Since smartwatches came into our lives, many of us have started to keep them on even while we sleep. These watches, which offer detailed analysis about our sleep, can sometimes make us question, “But how does it know?”. And now we are revealing this secret!
All smartwatches on the market are equipped with heart rhythm monitors, blood pressure meters, blood oxygen levels, various exercise trackers, stress analyzers and sleep tracking systems.
But have you ever thought about how accurate these devices are?
First, let’s take a look at how smartwatches track our sleep.
Sleep tracking is done using different methods such as actigraphy, which is usually motion or heart rate detection. Actigraphy, or wrist motion detection, allows the band to detect your movement to track your sleep patterns.
Smartwatches use gyroscopes or accelerometers to track your movements and detect which stage of the sleep cycle you are in.
Some smartwatches use heart rate sensors to monitor your heart rate. Your heart rate drops while you sleep and changes as you reach different stages in the sleep cycle.
This data change therefore helps the watch to closely track and monitor your sleep cycle.
Let’s come to our main question: How accurate is this surveillance?
Many studies show that these devices are only 78% accurate compared to polysomnography tests, the gold standard for diagnosing sleep disorders.
When estimating the time it takes to fall asleep, this accuracy rate drops to 38%. Analyzing brain waves is the only way to accurately determine which stage of sleep a person is in.
Smartwatches use body movements and sometimes heart rate data to make sleep predictions.
Given that we often move during sleep, it is highly unlikely that they can provide accurate information about which stage of sleep we are in.
In addition, the algorithms used by companies to make sleep predictions are often unknown, making it difficult for scientists to assess how valid these predictions are.
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