Using a Mobile Device to Record Electrodermal Activity During Nocturnal Sleep

Electrodermal activity (EDA) in humans is one of the integrative parameters reflecting important psychophysiological processes. One of the promising applications of EDA is the assessment over long time intervals, which allows the identification of specific tendencies of the human body. We have developed a mobile wireless device that allows registering EDA for hours, days, and months without causing discomfort to a person. In this study, we present examples of EDAs during the night in subjects both in the laboratory and at home. The signal was taken from the wrist using the exosomatic method. For 12 subjects, polysomnography (PSG) recordings were performed in parallel under laboratory conditions to determine sleep stages during periods of EDA activity. EDA was also measured for two subjects for 472 and 394 nights, respectively. The presence of periods of high-frequency EDA activity in most subjects was determined, with differences observed both between different subjects and in the same subject on different nights.