6. The stimulation output device 6 uses, for example, a light emitting device for generating light. Amplifier 51 of drive circuit section 5
The stimulation level control unit 43 controls the power supplied to this light emitting device.
It consists of transistors, thyristors, etc. for control according to the output of the

Next, an embodiment of the sleep inducing device according to the present invention will be explained in relation to a living body. As mentioned above, regulating the rhythm of your breathing has been shown to reduce mental stress and help you relax. Furthermore, it is known that in a state of wakefulness, the respiratory rate changes (usually tends to decrease) in accordance with the decrease in the state of wakefulness at that time. Therefore, during the waking period, the luminance of the stimulation output device 6 is adjusted to match the breathing rhythm, as shown in FIG. 3, for example. That is, the luminescence brightness is controlled to be gradually increased during inspiration, and the luminance is gradually decreased during exhalation. Therefore, when awake, the luminance of the light emission is adjusted in synchronization with the output of the low-pass filter 12. Additionally, the relative brightness of the light stimulus decreases in response to respiratory ventilation. As shown in FIG. 5, the amount of ventilation caused by breathing shows a large value when the person is awake and at rest, but gradually decreases as the sleep becomes deeper. After falling into a stable (deep) sleep, the value remains almost constant and stabilizes. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the room is made to gradually become darker in response to a decrease in the amount of ventilation. In addition, after it is determined that sleep has fallen based on the rate of decrease in the value of the index corresponding to ventilation, stopping suddenly may actually stimulate the person and raise the level of consciousness. Feedback control is performed to darken the area and stop it. By performing such feedback control,
This method has the advantage of providing stimulation with brightness that matches the level of consciousness of the living body, which facilitates a further decline in the level of consciousness.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, the respiratory sensor 11
Since the output is passed through the low-pass filter 12, the exhalation time and the inhalation time are equalized in the output signal of the respiration detection unit 1, and it is possible to provide a light stimulus having a rhythm of brightness and darkness that is synchronized with the rhythm of respiration. In other words, if the light is not passed through the low-pass filter 12, it will become bright in an instant during inhalation, and gradually darken during exhalation, making it feel unnatural to be in a dark environment for a relatively long time. 12, it is possible to reduce the time difference between light and dark, and it is possible to synchronize with the natural rhythm of breathing.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the appearance of the respiratory sensor. The respiratory sensor 11a shown in FIG. 7 has a clip (scissors) shape and transmits a respiratory signal wirelessly. Further, the breathing sensor 11b shown in FIG. 8 has a band-shaped shape and transmits a breathing signal by wire.

In the above embodiment, light is used as a stimulus for promoting sleep, but other stimuli may include sound, vibration, wind, scent, etc. However, sounds, vibrations, wind, etc. are generated at a predetermined frequency,
It is necessary to amplitude modulate the envelope at a predetermined period.

[0020]

Effects of the Invention The sleep induction device of the present invention includes a respiration detection section that detects the respiration of a living body, and a stimulation output that provides stimulation to the living body at a predetermined period based on the respiration cycle of the living body detected by the respiration detection section. Because it has a device, it can provide stimulation to induce a deeper sleep state according to the state of the living body, allowing calm and orderly breathing to be achieved naturally without much awareness, and smoothly leading to deep sleep. The effect is that it can be achieved in a short period of time. Also, if the stimulation cycle is close to the average breathing cycle detected at regular intervals,
Fluctuations in stimulation due to turning over in bed are less likely to occur, and it is possible to provide stimulation tailored to the next stage of decreased consciousness, allowing for a smooth transition to a deep sleep state. Furthermore, if the magnitude of the stimulation is gradually decreased in response to changes in ventilation due to breathing,
It allows you to recognize stimuli more deeply when you are awake, speeding up the transition from a relaxed state to a sleep state, and adapts to the degree of decline in your level of consciousness during sleep onset and light sleep, when you are extremely sensitive to external stimuli. Because the stimulation is output at a certain strength, it is possible to synchronize breathing and stimulation, and it is also possible to speed up the transition to deeper sleep and stabilize the state of sleep. This has the effect of inducing sleep more quickly.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of a respiration detection section used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the stimulation output device used in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of a calculation/control unit used in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between respiratory ventilation and sleep depth.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing changes in stimulus magnitude over time.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a respiratory sensor used in the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another example of a respiratory sensor used in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Breathing detection section 2 Respiratory cycle detection section 3 Time measurement section 4 Arithmetic/control section 5 Drive circuit section 6 Stimulation output device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A respiration detection unit that detects respiration of a living body, and a stimulation output device that applies stimulation to the living body at a predetermined period based on the breathing cycle of the living body detected by the respiration detection unit, and the amplitude of the stimulation is A sleep induction device characterized in that the sleep induction device is controlled in accordance with the amount of inflow and outflow of air corresponding to the amount of ventilation due to breathing detected at regular intervals.