The study will analyse trends derived from anonymised and privacy-preserved data collected from the Sleep Cycle app between January 2023 and January 2026 – and Sleep Cycle's Cough Radar, a public visualisation tool, which shows the data aggregated trends in nightly coughing intensity across different regions in England. The study then aims to explore if these signals can provide earlier visibility into respiratory disease trends, including viruses such as influenza, RSV, and Covid-19.

By analysing sleep-based signals such as nighttime cough patterns, the study will investigate how this data corresponds to the UK's existing hospital admission data and surveillance indicators, and whether it provides an earlier signal of rising infection rates.

This marks the first time that UKHSA will systematically assess sleep app data to better understand its potential as a tool for national epidemiological monitoring. It is also a significant step forward in Sleep Cycle's evolution from a consumer sleep app to a contributor in population-level health research.

Professor Steven Riley, chief data officer at UKHSA, said: ‘As an agency we are constantly exploring how we can use new technology, such as AI, to complement our existing surveillance systems, and this innovative partnership represents a potential important step toward integrating novel data streams into our national health intelligence.

‘If successful, these insights could help us strengthen early warning systems for respiratory infections in the UK.'

Erik Jivmark, chief executive of Sleep Cycle, added: ‘Sleep is one of the most consistent, passive windows into human health. With more than 3 billion nights across 180 countries in our library, we are excited to work with UKHSA to determine if sleep can reveal meaningful population-level signals that offer earlier visibility into respiratory trends.

‘Our partnership with UKHSA reflects the strength of the nocturnal-breathing data we've gathered, and our commitment to helping public health agencies continue to build their proactive insight capability.'