NextSense Smartbuds add EEG brain-tracking to sleep earbuds

At CES 2026, ZDNET's Nina Raemont demoed the NextSense Smartbuds, earbuds that monitor brain activity using embedded EEG sensors and that the company says can support more restorative sleep.

The Smartbuds use three electrodes in each earbud and conductive polymer on the flexible parts to perform dry electrode recording, rather than the 20-electrode, gel-based setup used in medical EEGs. NextSense co-founder Jonathan Berent wrote in a 2024 blog post that he pursued consumer brain monitoring after learning he had atrial fibrillation via his Apple Watch.

The earbuds pair with an app that offers sleep audio tracks or connects to users' music and audiobook apps. NextSense says the Smartbuds use slow wave enhancement—pink noise at a certain frequency—to nudge brain waves toward more slow waves during deep sleep. "You get more of that restorative brain rhythm without adding more time in bed," Caitlin Shure, NextSense head of product, told ZDNET.

NextSense says the Smartbuds are intended for consumer use and cannot match medical-grade EEG monitoring. The company also plans more daytime applications, saying the earbuds could gather brainwave data for insights into focus. Battery life is about seven to 10 hours depending on use; the earbuds retail for $399 and are available for preorder to ship in February.

Key Topics

Tech, Nextsense, Smartbuds, Eeg, Jonathan Berent, Caitlin Shure