Is Your Sleep Tracker Stealing Your Sleep? Understanding Orthosomnia

In today’s tech-driven world, we track everything – steps, calories, even our sleep. But what happens when the pursuit of perfect sleep becomes an obsession? This is the reality for people experiencing orthosomnia.

What is Orthosomnia?

Orthosomnia is a relatively new sleep disorder characterized by an unhealthy fixation on achieving “perfect” sleep, often fueled by data from wearable sleep trackers. Ironically, this preoccupation with sleep metrics can disrupt sleep patterns and lead to increased anxiety, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

The Downside of Sleep Trackers

While sleep trackers can be helpful tools for understanding general sleep trends, fixating on the numbers can be detrimental. Focusing on minor fluctuations in sleep data can trigger anxiety and create a vicious cycle of sleeplessness. The pressure to achieve a certain sleep score can make it harder to relax and drift off naturally.