by Smartwatches from the likes of Garmin and Apple now come with impressive sleep-tracking skills – and two new studies from the two companies show that wearables can also give us fascinating insights into our collective sleep. The short answer? Most of us could certainly sleep better.
New data from Garmin’s Sleep Score study (opens in a new tab) and the “sleep health” component of the Apple Heart & Movement study (opens in a new tab) tracked participants’ eye closure over two different time periods in 2022. The overall conclusion from both studies is that about 70% of us don’t get the recommended sleep duration or quality.
The two studies use different metrics, with Garmin’s based on the Sleep Score feature found in many of its smartwatches, while Apple’s focuses on sleep duration and timings due to current tracking limitations. sleep from the Apple Watch. But that means the studies also provide some nice supporting information.
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For example, data from Garmin – taken from the last three months of 2022 – shows that 69% of its participants achieved only a sleep score deemed “poor” or “fair”. This score is not only based on the duration of your sleep, but also on the variability of your heart rate, your breathing and your body movements, among others. While Garmin watches don’t rank among the best sleep trackers, it does give their data a bit more nuance than the Apple Watch.
Apple’s study, taken from Apple Watch wearers using the Apple Research app (opens in a new tab) between February and June 2022, showed that 68.8% of participants did not get the recommended seven hours of sleep per night. The average sleep time was only six hours and 27 minutes.
Perhaps the most interesting aspects of the two studies are the geographic and age discrepancies they found for sleep. According to data from Garmin, the countries with the worst sleep scores were (by far) Japan and, less so, the United States. By contrast, Garmin fans in the Netherlands would top the podium at the Sleep Olympics, if such a competition existed.
Apple’s more US-focused data analyzes the variance between different states. According to its findings, those in Washington, South Dakota and Idaho had the highest proportion of people getting the recommended amount of sleep, with residents of Hawaii, Mississippi and West Virginia faring the worst.
Obviously, many factors may have skewed this data, including the type of job and the age of the participants, but a clearer idea from the Garmin study was that the quality of our sleep decreases with age. in a linear fashion. His ‘Sleep Score by Age’ chart (above) shows why you may not feel as rested after a night’s sleep as when you were younger.
Another interesting insight from Apple’s study, especially when it comes to getting an idea of how to improve your sleep quality, is its “sleep variability” data. He compared the health outcomes of those who have regular sleep start times with those who start sleep at wildly varying times in the evening, over the course of a month.
His findings were consistent with a recent Harvard study (opens in a new tab) which showed that, in older adults, those with variable sleep patterns are more likely to have a higher BMI (body mass index), sleep less overall, and are more likely to have depressive symptoms, among other results. That’s why sticking to a consistent sleep and wake schedule is one of the (many) sleep-boosting tips offered in our special Sleep Week 2023 guide. But what else can you do to improve? your sleep?
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When it comes to sleep, many influencing factors can be beyond our control – for example, working shifts, having a young family, or living through a pandemic can naturally impact our ability to get a sleep schedule. regular. But Apple’s study and our collection of articles for Sleep Week 2023 highlight the many things we can control to improve our sleep.
The Apple Heart & Movement study concludes that “While maintaining a consistent sleep schedule or duration (7-9 hours) is not always possible, what matters, as with exercise, is the long term”. He recommends “taking steps to be more aware of your sleep patterns and learning what works best for you,” including (naturally) using the sleep-tracking powers of smartwatches like the Apple Watch.
While we don’t consider the Apple Watch to be one of the best sleep trackers, our Sleep Week guide agrees with one of Apple’s study findings that establishing a consistent routine. Some of our other tips include avoiding caffeine after noon, avoiding vigorous exercise near bedtime, using a good sleep app to help you relax, or using earplugs to block out noise.
To celebrate Sleep Awareness Week, we also spoke with experts about how to improve your sleep cycles, why you should adopt the 15-minute rule, and the best napping tactics. And while using technology to improve your sleep may seem counterintuitive, it can definitely help when done in the right way.
For example, a TechRadar writer shared how their Fitbit’s sleep tracking features improved their sleep, while elsewhere we’ve rounded up the best sleep podcasts to fall asleep faster (spoiler alert: Sleep With Me and nothing much happens are our current top two).
While the new studies from Garmin and Apple may not be broad or conclusive enough to elicit in-depth insights into our sleep patterns, they are a useful springboard for finding new ways to improve eye closure and increase your naps.
