Wired Covers Nightmare Prevention App Created by UChicago CS Student

When UChicago CS PhD student Tyler Skluzacek saw his father struggling with debilitating nightmares caused by PTSD, he hacked a solution. At a 2015 hackathon, his team built a smart watch app called MyBivy that would detect when its wearer experienced increased heart rate and body movements associated with a nightmare, and respond by sending light vibrations to their wrist, interrupting the dream and preserving peaceful sleep. 

Three years later, a startup called NightWare based on Skluzacek's idea received FDA approval as a “digital therapeutic” device for treating PTSD-related nightmare disorder. This week, Wired magazine profiled Skluzacek, who works with Globus Labs and is advised by research assistant professor Kyle Chard and Professor Ian Foster, and NightWare's journey to clinical use.

“Honestly, it feels good,” [Skluzacek] says of knowing that his nightmare-disrupting idea will soon be available to veterans with PTSD. “Sometimes you go off with a one-in-a-million shot of an idea. You might not think it will pan out.” But in this case, he far exceeded his goal of helping his dad get a good night’s sleep.

Read the rest of the story at Wired and learn more about NightWare from their website and the FDA approval announcement. The story was also featured on National Public Radio.

Related News

More UChicago CS stories from this research area.
Students posing at competition
UChicago CS News

UChicago Undergrad Team Places Second Overall In Regionals For World’s Largest Programming Competition

Mar 17, 2023
UChicago CS News

Postdoc Alum John Paparrizos Named ICDE Rising Star

Mar 15, 2023
UChicago CS News

New EAGER Grant to Asst. Prof. Eric Jonas Will Explore ML for Quantum Spectrometry

Mar 03, 2023
UChicago CS News

Asst. Prof. Rana Hanocka Receives NSF Grant to Develop New AI-Driven 3D Modeling Tools

Feb 28, 2023
Young students on computers
UChicago CS News

UChicago and NYU Research Team Finds Edtech Tools Could Pose Privacy Risks For Students

Feb 21, 2023
UChicago CS News

Assistant Professor Chenhao Tan Receives Sloan Research Fellowship

Feb 15, 2023
UChicago CS News

UChicago Scientists Develop New Tool to Protect Artists from AI Mimicry

Feb 13, 2023
In the News

Chicago Magazine on Aurora, “The Computer That Will Change Everything”

Feb 01, 2023
Garcia sitting in a jet engine
UChicago CS News

Student Spotlight: Gabi Garcia’s Bridge Between CS and Classics

Jan 30, 2023
In the News

Professors Rebecca Willett and Ben Zhao Discuss the Future of AI on Public Radio

Jan 26, 2023
UChicago CS News

UChicago Launches Transform Accelerator for Data Science & Emerging AI Startups

Jan 19, 2023
UChicago CS News

Professor Heather Zheng Named ACM Fellow

Jan 18, 2023
arrow-down-largearrow-left-largearrow-right-large-greyarrow-right-large-yellowarrow-right-largearrow-right-smallbutton-arrowclosedocumentfacebookfacet-arrow-down-whitefacet-arrow-downPage 1CheckedCheckedicon-apple-t5backgroundLayer 1icon-google-t5icon-office365-t5icon-outlook-t5backgroundLayer 1icon-outlookcom-t5backgroundLayer 1icon-yahoo-t5backgroundLayer 1internal-yellowinternalintranetlinkedinlinkoutpauseplaypresentationsearch-bluesearchshareslider-arrow-nextslider-arrow-prevtwittervideoyoutube