Could a sleep tracker make sleep disturbances worse?

Today’s smartwatches and fitness trackers offer sleep measurements almost as standard. It is convenient because you can easily check the time you entered the bed and the quality of sleep, but there is a concern that this function may worsen symptoms such as insomnia on the contrary.

According to reports, sleep experts pointed out that the data provided by sleep tracker apps or devices is likely to be inaccurate. For example, in a paper published in 2017, it was reported that the sleep tracker data had to be overconfident, so that he had to sleep in bed for a long time, and he became anxious when he saw an indication of poor sleep efficiency. In addition, even though the hospital conducted a sleep survey and found that there was no problem, they believe that their sleep is insufficient by only trusting the data measured by the sleep tracker.

In fact, data such as sleep quality and depth displayed by sleep trackers are not standard. Results vary depending on the app or device you use. In the investigation using medical monitoring equipment for 60 subjects wearing Fitbit, it is reported that about 70% of the Fitbit measurement data and the monitoring equipment measurement result matched.

One expert who developed a sleep measurement app emphasizes that a sleep tracker can measure anything accurately, but it is only a tracker. It means that even if you measure your weight every day, you can’t improve your sleep just by tracking just as this alone does not lose weight.

Psychologists also explain that the best way to assess the quality and quantity of sleep is to stop using a sleep tracker, disable alarms, and adapt to the needs of the body. At first, your sleep time will increase, but in a few days you will be able to know the amount of sleep you really need when it will happen. The sleep tracker data is for reference only, and if you feel chronic sleep deprivation, it is best to see a doctor. Related information can be found here.