During an October Becker’s Hospital Review webinar sponsored by Fitbit, Sarah Summer of Fitbit Health Solutions moderated a discussion about the practical value of sleep-monitoring wearable devices and how they can help users adopt healthy sleep behaviors. Panelists were:
- Michael A. Grandner, PhD, director, Sleep and Health Research Program, University of Arizona College of Medicine
- Conor Heneghan, PhD, senior research scientist, Google
- Logan Schneider, MD, clinical lead for sleep health, Alphabet
Three key takeaways were:
- The size and significance of the sleep problem in the U.S. are immense. The three most common sleep-related problems are suboptimal sleep duration, insomnia and sleep apnea. Each is associated with elevated risk of a host of health and safety issues, including heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, car crashes, brain and mental health issues and respiratory issues.
According to current estimates, one third of the U.S. adult population is getting six hours or less of sleep, another third reports insomnia-related symptoms and approximately 20 percent of men and 5 percent of women over 30 have at least mild sleep apnea (about 90 percent is undiagnosed).
“There are a lot of people who are not getting enough sleep, a lot of people whose sleep quality is poor and a lot of people with sleep disorders out there as well. This is a big issue that impacts real life,” Dr. Grandner said.
2. Wearable sensors that track sleep patterns can help people improve their sleep habits. Access to longitudinal data that captures the sleep habits of millions of people and identifies patterns can help individuals get insights about their own sleep patterns. Wearable sensors that passively track sleep data enable such comparisons and can nudge those people with unhealthy sleep patterns to modify their behaviors.
Dr. Schneider said the utility of sleep-monitoring wearables is that by tracking sleep hygiene metrics, such as what time people fall asleep and wake up, the devices provide a simplified interpretation of sleep science to users. “It’s helpful to give people a snapshot of a very complex concept,” he said. “That’s a much simpler construct than trying to understand how to optimize the amount of REM or deep sleep you’re getting.”
“If a person has a particular sleep profile associated with a lot of variability of sleep timing, they would at least be able to think about getting more regular bedtime and getting more regular time to wake up,” Dr. Heneghan said. Dr. Schneider added though that the value proposition of wearables goes beyond tracking what happens while people are at rest, as the devices can also monitor data related to daytime activities that affect sleep patterns.
3. Wearables provide clearer information and motivation for people to adopt healthier sleep-related behaviors. On a psychological level, even when people are aware that their sleep-related habits and behaviors are negatively impacting their health, they may find it difficult to change. The reason is “we’re thinking about sleep as a cost, not as an investment,” Dr. Grandner said, which limits the level of effort individuals may put into improving their sleep routine.
By providing granular data that allows clinicians to tie patients’ sleep patterns to specific health outcomes — and show how subtle changes can led to health improvement — wearables can advance person-centered care.
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