Sleep monitors could make your insomnia worse

You who intend to improve your sleep and end up sabotaging it. We have been discovering new apps that have been put at your disposal for years monitor your sleep or help you improve it: watches and bands that are worn on the wrist, proximity devices that you place on your bed or nightstand, as well as applications that work by monitoring noise and movement.

However, some sleep specialists warn that these applications and devices can generate inaccurate data and can even exacerbate insomnia symptoms. "Checking your cell phone in bed, after all, is part of poor sleep hygiene. And for some, worrying about sleep goals can cause bedtime anxiety to even get worse," the New York Times assures. .

There is a term for an unhealthy obsession with achieving the perfect dream: orthosomnia.

According to Kelly Baron, co-author of a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, sleep trackers can be useful in identifying patterns. She tracks her dream with a follower of Fitbit activity. However, he said he noticed a trend of patients complaining based on unverified scores, even about things like the amount of deep sleep.

When issues like this become easily fashionable, things like: percentages of sleep debt, sudden drops in heart rate, sleep rhythms, graphics of sleep disruption and comparisons with other users.

Seema Khosla, medical director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep, told the American newspaper that she and other members of the clinic have struggled to keep up with all the devices and applications on the market. She values ​​the increased awareness that new technologies promote about sleep, but is very alert about the pitfalls of inaccurate data and the increase in worry.

"We need to understand sleep technology, including its limitations, without ignoring this potentially valuable resource."

In the case of study on orthosomniaResearchers discovered that patients had spent too much time in bed trying to increase their sleep figures, which could have made their insomnia worse. And they found it difficult to persuade patients to stop relying on their sleep trackers, even if the numbers were incorrect.

Researchers claim that trackers can overestimate the amount of sleep you receive, particularly if they focus on Track the movement. If you are lying in bed but awake, the monitor may think you are asleep. Although the devices that track the heart rate or breathing give a broader picture, They are still only generating estimates.

A moral from the case study: a woman arrived and reported that she had an average sleep efficiency of only 60 percent, according to her monitor. He was given medications to treat restless legs syndrome, was negative for sleep apnea and underwent a formal sleep study. After being told that he had slept deeply in the clinic, he felt uneasy. "So why does my Fitbit say that I am sleeping poorly?" He asked.

Health experts say that getting enough sleep frequently is crucial: it can help you think clearly, avoid colds and other diseases, as well as maintain an adequate weight, Among other benefits. Chronic insomnia has been linked to an increased risk of premature death, heart attacks, as well as the development of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, depression and anxiety.

Even if sleep varies from individual to individual, the National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults up to 64 years sleep between seven and nine hours per night; Younger people need much more.

"People pay 200 euros for a sleep device, but we are not willing to simply turn off our phones and go to bed," says the study.