Sleep Tracking and Orthosomnia
The trend to track
Data. Tracking. Optimizing. In today’s world, we’re more obsessed and bombarded with information than ever before.
27.9% of US internet users use mobile apps to track their fitness and health and the use of sleep trackers specifically is on the rise.
Around 1 in 3 Americans use a sleep tracker. Sleep quality tracking is a leading segment, accounting for 37% of the market.
Sometimes tracking data serves us well and sometimes it doesn’t.
I’m not pro or anti sleep tracker. I think they can be useful to flag up certain issues for certain people. For example, if someone isn’t sure whether they’re getting enough sleep on a regular basis (we need roughly between 7-9 hours per night), a tracker can analyze those numbers, which may drive behavioural change. Certain trackers are getting better at detecting sleep disordered breathing (like pauses in breathing or snoring) which can be a very useful pre-screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea, which may prompt someone to book an appt with their doctor. And I actually think sleep trackers can be a useful tool to evaluate and optimize sleep through other areas of wellness for a person who already sleeps well. For example, I have a friend who was curious to see if his sleep would be impacted by the timing of his workout (morning vs afternoon) - spoiler alert - afternoon workout for the win for him!
BUT - I approach sleep trackers with caution. Firstly, while the technology is improving so reported results are more accurate, in terms of things like sleep staging and measuring total sleep time, there is still a ways to go. Not all tech companies are regulated so there’s not always full transparency in terms of data reliability. At this point in time, nothing beats a polysomnography conducted in a sleep lab.
Furthermore, sleep trackers carry a risk in terms of people becoming hyper focused on the data they present, which can often cause anxiety and make sleep worse. Those who work in the sleep world are seeing this trend so much, that they have coined a term for this: Orthosomnia.
What is Orthosomnia?
‘Ortho’ meaning straight or correct, and ‘somnia’ meaning sleep, this condition describes people who are preoccupied or concerned with improving or perfecting their wearable sleep data. It is an obsessive quest to optimize sleep quality and sleep quantity that is driven by sleep tracker data. This perfectionist pursuit to achieve flawless sleep is similar to the unhealthy preoccupation with healthy eating, termed orthorexia.
The dangers of tracking
The problem is, unless you’re Bryan Johnson (and I got a LOT of thoughts about that guy that can be shared at another time and space), sleep is not a static activity that you can perfect every night. Even a sleep expert like myself won’t score a perfect sleep rating every night. And that’s because there are so many internal and external factors that control and influence your sleep. Maybe it’s a work-related stress, perhaps you’re ill, or your bedroom is too hot, or too much caffeine later in the afternoon? Some of these factors you can control and some you can’t.
And while you can work to stabilize your sleep, if you’re someone who is having trouble getting to sleep or feeling energized during the day to begin with, looking at your sleep tracker is not going to help. You already know you’re not sleeping well and having a machine that confirms this is likely going to exacerbate the issue and may actually increase your chances of developing insomnia. If you already feel preoccupied and anxious about your sleep, then you’re probably not a good candidate for a sleep tracker.
Furthermore, the information you collect from your tracker may not drive the appropriate behavioural changes for your situation. As sleep is complex and nuanced and there are so many factors that may affect one’s ability to sleep, it’s key to identify and address the root cause of a person’s challenges instead of just seeing the data. Data gives you info but can be limiting if it doesn’t address the WHY of your sleep issue and the HOW to address it. For example, your Whoop band may tell you that you need more sleep, but if your body’s natural bedtime is midnight and now you’re getting into bed at 11pm and tossing and turning, that’s only going to increase frustration and worsen your sleep. Or, if you’re taking a certain medication that is interfering with your sleep, most likely you’re not going to be able to extrapolate that data from your Oura Ring. Which is why taking a holistic and integrated approach to dealing with sleep issues is key.
Respect the tech
As I said before, sleep trackers can be useful. They are not all bad. And they are not all created equally.
If you do use a sleep tracker, consider these points for healthy use:
Wait at least a few hours after waking before checking your data. An important metric of sleep is subjective and one that a tracker is never going to document. Ask yourself - How did I sleep last night? Do I feel I have enough energy today? Often people wake up and feel good about their sleep but then check their tracker which says otherwise and then they lose confidence and start to worry. Trust what your body is telling you and don’t put all your stock in the app.
Set realistic goals. If your sleep tracker is saying that you should increase your sleep by one hour, start by adding 15 per night for a week and see how you get on. Small incremental change over time is more likely to yield positive long term results.
Measure your data over time. Focus on overall patterns, not daily goals. It’s natural to have imperfect sleep but you should be looking to evaluate long term trends (eg. if you notice that on every Sunday night, it takes you longer to fall asleep because you’re sleeping in that morning, you may want to address the effects of social jet lag and get up a bit earlier on weekend mornings).
Incorporate sleep hygiene practices. In order to improve your sleep, there are so many positive changes you can make that exist outside your tracker. Getting outside in the AM for 15-30 min, dimming lights in the evening, implementing a nightly wind down routine, reducing caffeine intake 8-10 hours before sleep are just a few things you can do to support your sleep.
Take a break from tracking every once in a while. Notice if it makes any difference to your sleep OR any unhealthy preoccupations with your sleep.
Speak to a healthcare practitioner. If you are consistently having issues with your sleep or daytime alertness levels, speak to a professional to rule out any underlying factors and/or medical issues.Restless leg syndrome is not considered curable but it is treatable.
