- Smartwatch sleep trackers can cause anxiety and worsen sleep disorders like orthosomnia and insomnia
- Sleep scores are estimates based on movement and heart rate, not clinical-grade medical data
- Obsessing over sleep data leads to performance anxiety, over-monitoring, and misinterpretation of results
Smartwatches have become common to keep track of your sleep cycle. The use of sleep trackers has gained popularity due to their promise to track your sleep cycle and sleeping patterns. But the real question lies in asking whether sleep tracking on a smartwatch helps make your sleep cycle better or if it just leads to an increasing incidence of sleep disorders such as insomnia. People tend to get a smartwatch and keep checking their sleep score as they develop an obsession with achieving a perfect sleep score. But they are actually dealing with a condition called orthosomnia, which is driving them to develop anxiety over their sleep cycle.
The result is around 10-15% of adults suffering from insomnia, which is a clinical sleep disorder, as the technology they are using is sending their normal hormone cycle out of sync. The overriding feeling of dopamine and satisfaction of achieving the perfect sleep score is driving a chronic issue. Instead of making their sleep quality better, it is functioning in the opposite direction.
What Is A Sleep Score And How Do Smartwatches Track It?
A smartwatch has an inbuilt sleep tracker that analyses movement tracking as you lie on the bed, how much your heart rate changes, and your sleep cycles. But it is important to note that sleep trackers do not function in a clinical setting but, instead, are subjected to individual variability as their algorithm dictates how and what they track. The interpretation of the results is another issue that is open to individual reader bias.
It is important to note that sleep trackers display estimates, not medical-grade results, under a sleep expert's guidance or in a controlled setting. This is needed to effectively address sleep disorders such as insomnia, as the impact on the body and mind is significant, as the body doesn't get the rest it needs.
What Is Orthosomnia?
Research published in the Brain Sciences journal highlights that orthosomnia is a byproduct of obsessive sleep tracking. It needs to affect people who have an obsession with "perfect sleep data".
According to the Sleep Foundation, orthosomnia sleep disorder affects a significant portion of the population, which is related to sleep tracker data obsession, which adds to over 800 million adults dealing with insomnia.
How Obsessing Over Sleep Scores Triggers Insomnia
1. Performance Anxiety Around Sleep
Insomnia is a long-term sleep disorder that is affected by performance anxiety around sleep. This develops in the minds of people as they face the pressure to hit the ideal score on their smartwatch.
2. Over-Monitoring
Sleep is a relaxation state that needs to be built up in the environment to make sure rest is achieved. The constant checking of the sleep score leads to disruption of the relaxation state that is needed for sleep.
3. Misinterpretation Of Data
A sleep tracker showcases data that indicates sleep tracking metrics that need to be properly understood. The small variations in data can create unnecessary panic, which can lead to disruption of sleep.
Also Read: Is Your Bedtime All Over the Place? New Study Links Habit To An Increase In Heart Attacks
Why Your Sleep Score May Not Be Fully Accurate
Your sleep score may not be fully accurate, as it is based on estimated data. Smartwatches with sleep trackers are consumer devices that don't record data, such as medically accurate devices designed by sleep medicine experts.
It can misread sleep stages and wakefulness, which makes relying on sleep trackers on smartwatches dicey.
Signs Your Sleep Tracker Is Doing More Harm Than Good
Your behaviour may become influenced by how the sleep tracker functions, and it may end up doing more harm than actually proving helpful. Here is how:
- Checking your sleep score multiple times a day.
- Stress before bedtime, when the body and mind need a calm-down moment.
- Feeling tired despite decent sleep is a sign that your sleep quality is affected.
- To avoid sleep tracker side effects, you need to rethink using a sleep tracker on your smartwatch.
The Mental Health Link: Anxiety, Stress And Poor Sleep
Being in a state of anxiety results in poor sleep that can worsen sleep scores. This is a vicious cycle that you can get stuck in if you develop a digital health obsession, which is on the rise in India. Instead of you using a digital tool to improve your life, you may end up causing more harm.
How To Use Sleep Trackers Without Damaging Your Sleep
Sleep trackers should only be used in a healthy manner and not frequently. Here are some smart tips to follow and do so:
- Check trends, not daily scores, so that you know overall that your sleeping pattern is ordinary.
- Avoid checking immediately after waking up, as your mind needs a state in which it can wake up in a natural way.
- You need to focus on how you feel, not just data, to assess your sleep quality.
Also Read: 7 Signs Of High-Functioning Anxiety You Might Be Ignoring At Work
Science-Backed Ways To Improve Sleep Naturally
There are ways that are rooted in science to improve your sleep cycle naturally. Here is how it can help create a better environment to achieve good-quality sleep:
- Fixed sleep schedule so that your body knows when to wake up and when to go to sleep.
- Reduce screen time before bed to give your mind time to shift to rest mode.
- Relaxation techniques that ground your nervous system and make your sleep cycle better.
- Avoid caffeine late into the evening to make sure that your sleep quality is not affected.
When To Stop Tracking Completely
If you are using a sleep tracker, then you need to stop tracking your sleep data completely if you experience the following:
- Anxiety worsens as you get used to looking at the screen of your smartwatch constantly.
- Insomnia develops, which leads to physical and mental health impacts.
Sleep becomes "performance-driven" and a way to achieve a sleep score on the smartwatch. You need to regulate your relationship with digital health devices and make use of tools for external analysis, but leave medical and science-required bodily functions to the health experts.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.