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Measuring your sleep with an app, how reliable is that really? Mai tests four popular sleep apps and looks for the common sense and nonsense of apps that allow you to track your sleep. It may seem counterintuitive to learn more about your sleep patterns to improve the quality of your sleep, but using sleep apps can have the opposite effect..
Orthosomnia
Fanatic tracking of your sleep through such an app can also lead to an unpleasant situation: orthosomnia. Being overly concerned about getting a good night’s sleep and wasting data on your own sleep pattern can also make you sleep worse because of the stress you have on your night’s sleep.
Four apps were tested
Mai tests the SleepCycle, Pillow, SleepWatch and SnoreLab apps. They all monitor the number of hours you sleep or lie awake. They do this by capturing sound throughout the night through the microphone in your mobile phone. If you really want the complete package, you can also combine these sleep apps with a smartwatch, but that’s not necessary.
Can sleep quality be reliably measured?
At the Eindhoven University of Technology, researcher and neuroscientist Merel van Gilst is researching how your sleep can be measured reliably. The operation of sleep apps is not as accurate as you might think. Apps work based on a general algorithm that is the same for all users of the app and is based on the sleep pattern of a young and healthy person. They usually rely on a standard sleep schedule that is adjusted slightly based on the measurements when they use the app.
The apps are developed based on the sleep patterns of a limited number of people without disorders and therefore fall short. Microphone-based measurement and movement are also limited. If you use a smartwatch (also known as a ‘wearable’) in addition to the app to map your sleep pattern, this is more reliable than just the app, as the smartwatch also measures your heart rate and more information can be obtained from him.
Negative effects on sleep
Mai also notices that monitoring her sleep through sleep apps has a negative effect on her night’s sleep. She even sleeps worse because of it than she usually does without apps. She also notices that her knowledge about her night’s sleep is not always in line with the data she receives in the apps. In this way she can see in the app that she got a full night’s sleep, and she thinks she slept far fewer hours.
App developer ideas
We asked the developers of the four apps to respond. Sleep Cycle and SleepWatch did not respond. Pillow and SnoreLab responded. You can read the full, English responses from both companies below.
Answers from Pillow and SnoreLab
Orthosomnia is a new term without a definitive set of symptoms, and is not included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In fact, some people can closely monitor any aspect of their health, including heart-related values, fitness activity, weight, diet (“Orthorexia”), and sleep. However, there is little statistical data on the prevalence of orthosomnia. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that many people say they have benefited from sleep tracking in different ways. We are happy that this is confirmed by several studies and every day by the reviews and feedback sent by our customers and customers of various other sleep tracking solutions.
Pillow’s sleep analysis algorithm uses device sensor data to provide estimates. This is not done in a way that works for everyone regardless of whether they have a sleep disorder. However, as Pillow makers, we encourage consumers to avoid focusing on specific values and instead focus on overall trends and patterns that may emerge over time. Our scoring method and UI are designed to promote a passive sleep tracking method that allows users to be aware of their sleep patterns and hygiene without scary information or language. As always, we emphasize that Pillow does not diagnose or treat any medical condition. We remain committed to monitoring scientific progress in the broad field of sleep research, including its behavioral and mental health aspects, in order to improve the pillow.
SnoreLab always intended to provide objective data and leave the decision to the user. Unlike a typical sleep tracker, we don’t have metrics about your sleep depth or quality, and we don’t judge your sleep with a score like many others. We simply present the facts about the time you spent in bed and what snoring sound was captured.
Snoring is a complex issue and often has several causes. There is rarely a silver bullet that can cure “snoring”. We present the many solutions the user may have for tagging and read more about it without giving specific advice. At the end of the day, we’re developers who want to create great apps and great user experiences, not medical professionals. We always want to emphasize that if you have questions or concerns about your snoring, an app can help but your doctor is the one who can provide the best care.
Our sister app, Sleepwave sits more in the traditional sleep tracking camp. With patented motion sensor technology, Sleepwave aims to track your sleep and more importantly wake you up at the best time with our smart alarm.
We agree with Mai in that we believe that sleep apps can make your sleep worse. They can create anxiety and on top of that, if a sleep app tells you that you’ve slept poorly (even though you may feel like you’ve slept well) you may be feel more tired by mindlessly trying to confirm what the app has told you!
So, again, our goal with Sleepwave is not to judge the user’s sleep or scare them with low sleep quality scores. Before we see any sleep statistics we first ask the user for their views on their sleep. We do not provide a sleep rate; we provide data. We are also very aware that, although 8 hours is the “correct” amount of sleep that is generally accepted, this depends a lot on the individual. For that reason, the user can customize sleep duration metrics and goals in the app to suit them.
2024-08-22 14:08:42
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