Sleep phase dependent temperature control and learning methods to optimize sleep quality

Abstract

A bed includes components to control temperature of a sleep surface, for example based on time and historical usage patterns by a user. In some embodiments the temperature of the sleep surface is controlled based on information indicating a sleep state of the user. In some embodiments the temperature is dynamically adjusted so to achieve particular sleep states and/or sleep patterns for the user. In some embodiments the temperature and timing of temperature adjustments is iteratively adjusted over multiple sleep sessions so to achieve improvements in sleep states and/or sleep quality for the user.

1 . A method for conditioning a sleep environment, comprising:
 receiving an indication that a user is on a sleep surface; and   after receiving the indication that the user is on the sleep surface, setting at least a portion of the sleep surface to a first temperature for a first period of time, the first period of time being less than a total period of time the user is expected to be asleep on the sleep surface during a sleep session;   wherein the setting of the at least the portion of the sleep surface to the first temperature occurs after receiving an indication that the user is asleep on the sleep surface.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is lower than a stable temperature of the sleep surface after the user is on the sleep surface and before the at least a portion of the sleep surface is set to the first temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is lower than a temperature at the sleep surface at a time of receipt of the indication that the user is asleep on the sleep surface. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the indication that the user is asleep on the sleep surface is based on information from biometric sensors. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising determining sleep stages of the user through processing of information from the biometric sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first period of time concludes at a time the determined sleep stage of the user is a REM-dominant sleep stage. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 determining an amount of time the user experienced slow wave sleep stages during the first period of time;   for a subsequent sleep session, receiving a further indication that that the user is asleep on the sleep surface, and, after receiving the further indication that the user is asleep on the sleep surface, setting the portion of the sleep surface to a second temperature for the first period of time during the subsequent sleep session;   determining an amount of time the user experienced slow wave sleep stages during the first period of time of the subsequent sleep session;   determining that amount of time the user experienced slow wave sleep stages during the first period of time of the subsequent sleep session is longer than the amount of time the user experienced slow wave sleep stages during the first period of time; and   in response to determining that the amount of time the user experienced slow wave sleep stages during the first period of time of the subsequent sleep session is longer than the amount of time the user experienced slow wave sleep stages during the first period of time, setting the portion of the sleep surface to the second temperature during the first period of time during further subsequent sleep sessions.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first temperature is based on a stored first value indicating the first temperature, and further comprising:
 storing an indication of amount of time for which the user is in a slow wave sleep stage during the first period of time;   subsequently setting the portion of the sleep surface to a different temperature, for at least a second period of time;   determining that an amount of time the user is in a slow wave sleep stage in the second period of time with the sleep surface set to the different temperature is greater than the amount of time the user is in the slow wave sleep stage during the first period of time; and   in response to the determination regarding the amounts of time the user is in the slow wave sleep stage, setting the first value to a value reflecting the different temperature.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the subsequently setting the portion of the sleep surface to the different temperature occurs during a subsequent sleep session to the setting the portion of the sleep surface to the first temperature. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, for a time after setting the first value to the value reflecting the different temperature, receiving a further indication that that the user is asleep on the sleep surface, and, after receiving the further indication that the user is asleep on the sleep surface, setting the portion of the sleep surface to the different temperature. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the different temperature is up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit below the first temperature. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising setting the portion of the sleep surface to a third temperature prior to a time the user is expected to sleep on the sleep surface, wherein the third temperature is greater than the first temperature. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the portion of the sleep surface is set to the first temperature by heating or cooling the sleep surface. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the heating or cooling of the sleep surface is performed using a thermoelectric device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising setting the portion of the sleep surface to a fourth temperature at a time the user is asleep, wherein the portion of the sleep surface is set to the fourth temperature a predetermined time before the user is expected to awake. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the predetermined time before the user is expected to awake is longer than the time is takes for the sleep surface to reach the fourth temperature, such that the fourth temperature is reached before the user is expected to awake. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining that a sleep stage of the user was not a lightest sleep stage immediately prior to awakening; and   in response to the determination, setting the predetermined time to an earlier time for subsequent sleep sessions.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 determining that a sleep stage of the user was not a lightest sleep stage immediately prior to awakening; and   in response to the determination, setting the fourth temperature with a temperature higher than the fourth temperature for subsequent sleep sessions.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 for a subsequent sleep session, setting the portion of the sleep surface to a different temperature instead of the fourth temperature at the predetermined time before the user is expected to awake from the subsequent sleep session;   determining that the user awakes closer to the expected wake time for the subsequent sleep session than for the prior sleep session; and   in response to the determination, setting the portion of the sleep surface to the different temperature at the predetermined times before the user is expected to awake for further subsequent sleep sessions.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 for a subsequent sleep session, setting the portion of the sleep surface to the fourth temperature at a time different than the predetermined time before the user is expected to awake from the subsequent sleep session;   determining that the user awakes closer to the expected wake time for the subsequent sleep session than for the prior sleep session; and   in response to the determination, setting the portion of the sleep surface to the fourth temperature at the time different than the predetermined time before the user is expected to awake for further subsequent sleep sessions.   
     
     
         21 - 26 . (canceled)