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Memory Care

Sleep as a Care Strategy: A Pilot Study at RiverSpring Living

Exploring Sound Blanket™’s impact in complex care environments.

Overview

RiverSpring Living, a mission-driven CCRC in New York, partnered with Composure to pilot a new approach to sleep health for residents living with dementia. The purpose of this pilot was to explore the fit and functional integration of Sound Blanket™ within a complex care environment, including environmental factors, technical infrastructure, and resident needs, in skilled nursing settings where sleep disruption is both common and consequential.

The pilot took place over eight weeks and focused on 12 residents across two skilled nursing units. All participants were living with cognitive impairment and known sleep challenges. Using a combination of passive sleep monitoring and staff-reported outcomes, the pilot evaluated Sound Blanket™’s potential to reduce nighttime disruptions, support better sleep quality, and positively impact fall rates – all without adding burden to the care team.

Approach

This exploratory pilot consisted of three phases:

  • Baseline – 2 weeks of sleep data-gathering before nightly use of Sound Blanket™
  • Initial Implementation – A standardized sound sequence supporting all stages of the sleep cycle was introduced
  • Optimization Phase – Sound Blanket™ settings were adjusted based on sleep data and staff feedback, refining delivery tailored to resident needs and routines

Sleep performance was monitored using Withings passive bed sensors. Leveraging these devices’ data and staff surveys, pilot outcomes were centered around:

  • Sleep Quality Index (SQI) – a top-line composite score of Total Sleep Time and Sleep Efficiency
  • Sleep Efficiency (SE) – Total Sleep Time as a percent of Time in Bed.
  • Sleep Latency (SL) – time taken to fall asleep
  • Bed Exits (BE) – used as a proxy for sleep fragmentation and safety risk

Additional subjective data sources, which included staff surveys and fall incidents, and medication data from Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems, were used to provide a more complete picture of outcomes. All information shared with Composure was de-identified to protect Personal Health Information (PHI).

Results Summary

Objective Outcomes

  • 56% of residents showed improved Sleep Quality Index (SQI)
  • 44% demonstrated increased Sleep Efficiency (SE)
  • 44% fell asleep faster, with 75% of those improving further after optimization
  • 44% had fewer nighttime bed exits

    (See Figure 1)

Figure 1
  • 64% of residents improved the amount of Deep Stage (aka Slow-Wave Sleep, SWS) and/or REM Stage sleep they were able to get on average, comparing Baseline to full Pilot Period (PP) (See Figure 2)
    • SWS and REM stages of sleep are where the most restorative rest occurs, and are most often deficient in older adults’ overall sleep architecture. 


Figure 2

The chart in Figure 2 shows the percent change in average nightly Deep and REM sleep for each participant, comparing the 2-week baseline to the two, contiguous 3-week Pilot Period (PP1 + PP2). Positive values indicate increased time in these restorative sleep stages during Sound Blanket™ use.

Falls Reduction

  • 64% reduction in falls (See Figure 3)
    • Pre-pilot (6 weeks): 14 falls
    • Pilot period (6 weeks): 5 falls
Figure 3

Staff Observations

  • 69% rated residents’ sleep as “good” or “very good”
  • 67% observed residents were more alert and engaged during the day

 

 

What’s Next

RiverSpring Living is expanding its commitment to implementing Sound Blanket™. The next planned phase of engagement includes a 90-day study involving 50 residents on a single skilled nursing floor. This will enable RiverSpring to further evaluate Sound Blanket™’s operational feasibility, clinical value, and impact across a broader and more consistent resident cohort.

The expanded pilot’s goal is to validate that implementing Sound Blanket™ in complex care environments improves sleep in a way that is both achievable and clinically meaningful.

Organizations seeking scalable, non-pharmacological approaches to sleep care may benefit from similar pilot initiatives to evaluate outcomes in their own environments. For RiverSpring, this marks a meaningful step toward a new frontier in dementia care – one that prioritizes rest, dignity, and operational resilience.

 

 

Ready to explore Sound Blanket™ for your community? Book a 30-minute consultation

Contact us: sales@composure.care