


Furthermore, the algorithms which companies use to make predictions about sleep are unknown, making it difficult for scientists to identify whether the assumptions made by the sleep devices are valid. Given many consumer sleep devices haven’t been compared against polysomnography tests, it’s difficult to determine their accuracy rate. Many sleep devices also fail to differentiate one stage of sleep from another based on motion alone. As we move frequently during all stages of sleep, movement provides few clues about what sleep stage we’re in. Analysing brain wave patterns is the only definitive way of knowing whether someone is awake or asleep, and to know what stage of sleep they’re in.īut since sleep trackers are worn on the wrist, they make their estimates of nightly sleep by measuring body movement and sometimes heart rate data.
#WHATS KEEPING ME FROM DEEP SLEEP SKIN#
Polysomnography tests are the most accurate because they track a person’s brain waves, heart rate, breathing, blood oxygen levels, and body and eye movements during sleep through electrodes attached to the skin and scalp. This accuracy drops to around 38% when estimating how long it took participants to fall asleep. So far, research has found that compared to polysomnography tests – which experts use to diagnose sleep disorders – sleep trackers are only accurate 78% of the time when identifying sleep versus wakefulness. Some devices also look at heart rate changes during sleeping to estimate how much time you spent in each sleep cycle.ĭespite their popularity, only a few studies have investigated how accurate sleep devices are. Most sleep trackers are a watch worn on the wrist, and work by monitoring your body movements as you sleep to determine how much time you probably spent awake versus asleep. The “deep” portion of our sleep is mainly what leaves us feeling refreshed the next day. This blossoming interest has seen an explosion of sleep trackers which measure how many hours of sleep you get each night.Īs we sleep, we go through cycles of “deep”, “light” and “rapid eye movement” (REM) sleep. So it’s hardly surprising people are more concerned than ever about getting enough sleep. An estimated one in three people report regular sleep complaints.
