NextSense Launches Smartbuds, Wireless EEG Earbuds Designed to Improve Sleep
TECHNOLOGY
Early-bird launch pricing available for limited number of units.
The sleep-tracking market has made great strides in helping people understand their rest patterns, but most devices have focused on measurement rather than intervention. NextSense is taking the next step with the launch of Smartbuds, the first truly wireless EEG earbuds designed to both monitor and actively improve sleep quality.
By integrating clinical-grade electroencephalography (EEG) technology into a comfortable, everyday earbud design, NextSense is making brain-sensing tools, previously confined to research labs, accessible for personal use at home.
The Closed-Loop Breakthrough
Smartbuds utilize six EEG sensors to measure brain activity in real-time. Unlike standard trackers that infer sleep stages from motion or heart rate, Smartbuds detect light sleep, deep sleep, and waking moments with millisecond precision.
The strategic "unlock" is the Closed-Loop Intervention. When the sensors detect the user entering deep sleep, the buds deliver precisely timed audio stimulation designed to strengthen slow-wave activity, the phase most closely tied to memory consolidation and physical recovery. Over time, the system learns individual neural rhythms, optimizing the nightly intervention for each user.
Bridging the Heart-Brain Information Gap
The inspiration for NextSense came when founder and CEO Jonathan Berent, formerly of Alphabet’s X, realized that while smartwatches provide detailed, real-time data about the heart, consumers have virtually no access to similar insights about the brain.
“Sleep shapes how we show up in the world. Yet for too long, technology has treated it like a score to track instead of a state to support,” said Berent. Early beta data supports this vision: in a 106-night testing period, nearly 50% of participants reported "better" or "much better" sleep and improved morning recovery.
Market Access: The Early Bird Launch
NextSense Smartbuds retail for $399.99, with a limited-time launch price of $249. The purchase includes a "Fit Kit" subscription, which delivers fresh ear tips and wings monthly to ensure the clinical-grade EEG signal quality remains pristine.
The "Active Recovery" Advantage
In the wearable health market, the competitive edge is shifting from data collection to meaningful intervention. NextSense's Smartbuds reflect this evolution by moving beyond simply tracking sleep to actively working to enhance it.
For health technology companies, the insight is clear: people are growing weary of devices that only report problems without offering solutions. Users don't just want to know they had a restless night, they want tools that help them sleep better. By using real-time brain activity data to deliver personalized audio interventions during sleep, NextSense is positioning its earbuds as more than monitors, they're active participants in improving outcomes.
The broader implication is that wearables are evolving from diagnostic tools into therapeutic ones. Devices that can respond intelligently to what they measure, adjusting in real time to support better health, represent the next generation of personal technology. Brands that make this leap, turning insights into action, are better positioned to meet the growing demand for products that don't just inform, but actually help.