Are Sleep Apps Bad For You?

Apps and devices designed to help us track our sleep are actually keeping us up, a recent study has found.

13:35 06 March 2017

A study conducted by US researchers has found that apps and devices designed to help track our sleep are actually keeping us up.

 

The research cited the case of a 39-year-old who had fewer fights with his girlfriend after getting a full eight hours of sleep using a sleep tracking device. However, he subsequently became so fixated on getting a good night’s sleep that he would like awake worried about it.

 

"Lead author Dr Kelly Glazer Baron, a clinical psychologist at Rush University, said: "Too many people become fixated on the hours of good sleep they get according to the tracker, which causes a lot of stress and, in some cases, leads to insomnia,'

 

The research added that the apps and devices could even further generate poor sleeping habits. They can also provide inaccurate results as they greatly vary in terms of detecting movement and often can’t differentiate between light and deep sleep.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one-third of American adults have sleep-related problems leading to lack of alertness, impaired memory and mood regulation. Poor sleep is also linked to heart and immune system problems.