What do a former Vice Chief of Staff (VCSA) of the Army and a 20-year Silicon Valley-experienced software strategy leader have in common? A passion to bring digital therapy to those who experience nightmares resulting from Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). This week we welcomed General (R) Peter Chiarelli and Grady Hannah, Chief Executive Officer of Nightware, to talk with us about how cutting-edge software is solving an acute problem that many in the military face.

What is Nightware?

Brain. Sleep. Trauma. How do they interconnect? For many, it’s in the form of nightmares. When nightmares occur, the trauma is reinforced and becomes an invasive part of people’s lives. It affects the quality of sleep, making work, relationships, and daily tasks more difficult to navigate. Often, this further translates to insomnia, daytime fatigue, and even suicidal thoughts.

It’s scientifically proven: poor quality sleep = non-optimal performance. In layman’s terms, this means “Not HOOAH”. In fact, nightmares mean that people start their day in a hyper-vigilant state. A good night’s sleep can make all the difference.

Nightware is a non-invasive method to measure the fight or flight response to a person’s nightmares. Much like how a service dog would wake an owner out of a nightmare, Nightware creates a similar response. By measuring the user’s heart rate and body movements, Nightware detects nightmares and rapidly delivers short vibrations through a wrist device to gently wake the user and break the nightmare cycle. The user data is then calculated in the Nightware Sleep Index and further analyzed to better recognize nightmares and optimize the user’s individual sleep experience.

“We’re all at our best when we get good sleep”, said Chiarelli.

This is particularly important when dealing with emotional trauma. Quality sleep has been proven to lessen the symptoms of those dealing with PTS, anxiety, and depression.

Nightware is FDA approved, covered by TRICARE, and they’re working with Veterans Affairs to receive insurance coverage through VA.

If you’d like more information, reach out to the Nightware team at info@nightware.com or check out their website. Take it from this old Soldier, quality sleep can make a dramatic difference in your quality of life.

For More Information

Watch the full video on this week’s Your Next Mission^® video podcast episode on our website or on our YouTube channel.

Your Next Mission^® is a program initiative of the American Freedom Foundation, a non-profit
dedicated to serving our Veterans and Families. Your Next Mission^® video podcast with host
12th SMA (R) Jack L. Tilley features insightful conversation with subject matter experts from the
military and civilian communities. It’s a place where we can have frank and honest
conversation, tackle the tough questions, share stories, and have some fun along the way.