TheTechno Optimist.

Muse S AthenaInteraXon—Muse releases Deep Sleep Boost, sound pulses timed to the brain's slow waves, free on Muse S AthenaMuse S AthenaInteraXon—Muse adds Smart Wakeup, an alarm that uses live EEG to wake users from lighter sleepMuse S AthenaInteraXon—Muse expands its sleep platform with an AI coach, deep-sleep stimulation and brain-aware alarms

InteraXon

Muse EEG headbands, sleep and focus

CAprivateest. 2007choosemuse.com (opens choosemuse.com)Checked 11 Oct

The brief

Analyst view
  • Muse S Athena (March 2025, $475) pairs EEG brainwave sensing with fNIRS, which reads blood oxygen in the frontal brain.
  • In 2026 it turned the headband into a sleep tool: sound timed to deep-sleep brainwaves and an alarm that waits for light sleep.
  • Says it has decoded over 1 billion minutes of brain recordings and that 200+ outside-led studies have used Muse.

Technical approach

As reported
EEG

Dry brainwave sensors

Dry electrodes built into a soft band pick up the brain's tiny electrical rhythms without gel.

fNIRS

Light that reads brain oxygen

Near-infrared light shone into the forehead shows how much oxygenated blood the frontal cortex is using, a slower signal of mental effort.

Model

Brain model trained on its own data

A model trained on years of Muse recordings classifies sleep stages and mental states from noisy home data.

Feedback

Closing the loop with sound

The app plays sounds in response to the live signal: calm-weather cues while meditating, or soft pulses timed to deep-sleep waves at night.

Primer