Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40719375›Full record

ArticleSleep2025

Unsupervised machine learning in sleep research: a scoping review.

Luka Biedebach, Daniela Ferreira-Santos, Marie-Ange Stefanos, Alva Lindhagen, Gabriel Natan Pires, Erna Sif Arnardóttir, Anna Sigridur Islind

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Sleep, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Precision sleep signatures to predict mental health outcomes in youth.Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging · 2026
    Review
  2. Review
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Luka BiedebachDepartment of Computer Science, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.ORCID 0000-0003-0974-202X
Daniela Ferreira-SantosDepartment of Medical Physics, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Marie-Ange StefanosComputer Science Department, Université Paris-Cité, Paris, France.ORCID 0009-0001-8903-1537
Alva LindhagenDepartment of Computer Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Gabriel Natan PiresDepartmento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-0411-0111
Erna Sif ArnardóttirDepartment of Computer Science, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Anna Sigridur IslindDepartment of Computer Science, Reykjavik University, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

objectivesUnsupervised machine learning-an approach that identifies patterns and structures within data without relying on labels-has demonstrated remarkable success in various domains of sleep research. This underscores the broader utility of machine learning, suggesting that its capabilities extend beyond current applications and warrant further exploration for novel insights in sleep studies, focusing specifically on unsupervised machine learning.

methodsThis paper outlines a scoping review conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines for scoping reviews. A comprehensive search covering various search terms focusing on the intersection between unsupervised machine learning and sleep led to 3960 publications. After screening all titles and abstracts with two independent reviewers, ultimately, 356 publications were included in the full-text review. The data extracted from the full texts included information about the machine learning methods and types of sleep data, as well as the study population.

resultsThere has been a steep increase in the number of publications in this research area in the past 10 years. Clustering is the most commonly used method, but other methods are gaining popularity. Apart from classical polysomnography, data from wearable devices, nearables, video, audio, and medical imaging techniques have been used as input to unsupervised machine learning. The broad search allowed us to explore various applications within sleep research, ranging from the general population to populations with various sleep disorders.

conclusionThe review mapped existing research on unsupervised learning in sleep research, identified gaps in the literature, and derived directions for future research.

Indexed as

SleepUnsupervised Machine LearningHumansPolysomnographyscoping reviewsleepunsupervised machine learning

Identifiers

PMID40719375
PMCPMC12597679

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.