SleepSpace Secures NIH Support to Pioneer the First Smartphone-Based Digital Therapeutic for Insomnia and Cognitive Health
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK / ACCESS Newswire / October 1, 2025 / SleepSpace (Proactive Life, Inc.), an AI-powered sleep technology company founded by NIH-funded sleep scientist Dr. Daniel Gartenberg, PhD, announced today it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The award supports development of a smartphone-based digital therapeutic that treats insomnia, enhances cognition, and creates a new paradigm for mental healthcare.
Grant and Public Health Relevance
The project, "An Internet of Things Automated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia that Improves Cognition in Older Adults" (NIH RePORTER link), will evaluate the SleepSpace Phone in an 11-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 180 older adults (65+) experiencing moderate-to-severe insomnia. The study will test whether SleepSpace improves sleep quality compared to the digital therapeutic standard of care and will measure whether improvements in slow-wave sleep (deep sleep) lead to better memory and performance on cognitive batteries sensitive to Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD).
"This project is about more than sleep - it's about rethinking mental healthcare," said Dr. Daniel Gartenberg, PhD, CEO of SleepSpace. "By improving sleep quality, we may not only treat insomnia but also enhance cognition and provide a scalable, non-pharmacological alternative that can augment or even replace therapy. At the same time, it's critical to evaluate both the opportunities and risks of these new AI systems."
The Problem With Traditional Phones and Wearables
While consumer devices promise better sleep insights, research shows they often do more harm than good at night. Blue light from screens can suppress melatonin, delay circadian timing, and impair alertness the next morning. Stimulating activities such as gaming can worsen sleep by combining cognitive arousal with light exposure. Some individuals also experience orthosomnia, or anxiety triggered by sleep data itself. Together these findings show why most phones and wearables, as they are currently used, may undermine sleep.
Solving Phone Addiction With SleepSpace
The SleepSpace Smart Phone is designed to reverse these risks by separating your work or life phone from your sleep phone. Users are instructed to keep their main phone in another room at night, while SleepSpace serves as a dedicated nighttime device. By default, it switches to Airplane Mode, Do Not Disturb, dimmed screen mode, and restricted social media, creating a healthier digital boundary. If the system detects stress from sleep data, a minimal display reduces anxiety, addressing the risk of orthosomnia.
Key Features
24/7 touchless sleep tracking validated against polysomnography
Wearable integration with Apple Watch, Oura, and more
Phone addiction solution with a patented EMF-blocking bedside charger
Natural sleep enhancement with adaptive soundscapes, circadian lighting, and CBT-I programs
Dr. Snooze AI - Sleep Coaching, Anytime
SleepSpace also features Dr. Snooze AI, the first AI assistant dedicated to sleep. It delivers instant answers, personalized coaching, and integrates with user data for precision insights. Human experts review interactions when needed to ensure accuracy.
Competitive Advantage
Digital therapeutics like Somryst and Sleepio pioneered CBT-I in digital form. SleepSpace goes further by providing continuous passive monitoring with no user effort, combining environmental control and AI-guided feedback, and integrating wearables and phone sensors for superior accuracy.
Try SleepSpace Today
Consumers can demo the SleepSpace Smart Phone system today. For a free trial and more information, visit www.sleepspace.com.
Contact Information
Daniel Gartenberg
PhD, and Founder
dan@sleepspace.com
7326681250
SOURCE: SleepSpace
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/healthcare-and-pharmaceutical/sleepspace-awarded-nih-grant-to-transform-smartphones-into-digital-th-1080922
