Ballistocardiography for nonintrusive sleep structure estimation

Based on the its nonintrusive characteristics, ballistocardiography(BCG) has applied in the estimation of sleep structure without attaching any sensors to the subject´s body. Loadcell or polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) film sensors are installed on the mattress for the monitoring of BCG. BCG peak was detected and heart rate variability parameters are derived. Parameters representing sleep structure and quality are estimated using these parameters. Sleep efficiency, four stages of sleep structure and sleep onset latency are estimated and results are compared with the results derived from polysomnographic recording.