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Department of Health - Abu Dhabi and Eight Sleep partner to study how AI could manage sleep apnoea. * home * Health * Department of Health - Abu Dhabi and Eight Sleep partner to study how AI could manage sleep apnoea. The Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DoH) and Eight Sleep, the global leader in sleep technology, have collaborated to study how AI-powered sleep technology could provide a new approach to managing conditions like sleep apnoea. The partnership will begin with a first-of-its-kind clinical study in Abu Dhabi that connects real-world data from Eight Sleep's technology with Abu Dhabi's population health data. The initial study will focus on sleep apnoea, one of the most widespread and underdiagnosed sleep-related conditions globally. It will examine how smart bed technology, including real-time adjustments to body position, may help improve how the condition is managed. During the 12-week study, Eight Sleep's technology will capture continuous sleep and physiological signals such as heart rate, breathing rate, movement, snoring, and positional data. Uniquely, this information will be connected into Abu Dhabi's intelligent health system, allowing researchers to analyse these signals alongside participants real-time health data, including relevant clinical, genomic and lifestyle data, to identify patterns that may help to inform future treatment pathways and clinical research. The study will be conducted by Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, an Abu Dhabi medical research hospital, and will operate with built-in oversight, governance, and data protection protocols. Her Excellency Dr. Noura Khamis Al Ghaithi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi, said: "Quality sleep is one of the strongest foundations of long-term health, yet common sleep disorders like sleep apnoea can significantly undermine it, raising the risk of serious health conditions when left unmanaged. Our collaboration with Eight Sleep reflects Abu Dhabi's commitment to the future of health: using data, research, and innovation to predict risk, intervene earlier, and improve outcomes. By generating real-world evidence from consumer sleep technology and integrating it with Abu Dhabi's intelligent health system, we can help inform personalised care pathways for people with sleep apnoea and other related disorders affecting sleep." The findings are expected to contribute to the evidence base for how consumer health technology can be responsibly integrated into clinical care and preventive health models. The research will also help evaluate how continuous sleep monitoring can complement existing clinical assessments and support future healthcare planning across the emirate. Matteo Franceschetti, Co-founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, said: "Sleep is one of the most powerful signals of human health, yet it has historically been undermeasured and underutilised in medicine," said. "This partnership with the Department of Health - Abu Dhabi is an important step toward making sleep a core pillar of preventive care. By combining Eight Sleep's continuous sleep data with Abu Dhabi's world-class health intelligence infrastructure, we can help generate the clinical evidence needed to personalise interventions, support earlier action, and improve health outcomes over time." Dr Marwan Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, said: "Clinical research plays a critical role in transforming promising innovations into evidence that can improve patient care. Through this collaboration, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City is helping evaluate how emerging technologies can be rigorously assessed within real-world clinical settings to generate insights that inform future models of care. As an academic medical centre, we are committed to advancing research that supports more personalised, preventive and data-driven healthcare, creating lasting value for patients, clinicians and the wider health system." Affecting nearly one billion people globally, sleep apnoea is a complex condition associated with increased risks of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline. Symptoms often develop gradually and vary from night to night, so continuous monitoring has the potential to support earlier detection, more personalised interventions, and improved long-term management. While the initial study focuses on sleep apnoea, DoH and Eight Sleep plan to study how sleep, temperature regulation, and recovery effect other areas of health, such as menopause and cancer care. The findings are expected to help show how everyday consumer health devices can be used safely and responsibly within clinical care and prevention. The collaboration reinforces Abu Dhabi's continued investment in clinical research, health intelligence and responsible adoption of emerging technologies. By generating evidence within real-world care settings, the DoH continues to evaluate new approaches that can strengthen preventive health and improve long-term patient outcomes.

Tether has led a $50 million investment round in Eight Sleep, an AI sleep tracking startup, valuing the company at $1.5 billion. The funding follows a $100 million round raised by Eight Sleep in August 2025. Eight Sleep develops AI-powered sleep health technology, including the Eight Sleep Pod, which monitors biometric data such as heart rate, breathing and sleep stages. The system automatically adjusts bed temperature, elevation and sound settings based on real-time sleep patterns. The partnership will integrate Tether's QVAC architecture, which processes health data locally on devices rather than external servers. Eight Sleep is developing a predictive AI sleep agent trained on over one billion hours of sleep data and pursuing FDA filings for sleep apnoea detection. The investment reflects Tether's expansion beyond cryptocurrency into sectors including health technology and artificial intelligence.

Eight Sleep's new Pregnancy Mode adjusts your bed temperature so you don't have to. The sleep tech company's latest feature tracks physiological changes during pregnancy and postpartum to automatically fine-tune your sleep. Nasha Addarich Martínez May 5, 2026 6:00 a.m. PT If you've ever been pregnant (or know someone who has), you know that sleep gets harder as the pregnancy progresses. One minute you're freezing, the next you're waking up to night sweats. Most likely, your sleep environment hasn't changed, but your body has. Eight Sleep, the company behind the Pod smart mattress cover and sleep tracker, just launched Pregnancy Mode, an AI-powered system built for the physiological changes brought on from pregnancy and postpartum. It's available now as a free app update for all Eight Sleep members with a paid Standard, Enhanced or Elite subscription ($17 to $33 per month). When you activate Pregnancy Mode within the app, the system uses your pre-pregnancy temperature baseline, your last menstrual period date and your estimated due date to automatically calculate weekly temperature adjustments across all sleep stages. Eight Sleep's dataset of over 100 pregnant members and 50,000 nights of sleep data found that in the early stages of pregnancy, your body tends to sleep warmer (about 0.4 to 0.7 degrees Fahrenheit) than your pre-pregnancy baseline temperature. The study also found that by the third trimester, it's the complete opposite - pregnant people were setting their Pods nearly 3.5 degrees cooler than normal. Pregnancy Mode also tracks that curve and continues to adjust eight weeks postpartum. The feature includes a dedicated Pregnancy Insights card in the app, where you can see weekly biometric summaries of your heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, sleep stages and snoring. It'll also compare these metrics to your pre-pregnancy scores. Baby development milestones and prenatal visit reminders are part of this new feature, too. Partners sharing the bed will get their own weekly insights on what to expect and how to help their pregnant significant other. Pregnancy Mode is now available in the Eight Sleep app on iOS and Android. The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives. Other sleep guides. Bed Accessories Sleep Tech NASHA ADDARICH MARTÍNEZ Managing Editor Nasha is a Managing Editor for CNET, overseeing its sleep and wellness verticals. She is a nutrition, mental health, fitness and sleep science enthusiast. Her passion for mindful and holistic practices transcends her personal life and profoundly influences her editorial approach, as she weaves evidence-based insights with practical advice to inspire readers to lead healthier, more balanced lives. Throughout her career, she's covered various topics including financial services, technology, travel and wellness. See full bio