Mathematical formula eases sleep monitoring

A team, led by Philip Terrill, at the University of Queensland, has created the formula that measures varying breathing patterns which indicate different sleep states such as active or quiet sleep.

In their study, the researchers placed a band around a child's chest that recorded the breathing rates which were then analysed using the new formula based on maths of chaos theory. It has been successfully tested on 30 children so far.

According to Terrill, the new formula would form the basis of an automated sleep monitoring system that is cheaper and easier to use than current methods.

"In the future, diagnosing a sleep problem may be as simple as putting on a breathing monitor during a night's sleep at home, in your own bed. This would mean that those children with sleep problems could be quickly diagnosed and treated appropriately," Terrill said.

Minor infant sleeping problems can result in daytime sleepiness and inattention with prolonged problems causing behavioural and learning difficulties.

Terrill said clinical research showed that up to 20 per cent of Australian children have symptoms of sleep problems and there were very few facilities available to investigate sleep problems in children.

He said previous work analysed sleep breathing patterns using conventional statistical methods but this work used techniques from a branch of mathematics called chaos theory. "The next step is to test his formula on teenagers and adults."