Nuream, a Wilmington-based neuroscience research and technology company, is matching science to its sleep products.

At the end of August, Nuream launched its first line of customized mattresses and pillowcases featuring sustainable hypoallergenic and all-natural materials.

The products are the first consumer goods designed by Nuream’s founding partners Rob Cooley, Nathan Munton and Lauren Munton. The entrepreneurs have been working on sleep technology with the University of North Carolina Wilmington and other leading innovators to monitor brain activity during sleep using fabric as a sensor to create a data dashboard of brain activity insights.

“More than half of Americans claim sleep problems. And two-thirds of warfighters and first responders have sleep problems,” said Cooley, a veteran and the CEO of Nuream. “Societal stressors today don’t enable enough sleep to allow the brain to rest. Enhanced restorative sleep yields higher productivity, higher efficiency, higher mental clarity and acuity.”

Cooley, who has sleep problems himself, said studies by sleep organizations and the National Institutes of Health have shown that hypoallergenic and natural materials used in sheets, pillows and mattresses improve sleep. These materials, just one variable to better sleep, support brain health.

Hypoallergenic and natural materials have been proven to reduce brain swelling due to allergies considerably, enabling the brain to sleep more restoratively.

Cooley and his team looked at several hypoallergenic and all-natural materials and components for the sleep environment.

“Our custom combination of materials in this initial e-commerce launch is the right nexus for us to start. We will introduce more science-backed sleep products over time,” he said.

Nuream’s first go-to market is the general wellness consumer.

“We are targeting folks who are interested in health and wellness, who do significant research to find the right products and who use science to their advantage,” Cooley said.

A mattress is an emotional purchase, he added. “Shoppers look on their phone first, then go to a tablet or laptop to better see the product.”

Nuream directly ships each custom-built mattress to the consumer.

“It is uniquely made to your specs, immediately boxed and shipped in four to five days,” he said.

The products can be viewed and purchased on the company website, nuream.com.

Further applications of the products include a dual-use application for the military and warfighters (a term used for military personnel who have participated in combat) worldwide who need restful, quick sleep.

“The military products will require extra testing and evaluation confirming that the products meet requirements domestically as well as overseas,” Cooley explained.

Cooley said these consumer products are an important part of the Nuream vision.

“These products are a market builder for delivering advanced fabrics as a sensor for monitoring brain activity during sleep as well as daily tracking of biometric data,” he said.

Combined with AI, Nuream intends to produce time-stamped information to predict health outcomes.
“At the end of this design process, we expect to deliver a neurological telemedicine capability for cutting-edge medicine, collecting neurological data that will harness brain function, activity and information,” he said.

Over time, Nuream will introduce more science into sleep.

“We are going to change lives through a pillow, a T-shirt and, eventually, wearable designs. Fabric as a sensor is our differentiation. The data we collect can deliver a very powerful impact on society. We want to have tens of thousands of customers tracking, categorizing and improving their sleep,” Cooley said.

He pointed out that his company is local.

“Nuream is a product of the greater Wilmington ecosystem, and we are thankful to all those who have helped us get where we are to bring health care innovation to Wilmington,” Cooley said.

Nuream also recently announced a new nonprofit, The Nuream Foundation, that will use neurological data to improve mental health and wellness outcomes.

“Not too many startups develop a nonprofit leg pre-revenue,” Cooley said. “We are positioned to give back.”