Herbie Murray
Sleep tracking apps and devices have become increasingly popular in recent years, with many people turning to their smartphones to track their sleep patterns. These apps and devices use various technologies, such as sonar, actigraphy, and accelerometers, to measure sleep. While the accuracy of these methods may vary, they can provide valuable insights into sleep habits and patterns. This introduction will explore how phones and other devices track sleep, their limitations, and how they can help individuals understand their sleep better.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Technology | Sonar technology, accelerometers, algorithms |
| Functionality | Measure sleep patterns, detect sleep phases, provide sleep score, track body movement, measure breathing rate |
| Input | Users may be required to input lifestyle factors such as caffeine intake, food intake, stress levels |
| Accuracy | May not be able to truly identify when the user is sleeping or awake, may be less accurate if the user has a bed partner or pet |
| Comparison to other methods | Performance can potentially exceed actigraphy, which is used in sleep clinics |
| Data | Leverages 12 years of development and 80 million hours of sleep data |
Sonar technology
The Sleep as Android app also utilizes sonar technology for contactless sleep tracking. It emits sound waves that are on the edge of audible and inaudible, with frequencies ranging from 18 kHz to 22 kHz. The volume of the sound is relatively low, comparable to a pin dropping or a refrigerator's hum. The app can detect breath rate and body movement, providing insights into sleep patterns and potential breathing disorders.
Sonar-based sleep tracking offers several advantages. It eliminates the need for wearable devices or sensors in the bed, providing a more comfortable and convenient experience. The technology is safe, emitting minimal energy and using frequencies that are within the safe range for human hearing. It is also accurate enough to track sleep even with blankets or when sharing a bed with a partner.
However, there are some considerations to ensure optimal performance. The placement of the phone is important, as sonar signals have a limited range. Additionally, other electronic devices, such as fans or speakers, may interfere with the tracking accuracy if they are too close to the phone. It is recommended to position these devices at least six feet away from the phone to minimize interference.
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Sleep phases
Sleep is a complex and variable process that is essential for the human body and brain to rest and recuperate. The quality and quantity of sleep required can differ from person to person and can be influenced by various factors such as genetics, health status, age, and life circumstances.
NREM sleep is further divided into three stages, numbered N1 to N3. N3, also known as slow-wave sleep (SWS), is the deepest stage of sleep, characterized by lower-frequency and higher-amplitude brain waves called delta waves. Arousal from this stage is challenging, and individuals may experience transient mental fogginess or sleep inertia upon awakening. This stage is crucial for tissue repair, bone and muscle growth, and immune system strengthening.
On the other hand, REM sleep is characterized by rapid eye movements and increased brain activity, making it the stage where the most vivid dreams occur. While dreams can happen during any sleep stage, they are less common and intense in the NREM periods. Typically, individuals enter the REM sleep stage after being asleep for approximately 90 minutes.
Throughout the night, the body cycles through these sleep stages multiple times, with each cycle lasting around 90 minutes on average. The sequence and duration of these stages can vary, and factors such as depression, aging, traumatic brain injuries, medications, and circadian rhythm disorders can influence the time spent in each sleep stage.
Understanding sleep phases is essential as it helps explain the impact of sleep disorders, such as insomnia and sleep apnea, on an individual's sleep quality and overall health. Sleep tracking technologies, including smartphone apps and wearable devices, can assist individuals in monitoring their sleep patterns and identifying any disruptions or irregularities in their sleep cycles.
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Environmental factors
Some sleep-tracking devices can record environmental factors, such as the amount of light or temperature in your bedroom. They can also prompt you to enter information about lifestyle factors that may affect your sleep, such as caffeine intake, food consumption, and stress levels. These factors can help you understand how your sleep may be influenced by your environment and daily habits. For example, you may find that you sleep better when your bedroom is cooler or on days when you exercise.
Additionally, the location of electronic devices in your bedroom can impact the accuracy of sleep-tracking applications. For example, if you use a fan or speaker at night, you may need to adjust their settings and position them at least six feet away from your phone to minimize interference with the app's tracking accuracy.
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Lifestyle factors
Sleep-tracking apps on smartphones can help users decipher the quality of their sleep and offer insights on how to improve it. These apps use the phone's in-built microphones, accelerometers, and speakers to measure and record sleep. Users need to place their smartphones near their beds while sleeping.
Some sleep-tracking apps use sonar technology to assess body movement and breathing rate. The app sends silent signals into the sleep environment, and when these sound waves reflect into the phone's microphone, the app's algorithm interprets their shape and movement to measure breathing rate and body movement. This data is then turned into a record of nightly sleep patterns.
Sleep trackers can also prompt users to enter information about activities that can affect sleep, such as caffeine intake, meal times, and stress levels. This information can help users recognize patterns in their sleep habits and make adjustments to improve their sleep quality. For example, users may find that they feel more energetic when they sleep from 11 pm to 7 am or that their sleep is disrupted when they consume caffeine after lunchtime.
While sleep-tracking apps can provide valuable insights, it is important to remember that they do not directly measure sleep. Instead, they often estimate sleep based on inactivity. For exact data about sleep habits, a medical sleep study that monitors brain waves is necessary. Additionally, an excessive focus on sleep data can lead to sleep obsession and anxiety, so it is recommended to consult a doctor or sleep specialist before using these apps.
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Actigraphy
While actigraphy may not provide the most detailed information, it offers a broad overview of sleep patterns and is easy to use. If an individual requires an actigraphy assessment, a doctor or sleep specialist will provide an FDA-approved device and work with them to carry out the testing. Actigraphy can be particularly useful for people with insomnia, who tend to have irregular sleep and wake times and often misjudge their total sleep time.
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Frequently asked questions
Phones can track sleep through a combination of sonar technology and advanced algorithms. The Sleep.com app, for example, sends sonar signals to sense body movement and captures the user's breathing rate. The data is then interpreted by the app's algorithm to track the user's sleep journey.
Phone apps that track sleep are often free or low-cost and can be easily accessed by downloading them from an app store. They can also be more convenient for users who do not want to wear a separate device to bed.
Sleep-tracking phone apps do not directly measure sleep. Instead, they often measure inactivity as a surrogate for estimating sleep. Most sleep tracking devices make some guesstimate as to how much the user is actually sleeping. For exact data about sleep habits, a medical sleep study would be required.
There are wearable sleep-tracking devices that can be worn on the wrist or clipped to pyjamas. These devices may be more accurate than phone apps as they reduce the chance that the movement of a pet or bedmate is registered.
