News

Mar 13, 2024

Not getting enough sleep, waking up throughout the night, or having trouble falling asleep are all issues that can affect sleep quality. Why is this important? The quality of sleep you get affects your overall health. Poor sleep can increase your risk of having health issues, including chronic conditions. It can also lower your quality of life.

The rising use of sleep tracker tools allows people to learn more about their sleep patterns. But are they effective for detecting and managing sleep disorders? We’ll explore these sleep apps and tools to help you understand their uses for improving sleep quality.

The Rise of Sleep Technology

Sleep disorders like sleep apnea aren’t new. However, the tools used to diagnose and manage them have changed over the years. The use of sensors to measure sleep metrics, such as brain activity, heart rate, and sleep cycle, in a lab setting is the traditional method. Known as polysomnography, undergoing this kind of sleep study can be difficult in terms of convenience and cost.

Advancements in improving health technology have focused on creating more convenient and affordable methods. Wearable tools, known as movement-based sleep-wake detection devices, have existed since the early 1970s.

With the increased use of smartphones and tablets, wearable sleep trackers have undergone even more changes. Sleep apps allow people to track sleep habits on their devices. These usually involve using a wearable device that measures heart rate, deep sleep, hours of sleep, and other metrics.

How Do Sleep Trackers Work?

Sleep tracking tools typically use sensors to gather sleep-related data. These sensors capture a variety of metrics that can be used to analyze and improve sleep quality. Some of these metrics include:

• Time asleep
• Heart rate
• Sleep stages, such as REM sleep
• Sleep disturbances or interruptions
• Respiration
• Body temperature

Accuracy of Sleep Tracking Tools

How reliable are these trackers? Keep in mind that they’re not medical devices. Sleep tracking tools might help you get a general idea of how much sleep you get or how often you wake up during the night. However, only medical professionals can diagnose sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

The data that sleep trackers collect comes with accuracy issues. These tools generally rely on body movements to track sleep. They may overestimate the amount of sleep you get if you move around while you’re still awake. Or they might not detect that you’re awake if you’re lying still in bed after waking up at night.

Reviewing the Best Sleep Tracker Tools

If you’re curious about your sleep quality or looking for ways to manage sleep, these tools may be helpful to some degree. How can you choose the best sleep trackers? This involves considering specific criteria based on what’s important to you. Examples of these criteria include:

• Sleep tracking metrics range from heart rate and sleep interruptions to room temperature and noise level
• Sleep analytics, such as sleep changes over time, daily activity levels, and sleep quality
• Personal comfort, such as wearing a device vs. using mattress sensors
• Features, such as a smart alarm or the ability to integrate with other apps
• Battery life

Top Sleep Tracking Tools

You’ll find different types of sleep trackers on the market. Some of the most notable include the following:

• Wearable devices, such as Oura Ring and Apple Watch, have built-in sensors for gathering sleep data
• Bedside devices with contactless sensors for measuring breathing patterns and body movements
• Mattress-based sensors placed under mattresses or smart mattresses with sleep-tracking technology

Let’s look at two of the most popular sleep trackers — the Oura Ring and the Apple Watch. The Oura Ring’s features include the ability to measure blood oxygen saturation, snoring intensity, sleep interruptions, heart rate, and creating rate. The Apple Watch can measure blood oxygen levels, sleep patterns, and heart rate. The latest Apple Watch will include features for measuring snoring, body movements, respiratory rate, and other data related to sleep apnea.

Both devices can provide some insight into sleep quality. For example, they can help you see if you spend most of your time in light sleep with frequent interruptions, which may be a sign of sleep apnea. However, as with other sleep-tracking tools, the data might be inaccurate. Consult your doctor if you suspect that you might have sleep apnea.

Special Focus: Sleep Trackers for Sleep Disorders

Sleep tracking tools can’t be used to diagnose sleep disorders like sleep apnea. However, trackers with specific features may be utilized to see if you might have early warning signs. If you’ve been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, consult your doctor for effective ways to manage the symptoms. A sleep-tracking tool may help manage sleep better while also following your doctor’s treatment plan.

When choosing sleep trackers for sleep disorders, look for tools that provide data on these metrics:

• Snoring and sleep interruptions
• Respiratory rate
• Sleep Quality
• Sleep stages or cycles
• Heart rate
• Blood oxygen levels

Integrating Sleep Trackers Into Your Sleep Health Plan

Despite accuracy concerns, you can use sleep trackers as part of your sleep health plan. Knowing what kinds of data to look for and monitor is essential to improving your overall sleep quality. You can then discuss this data and your concerns with a healthcare professional.

For example, suppose you notice you wake up often or don’t sleep deep enough and feel fatigued in the mornings and throughout the day. In that case, you should consult a medical professional to dig deeper into your symptoms. 

If you’re undergoing sleep disorders or apnea treatment, note that sleep trackers aren’t meant to be medical devices. You can use them to collect sleep data and discuss concerns with your doctor.

Unity Health Network’s Approach to Sleep Health

Unity Health Network offers effective sleep solutions to improve sleep quality. Our services include diagnosing and treating sleep apnea and other sleep disorders with sleep studies and medically approved devices or home medical equipment, including treatment for CPAP-intolerant patients.

While sleep-tracking technology has certain limitations, these tools can be useful in monitoring sleep health. Combined with Unity Health Network's professional healthcare services, you can use them to help manage sleep disorder symptoms. This helps boost sleep quality and reduces the risk of complications.

Looking for effective sleep solutions? Explore Unity Health Network’s sleep health services and schedule a consultation for more information on how you can integrate technology into your sleep health plan.