Sleep tracking

In addition to the amount of sleep, the quality of the night's rest depends primarily on the so-called sleep stages. Roughly speaking, sleep medicine distinguishes between two stages: dream sleep and deep sleep. In healthy nighttime sleep, these stages alternate four to seven times per night. The sleep stage determines, for example, how much we move during the night:

Dream sleep = the body is completely limp so we don't act out our dreams (The dream stage (REM sleep) is for mental recovery. Daytime experiences are processed and enriched knowledge and experiences are stored in memory).

Deep sleep = the body tosses and turns (The deep sleep phase serves the physical recovery. In it the body builds building blocks for the maintenance and repair of the organs)

In deep sleep, all bodily functions are throttled; body temperature drops. Pulse and breathing slow down. Unlike REM periods, eyeballs are completely still.

Sleep trackers record movement during sleep, register all sounds in the environment and detect whether a deep sleep and dream phase is currently in progress. It also records changes in heart rate. This data is combined and then used to determine sleep duration and quality.

For sleep monitoring, among other things.

- Number and percentage distribution of sleep phases in the circadian sleep rhythm,

- sleep duration,

- Body movements during sleep,

- heart rate

- breathing rate.

Sleep trackers can therefore help to get to know one's own sleep behavior and raise awareness for restful sleep. However, this only applies to healthy people.

Anyone with chronic sleep problems will not find apps a substitute for medical treatment. If sleep is permanently disturbed, a sleep expert should be consulted.

- It is only an assessment of sleep - not an analysis

- A real sleep monitoring needs more data like muscle movements, eye movements or brain waves

- There is no concrete and evaluative differentiation between light sleep and deep sleep phases (only measurable on the basis of electrical brain activity (EEG)).

- Even lying still is usually considered as sleep by sleep trackers

- Harmful effects on the psyche (similar effect as staring at an alarm clock when having trouble falling asleep)

- Partially falsified suggestion that no serious sleep disorder is present