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Field study in the “SchlafCheck” project tests digital sleep anamnesis
Sleep problems can lead to serious health issues. Nevertheless, they often remain untreated. The “SchlafCheck” project spent around two years investigating how sleep medicine care could be improved through primary care. The use of a mobile sleep monitoring system was tested with around 60 test subjects and five general practices in and around Oldenburg. The Fraunhofer IDMT was responsible for the technical and practical implementation, including data analysis. The University Medicine Oldenburg contributed its medical expertise in areas such as study design and workshops with the participating practices.
Oldenburg, August 28, 2025. If you do not sleep well, you are not alone.
Around ten percent of people in Germany suffer from chronic sleep disorders. Having poor sleep over a long period of time not only reduces quality of life, but also increases the risk of related illnesses, especially cardiovascular diseases. Despite this, many people's sleep problems remain untreated, partly because sleep medicine is not sufficiently represented in all clinical areas. As the first point of contact in the healthcare system, general practitioners cannot perform in-depth sleep diagnostic tests beyond taking a sleep history and providing advice on sleep hygiene. What's more, when patients are referred to sleep laboratories, this often involves long waiting times. "There is a lack of low-threshold options in primary care for obtaining an objective initial assessment of sleep problems. A mobile device, similar to a long-term ECG or long-term blood pressure measurement, could provide valuable sleep data from the patient's home environment and speed up an initial diagnosis,“ explains Dr. Markus Ennen, a general practitioner from Oldenburg. He is one of five doctors who participated in the “SchlafCheck” research project.
The project consortium, consisting of the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT and the University of Oldenburg, sees great potential in sleep diagnostics in the home environment accompanied by general practitioners to improve the limited care available to people in Germany with sleep problems and to reduce the risk of secondary diseases.
Field study in general practices
For a detailed analysis of sleep problems, information about the sleep phases and sleep quality of those affected is required, among other things. For this purpose, brain activity in the form of an electroencephalogram (EEG) and other vital data are recorded and analyzed in sleep laboratories. In the field study as part of the “SchlafCheck” project, general practices were provided with digital sensor devices for mobile sleep monitoring. The aim was to test their implementation in everyday practice to gather important findings for further research and development. “In the future, mobile devices could be used to integrate sleep tests into regular check-ups in specific cases. Primary care physicians could identify problems earlier and determine the necessary treatment steps, from recommendations on sleep hygiene to justified referrals to a specialist sleep diagnostics facility,“ explains Dr. Wiebke Pätzold, project manager from the ”Mobile Neurotechnologies" group at Fraunhofer IDMT.
Around 60 test subjects with difficulties falling and staying asleep took part in the study. They each received a commercially available mobile sensor system from their doctor's office, which they used at home in combination with a questionnaire and sleep diary. Most of the study participants were able to start a measurement independently after receiving instructions. In some cases, the unfamiliar placement of sensors on the skin appeared to be challenging, which is why simplified usability and options for attaching the sensors in the practice were discussed in final interviews with the doctors.
Insights for further research and development
The insights into the processes and diagnostic options of general practices revealed a fundamental need for sleep medicine care. “We were quickly able to find suitable partners for the project in the large teaching practice network of the University Medicine Oldenburg. Direct exchange with the practice teams revealed opportunities and challenges in the implementation of digital sleep monitoring systems,” explain Marianne Timper und Prof. Dr. Michael Freitag of the Division of General Practice in the Department of Health Services Research at the University of Oldenburg.
The “Mobile Neurotechnologies” research group at Fraunhofer IDMT will incorporate the project results into further development projects with the aim of bringing neurophysiological measurements from the laboratory or specialist clinic into everyday life and thus also into general primary care. The researchers are currently developing their own sensor system for mobile EEG recording (https://www.idmt.fraunhofer.de/en/institute/projects-products/projects/SleepWell...), which they are currently testing in daily long-term use.
The “Sleep Check” project was completed in spring 2025 and funded by the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) with approximately EUR 300,000.
Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA at Fraunhofer IDMT in Oldenburg
Founded in 2008 by Prof. Dr. Dr. Birger Kollmeier and Dr. Jens-E. Appell, the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT’s Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA stands for market-oriented research and development with a focus on the following areas:
• Speech and event recognition
• Sound quality and speech intelligibility
• Mobile neurotechnology and systems for networked healthcare
With in-house expertise in the development of hardware and software systems for audio system technology and signal enhancement, the employees at the Oldenburg site are responsible for transferring scientific findings into practical, customer-oriented solutions.
Through scientific cooperation, the institute is closely linked to the Carl von Ossietzky University, Jade University of Applied Sciences, and the University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer. Fraunhofer IDMT is a partner in the “Hearing4all” cluster of excellence and in the Collaborative Research Centre “Hearing Acoustics”.
Further information on https://www.idmt.fraunhofer.de/hsa
Contact for the media:
Christian Colmer
Head of Marketing and Communication
Fraunhofer-Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT
Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology HSA
Marie-Curie-Str. 2
26129 Oldenburg
Phone +49 441 80097-312
christian.colmer@idmt.fraunhofer.de
https://www.idmt.fraunhofer.de/hsa
https://www.idmt.fraunhofer.de/hsa
Sleep problems can lead to serious health issues in the long term. The BMG-funded “SchlafCheck” proj ...
Quelle: Fraunhofer IDMT
Copyright: Fraunhofer IDMT
The ”SchlafCheck” consortium. From top: Prof. Michael Freitag (UOL), Jana Paehl (UOL), Sabine Kurpgo ...
Quelle: Leona Hofmann
Copyright: Fraunhofer IDMT
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