Sleep trackers may be inaccurate, and there’s a stunning lack of testing and analysis on the topic. This research paper provides an outline of a number of the analysis, and there have been some small studies, like this study in San Diego and this study in Nebraska that in contrast some commercially out there trackers with polysomnography (PSG), which is the gold normal sleep research technique (it data brainwaves, coronary heart charge, blood oxygen degree, respiration, and motion).
You would possibly moderately count on sleep trackers with extra sensors, able to recording related knowledge to PSG, to be extra correct, however producers additionally develop their very own set of proprietary algorithms to interpret the information. With PSG, the information is interpreted by a well being care skilled.
Some sleep know-how firms have funded analysis. We spoke with Tyler Lee, Asleep cofounder, about some analysis they plan to present at the World Sleep conference this yr. They labored with Stanford and Seoul Nationwide College Bundang Hospital on a joint research that in contrast 11 sleep trackers in opposition to PSG. The research examined sleep stage measurement and accuracy in measuring sleep effectivity and latency. The outcomes had been attention-grabbing.
The research had 75 participants and was conducted independently in Korea. It in contrast the Pixel Watch, Galaxy Watch 5, Fitbit Sense 2, Apple Watch 8, Oura Ring 3, Withings Sleep Mat, Google Nest Hub 2, and Amazon Halo Rise. It additionally included three apps: SleepRoutine, SleepScore, and Pillow.
Scores had been blended, however the Pixel Watch, Galaxy Watch 5, and Amazon Halo Rise carried out nicely at measuring sleep levels, whereas the Oura Ring and Apple Watch had been higher at measuring sleep effectivity (time in mattress spent sleeping) and sleep latency (time to go to sleep). The general winner was Asleep’s SleepRoutine app, which applies an algorithm to respiration sound. (We’re testing the app for a future replace, so keep tuned. We’re additionally testing the Pixel Watch 2.)
The large losers of the research had been the opposite two apps, SleepScore (ultrasound reflection) and Pillow (accelerometer). The Google Nest Hub 2 was additionally constantly poor, which tallies with our personal testing, and the Withings Sleep Mat proved surprisingly dangerous at figuring out sleep levels however did fairly nicely with sleep effectivity.
