Irregular sleep is a widespread global health concern. Around 30 percent of adults report symptoms of insomnia, with approximately 10 percent experiencing chronic forms of the condition. In North America, the scale is equally concerning, with 12.9 percent of adults reporting regular use of sleep aids, translating to millions of individuals relying on medication to manage persistent sleep disruption.
For Dr. Nyree Penn, a NeuroRestorative Sleep Scientist, Doctor of Health Science (DHSc), Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant (CAA), and founder of NSOMNIA Sleep™, the crisis extends beyond the inability to rest. It reflects a gap in both education and support. “We are not just seeing more people who cannot sleep,” Penn says. “We are seeing people whose brains are not achieving restorative sleep, who do not understand what is happening neurologically, and who are left navigating solutions without clarity.”
Penn’s perspective is grounded in almost 20 years of clinical experience in anesthesiology. That background did not simply lead her into sleep science. It fundamentally shaped how she approaches it. Rather than focusing on surface-level sleep behaviors, Penn began examining the neurological mechanisms that determine whether the brain can enter and sustain restorative states.
This distinction became central to the development of NSOMNIA Sleep™. According to Penn, the company does not focus solely on circadian rhythms, movement disorders, or breathing-related conditions. Instead, it is built around what she calls ‘neurological sleep.’
“We are addressing the brain’s ability to rest,” she explains. “Many people can go to sleep, but their brain never reaches true restoration. That is the gap we are trying to solve.”
At the core of this model is the concept of NeuroRestorative Sleep, the brain’s ability to transition into and sustain the conditions necessary for repair, regulation, and recovery. When this capacity is disrupted, individuals may experience persistent fatigue, cognitive fog, or emotional instability, even if conventional sleep metrics appear normal.
To better understand these patterns, Penn has developed a framework that evaluates sleep restoration through a controlled anesthesia-induced protocol. By examining how the brain responds when guided into deeper states of rest and how it stabilizes and recovers, this approach aims to reveal underlying dysfunctions that standard sleep assessments may miss.
Before any treatment is initiated, NSOMNIA Sleep™ utilizes anesthesia and the electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring to assess brain activity during sleep, allowing Penn and her team to evaluate how restorative a patient’s sleep actually is.
She says that unlike traditional sleep studies, which often focus on breathing patterns or physical movement, this approach centers on brain function and neurophysiology. “We are looking at what the brain is doing,” Penn notes. “Because without that, you cannot determine whether sleep is truly restorative.”
This has led to the identification of distinct neurophysiological sleep patterns, which she refers to as ‘Endotypes.’ According to Penn, Endotypes influence how individuals experience sleep disruption. Two people with similar symptoms may, in fact, have very different underlying mechanisms, which helps explain why one-size-fits-all solutions often fall short.
This neurological focus also informs how NSOMNIA Sleep™ approaches treatment. Rather than relying on medication to induce sleep, the company has developed a patented anesthesia pathway designed to restore the brain’s natural ability to reach deep, regenerative states.
The process begins with a digital entry point, where individuals engage with the team at NSOMNIA Sleep™ for an initial consultation. From there, clients undergo an NSOMNIA Sleep™ Diagnostic Assessment (NSQ), where Penn identifies specific sleep endotypes, such as hyperarousal, in which elevated neurotransmitter activity prevents the brain from settling into restorative rest.
Based on this assessment, patients may enroll in the company’s NSOMNIA Sleep™ Therapy (NSTx), a three-month clinical protocol that incorporates controlled anesthetic sessions.
Penn adds that anesthesia is used as a tool to facilitate deep, restorative brain states and support neuroplasticity, helping recalibrate the neurological pathways required for healthy sleep.
“Sleep medication can help people fall asleep,” she says. “But it does not restore the brain’s ability to achieve restorative sleep. What we are doing is different. We are working to reestablish that neurological sleep function.”
During the program, patients receive one monitored anesthesia session per month over three months, combined with ongoing audio and visual therapies designed to reinforce neurological adaptation between sessions. According to Penn, this integrated approach supports the brain in relearning how to regulate itself, rather than relying on external interventions indefinitely.
While sleep aids can provide short-term sedative relief, long-term use can introduce additional neurological challenges, including the development of tolerance, reduced effectiveness over time, and, in some cases, dependence. For many individuals, medication becomes a default rather than a transitional tool.
Penn says she has observed the consequences of this pattern firsthand.
“People are often managing symptoms without addressing the neurological cause,” she notes. “If the brain cannot reach restorative sleep on its own, the sleep problem remains.”
Chronic sleep disruption has been linked to impaired cognitive function, elevated stress responsivity, and a range of long-term health risks, including neurotransmitter and metabolic conditions. It also affects productivity, emotional regulation, and overall quality of life, with effects that can accumulate over time.
“Sleep is the foundation of how we function and recover,” Penn emphasizes. “But it is not just about duration. It is about whether the brain is actually restoring.”
She believes that as awareness of these impacts grows, so does the need for approaches that move beyond generalized sleep advice. Many individuals, Penn notes, already understand the basics of sleep hygiene, from consistent schedules to environmental adjustments. Yet these measures often fail when the underlying issue is neurological.
According to her, NSOMNIA Sleep™ reflects a shift toward addressing that deeper layer. By combining anesthesiology, neuroscience, and structured clinical protocols, the company introduces a model focused on restoring brain-based sleep solutions rather than managing surface-level symptoms.
To complement its services, the company has also introduced a virtual sleep program designed to help individuals reduce reliance on sleep medication while building a stronger neurological foundation for natural sleep. This offering serves as an accessible entry point, guiding individuals toward more comprehensive sleep oversight, evaluation, and support where needed.
For Penn, the path forward requires a reframing of how sleep is understood.
“We have to move beyond the idea that sleep is simply behavioral,” she says. “For many people, it is neurological. And until we address it at that level, we will continue to see the same cycle.”
As sleeplessness becomes an increasingly global problem, Penn believes this neurological perspective introduces a more clinically grounded conversation. It shifts the focus from managing sleep symptoms to understanding the brain itself, and how its ability to rest can be restored.
“The global sleep crisis is not just about getting more hours of sleep,” Penn says. “It is about whether the brain is capable of achieving the kind of neurorestorative sleep that actually restores the brain and heals the body.”
