New smartphone apps and standalone units aim to help people sleep better. But are the accurate? Are they reliable? Do they work at all? These are questions that come to many people’s minds as they gaze in amazement at descriptions for apps and gadgets that claim to improve your sleep, or lose weight, and so much more. As far as sleep, there are two major contenders on the market that are standalone units.
A user wears the device on their body, and it tracks how long they’ve spent awake, as well as how long they sleep. The Jawbone UP, and Fitbit One both contain tiny accelerometers inside of them, capable of measuring movement. Then, the collected data is downloaded to a computer or smartphone. Graphs and statistics make it easy to see potential patterns in one’s sleep schedule. The goal is that this can lead to making changes to one’s sleep schedule if they are deemed necessary.
However, things are not always that simple, contends Dr. Hawley Montgomery-Downs. She is an associate professor at West Virginia University, and specializes in research relating to the psychobiology of sleep and sleep disorders. In 2011, a study she was involved with showed that the Fitbit One overestimated a person’s sleep by about an hour. The difference of an hour of sleep a night is huge, and those using these devices in lieu of going to see a doctor could run into trouble.
Furthermore, Matt T. Bianchi, who is a professor at Harvard Medical School and active in the field of sleep research, is not convinced that they are accurate either. He warns against those with sleep disorders using them, and that they, “might be falsely reassured by a device that seems to say they are fine.” But, they’re not all bad. They can help otherwise healthy—and busy—people see the necessity to carve out more time for sleep amidst a demanding schedule.
So long as these sleep-tracking devices, or apps are being used to take a peek at your sleep schedule, they are not harmful. If you think that you may have a sleep disorder, be sure do discuss the concerns with your doctor.
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