Chasing a perfect sleep score? You could be making it worse
Summary
Many people use sleep trackers to measure their sleep quality, but experts say the "sleep scores" these devices give are not scientifically proven. Focusing too much on getting perfect sleep scores can create stress that actually hurts sleep.Key Facts
- Sleep trackers like Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, and smart rings report sleep in stages and give users a sleep score.
- Sleep scores are not officially recognized by sleep scientists and are created by device manufacturers.
- Some patients bring sleep tracker data to doctors, worrying about sleep problems that they do not actually have.
- This focus on perfect sleep, called "sleepmaxxing," can lead to a condition called orthosomnia, where the obsession makes sleep worse.
- A lawsuit against Oura ring claims its sleep measurements are inaccurate and based on artificial intelligence guesses.
- A study from Oxford found people who believed their sleep score was bad felt more tired and less alert, even if the score was randomly assigned.
- Experts say trying to "perfect" sleep using trackers can cause anxiety and is not helpful.
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