Abu Dhabi Approves Eight Sleep Smart Bed as Medical Device for Sleep Apnea

Sleep technology company Eight Sleep announced that its smart bed technology has received medical device approval in Abu Dhabi to assist in diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea. The clearance, announced at the Abu Dhabi Future Health Summit 2026, follows a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) conducted by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH).

Under the authorization, licensed physicians can prescribe the Eight Sleep smart bed system to adult patients suspected of having obstructive sleep apnea as an at-home diagnostic aid. The technology generates an Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) score, which measures how frequently breathing stops or becomes shallow during sleep.

The at-home system captures continuous physiological signals, including heart rate, breathing rate, body movement, and apnea events, providing longitudinal data across multiple nights. Eight Sleep noted that a qualified healthcare professional reviews every result in conjunction with patient symptoms, clinical examinations, and medical history, with conventional clinical testing applied where further confirmation is required.

Eight Sleep co-founder and chief executive officer Matteo Franceschetti stated that sleep apnea remains widely underdiagnosed due to historical reliance on single-night laboratory sleep studies. According to the company, sleep apnea affects nearly one billion people globally and correlates with heightened risks of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive decline.

The approval was issued under DoH's Health Technology Assessment programme, an evidence-based framework designed to evaluate and integrate innovative health technologies into Abu Dhabi's healthcare system. DoH is a full member of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA).