Have you ever heard about orthosomnia? In short, orthosomnia is a relatively new term used to describe the condition when people are preoccupied with their sleep quality and quantity as a result of the reports they get from their sleep trackers. These people are constantly focused on improving or perfecting the data extrapolated from their sleep trackers. Want to learn more? Continue reading below.

The Symptoms of Orthosomnia

As orthosomnia is a relatively new condition, it hasn’t been defined as a sleep disorder yet. However, as technology grows, it is becoming more and more frequent. The main symptom of the condition is believing that these small gadgets, i.e. the sleep trackers, are undoubtedly correct, so that people become obsessed with perfecting the data. As a result, orthosomnia may also experience a variety of other symptoms including:

• Difficulty falling and/or staying asleep
• Irritability, anxiety, and depression
• Concentration and memory issues
• Fatigue and unrefreshing sleep

Sleep Trackers’ Impact on Orthosomnia

Did you know that a whopping 30% of adult Americans use some type of activity or fitness tracker? Yes, that’s right, almost one-third of the American adult population strongly relies on such devices.

But, did you know that although these trackers are great for counting steps, their sleep trackers tend to fall behind? Why is this so? It’s because these devices are worn on the wrist and usually provide their sleep data based on monitoring movement. However, the issue is that we all move when we sleep. Therefore, sleep trackers aren’t reliable when it comes to how much time we spend awake and asleep.

In addition, people end up with a tool that distracts them instead of helping them get quality sleep. They try to improve the data by spending more time in bed which can even be counterproductive and lead to many sleep issues.

Best Practices to Manage Orthosomnia

The first step towards keeping orthosomnia in check is understanding and remembering that sleep trackers aren’t completely correct. Once you keep this in mind, you can also consider the following best practices that will help you manage orthosomnia:

• Try to connect more with your physical body instead of relying on sleep trackers. In short, listen to your body.
• Ensure you get enough healthy sunlight exposure every day, especially in the morning, to help you regulate your sleep patterns and circadian rhythm.
• Be physically active daily by engaging in yoga or meditation classes, best paired with breathing exercises to relax your body and mind.
• Limit your blue-light exposure, particularly before bedtime. This means that you should avoid screen time for at least two hours before sleep to support melatonin production.
• Mind your diet and consume more pro-sleep foods that encourage and support sleep while avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine.
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine such as taking a bath, reading a book, listening to soothing music, meditating, etc.
• Follow a strict sleep schedule meaning that you should try to go to sleep and wake up at about the same time every day.

The bottom line, making sleep one of your top priorities in life isn’t a bad thing. However, preoccupying with it while relying on data collected from a sleep tracker is an unhealthy habit. In the end, it’s better to rely on your own intuition and listen to your body. If you wake up refreshed, your sleep quality is good, regardless of what the sleep tracker is presenting.