Ultrahuman Ring Air launches snoring detection to help tackle hidden cardiovascular risks

Ultrahuman brings snoring detection and respiratory health tracking to the Ring Air

The Ultrahuman Ring Air now has the capacity to track snoring and general respiratory health. This is thanks to proprietary technology called Respiratory Health PowerPlug, which is basically a suite of audio analysis tools along with some "advanced biomarker tracking" and AI tomfoolery. All of this results in "one of the most comprehensive consumer tools ever built for understanding nighttime respiratory stability." It details snoring sessions, of course, but also delivers a holistic and "actionable sleep picture." The company says this "reveals patterns, trends and changes in respiratory health over time." To that end, it can also detect coughing and respiratory disturbances. This data is cross-referenced with movement patterns, sleep fragmentation patterns and resting heart rate to "show exactly how breathing issues shape sleep quality." The company says this can be a good resource when experimenting with interventions, like switching to a new pillow or taping up the nose. More health data is never a bad thing, but this information isn't free. Ultrahuman is charging $4 per month for access to the tool, though folks can pick up an annual subscription for $40. The Ultrahuman Ring Air made our list of the , and that was before the company introduced this new software. It tracks an impressive amount of data and integrates with third-party devices like glucose monitors.

"Awareness is the first line of prevention" -- Ultrahuman and Sleep Cycle launch brand new sleep tech to helps snorers

Besides driving a wedge in relationships and ruining quality sleep, snoring can be a serious health concern. Did you know studies show habitual snorers are at a 46% higher risk of stroke? But health-tech innovator Ultrahuman and leading AI sleep technology company Sleep Cycle are stepping in to help. Today, the partnership are launching the Respiratory Health PowerPlug for Ultrahuman Ring AIR users, a programme designed to help you understand and tackle snoring. The best sleep trackers on the market all detect snoring to some degree, but the Respiratory Health PowerPlug will delve deeper into your respiratory habits. This will give a more clear picture of what's causing your snoring and how you can handle it, whether that be consulting a medical professional or changing lifestyle factors. "Snoring is treated like a joke in popular culture, but physiologically, it's one of the earliest warning signs that something isn't right," CEO of Ultrahuman, Mohit Kumar, says. "Most people never see their own snoring patterns, which is why problems escalate silently for years." As mentioned above, snorers are at a higher risk of serious health conditions like stroke. What's more, research in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine has found one third of regular snorers may have undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is a condition affecting nearly 1 billion adults worldwide. This occurs when the upper airway narrows or collapses during sleep and it can cause hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Plus there's a gender sleep gap at play. Women snore nearly as much as men -- just nine minutes less on average -- but massively under-report their snoring, contributing to widespread under-diagnosis of sleep apnea in women. That said, Dr. Mike Gradisar, Head of Sleep Science at SleepCycle, says habitual snoring (snoring three to four times a week) is linked with many health consequences (stroke, cardiovascular issues, diabetes, hypertension) without actually having sleep apnea. "There's a lot of value in people being aware of their own snoring and potentially understanding what might cause it and what they can do about it," he explains. But with Ultrahuman x Sleep Cycle's new software, all snorers can be more aware of their overnight respiratory habits. This means they can get the help or make the changes they need to curb health issues down the line. As Kumar states, "Awareness is the first line of prevention." The Respiratory Health PowerPlug combines Sleep Cycle's proprietary AI sound software with Ultrahuman's advanced biomarker tracking. The result? One of the most comprehensive consumer tools ever built for understanding nighttime respiratory stability. "By pairing respiratory sound analysis with real-time biometrics, Ring AIR now shows users the signals they routinely miss -- the breathing disruptions that fragment sleep, impair recovery, and are linked to long-term cardiovascular risk," Kumar explains. Across your smartphone and Ultrahuman Ring Air, the new software is able to detect snoring, coughing and respiratory disturbances that disrupt sleep quality. By revealing when snoring or coughing intensified, and showing how those events corresponded with drops in HRV, elevated nighttime heart rate or repeated awakenings, Ultrahuman ring wearers gain a more clear understanding of how respiratory habits impact overall recovery and health. "My hope is that, by Ultrahuman integrating our tech into their ring, we'll get a lot more people that will be able to be much more reflective about their health, and get more curious about what snoring can be -- that it isn't benign," Dr. Gradisar says. In turn, users can take measures to improve their overnight respiratory health - and hopefully pull the plug on snoring, so their partner can rest better, too. These measures may include cutting down alcohol (booze relaxes the throat muscles which equals more snoring), side sleeping (this position helps open airways), losing weight (fat narrows airways), or consulting medical professionals. Starting today, the Respiratory Health PowerPlug is now open to Ultrahuman users. Access is rolling out via the waitlist in the Ultrahuman app. But the new programme comes with a fee. It costs $3.99/£2.99/€3.99 per month or $39.99/£29.99/€39.99 per year. For that you get a daily morning report with data including HRV, resting heart rate, movement patterns and sleep fragmentation, alongside trends in your respiratory health. If you're not yet a Ultrahuman user, you'll need to purchase the hardware too. You can shop the Ultrahuman Ring Air for $244 at Ultrahuma now (was $349). Sleep Cycles algorithms provide additional tools to monitor snoring and this will be combined with biometrics from Ultrahuman. Then, through the Ultrahuman interface you'll find your complete sleep report, along with actionable tips on how you can reduce snoring and improve sleep quality. And if this all sounds a little invasive, rest assured that all respiratory audio is processed, stored and managed entirely on the user's device. No sound files are uploaded to Ultrahuman or Sleep Cycle servers, and users can delete recordings at any time.