Image Courtesy: Huiliang “Evan” WangResearchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a soft wearable patch that can stimulate deep brain regions linked to REM sleep while simultaneously monitoring brain activity. Early testing suggests the device can help people enter REM sleep sooner and spend more time in the restorative sleep stage without medication or surgery. Called NEUSLeeP, the patch combines focused ultrasound stimulation with flexible electrodes that record electrical brain activity during sleep. Across the participants whose data could be analyzed, REM sleep began about 43 minutes earlier with stimulation. REM sleep plays an important role in emotional processing and adaptation to stress, and disruptions in REM have been associated with conditions including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.