SleepGuardian is a wearable health-monitoring system designed to improve early detection of respiratory distress during sleep, particularly for patients with rare respiratory disorders or sleep-related breathing conditions. Current monitoring systems are often limited to hospital environments or bulky equipment, leaving many patients without continuous protection at home. SleepGuardian addresses this gap through a lightweight adhesive chest patch that continuously tracks breathing rate, thoracic movement, and carbon dioxide levels.

The device integrates multiple sensors, including respiratory impedance sensors and CO₂ detection, paired with a low-power microcontroller and Bluetooth connectivity to transmit data to a mobile or caregiver monitoring platform. Machine learning algorithms analyze breathing patterns to detect abnormalities such as irregular respiration, hypoventilation, or potential respiratory failure. When dangerous patterns are detected, the system sends real-time alerts to caregivers, clinicians, or emergency contacts.

The intended audience includes patients with rare respiratory diseases such as CCHS, individuals with sleep-related breathing disorders, caregivers, and healthcare providers seeking a non-invasive monitoring solution outside of clinical settings. The project leverages publicly available respiratory datasets, wearable sensor technology, and AI-driven pattern recognition to build an early-warning system that could significantly improve patient safety and response times.

Future development would involve clinical validation, improved sensor calibration, expanded AI training datasets, and integration with healthcare platforms for remote monitoring. Ultimately, SleepGuardian aims to bridge the gap between hospital-grade monitoring and everyday wearable health technology, providing continuous protection for vulnerable patients during sleep.